Ivy League Admission
The Ivy Coach College Admissions Blog

Of the top ten colleges where you get the best return on investment, four are Ivy League schools. Stanford, Duke, and Caltech are also in the top ten for ROI.

The Ivy League return on investment is big. Don’t believe us? We’ll give you the data so it’s not a matter of opinion. Every year, PayScale comes out with a ranking of return on investment for colleges around the nation. The 2012 rankings are out and who tops the list? That would be Harvey Mudd College where the 2011 cost for four years of education was $212,900 and the 30-year net ROI was $1,467,000. And what college is the ROI runner-up? That would be the California Institute of Technology where it cost $207,400 over four years as of 2011 and it led to a 30-year net ROI of $1,417,000. A pretty good return on investment, huh?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology placed 3rd with a 30-year net ROI of $1,238,000 at a cost of $208,100. Stanford University was close behind with a 30-year net ROI of $1,194,000 at a cost of $220,200. Right behind Stanford on the list are Princeton University, Harvard, University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, and the University of Pennsylvania. The University of Notre Dame rounds out the Top 10.

Notice a trend here? Four of the top ten colleges with the best return on investment are Ivy League colleges. And Caltech, MIT, and Stanford are three of the most highly selective colleges in the nation. So if you don’t think going to a highly selective college like an Ivy League college is worth it in the long run, you just might want to think again. The data presented by PayScale indicates where you go to college matters a whole lot in terms of your career earnings.

What do you think about the Ivy League ROI? See the full data on PayScale and let us know your thoughts by posting below!

Ivy League scholarships are myths. For years, we’ve rolled our eyes when parents brag about how their child received a full scholarship to Princeton. Or a full scholarship to Brown, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, Penn, Columbia, or Cornell. The fact is, the eight Ivy League colleges don’t offer “scholarships.” If by scholarship, these folks mean financial aid, then the answer is yes — Ivy League colleges all offer financial aid. But scholarship implies merit. If these parents knew that Ivy League colleges don’t offer scholarships but only financial aid, would they still be as boastful?

When in line at a grocery store (or anywhere else for that matter), don't tell people you got a full ride to an Ivy League college. There's no such thing unless by full ride you mean full financial aid.

It’s one of the differentiating factors of the Ivy League for athletes in particular. Ivy League athletes don’t receive scholarships. They’re recruited, yes. But they don’t pay lower tuition costs because they happen to be recruited athletes. There are no athletic scholarships in the Ivy League and it’s one of the pivotal reasons why Ivy League schools often cannot compete with their Division I peers. But, at times, they can compete. At times, the underdog has its day. Jeremy Lin is a Harvard grad. Historically, Princeton has staged remarkable runs in the NCAA Tournament. In spite of not receiving athletic scholarships, Ivy League athletes make a habit of proving they belong at the top of their sport.

So if you’re a mom in the grocery store wearing a Princeton sweatshirt, bragging to the lady behind you in line how your son just received a “full ride” to Princeton, think twice. The lady in the grocery store might know that Princeton does not offer full rides…unless of course by “full ride” you mean full financial aid! If that’s what you’re bragging about, then go right ahead! Like Bill O’Reilly, we just want to keep people honest!

Check out this post on Ivy League Tuition Costs.

For those Americans who believe that international students are taking slots at our nation’s top universities away from deserving American students, they should know that these very international students are the reason why many American students can afford to attend college. How’s that, you ask? Well, international students pay the full cost of tuition. They don’t receive financial aid. And many American students do indeed get financial aid. How do you think a university can afford to let students attend for reduced costs…or even for free? “Full-pay” International students (which is essentially redundant) indeed help offset these costs!

At the University of Washington, like many universities across the nation, international students who pay the full ride offset the cost of American students who can't afford full tuition.

A piece in “The New York Times” published today about international students and college admission by Tamar Lewin points out that more than a quarter of the class at the University of Washington gets a free ride largely because of the full-pay tuition from international students. And that’s how the University of Washington can continue to admit low income students from the state of Washington! Does it seem unfair for applicants from China to take slots away from Americans at our universities now? Not so much, we’re guessing you’re thinking.

According to the same college admission piece in “The New York Times,” “There is a widespread belief in Washington that internationalization is the key to the future, and Mr. [Michael K.] Young, [the university president], said he was not at all bothered that there were now more students from other countries than from other states. (Out-of-state students pay the same tuition as foreign students.) ’Is there any advantage to our taking a kid from California versus a kid from China?’ he said. ‘You’d have to convince me, because the world isn’t divided the way it used to be.’”

Mr. Young at the University of Washington isn’t alone either. The University of Washington isn’t the only state school more inclined to admit a full-pay international student over a partial-pay student from another state. And they’re not wrong to do it. It just makes simple financial sense.

While you’re here, if you’re an international student, check out this post on the Student Visa Interview.

There was a great article yesterday up on “Global Post” about U.S. universities and China and how students in Asian nations applying for admission to U.S. universities cut every corner possible by cheating their way into universities. How so? They hire unethical college admissions agents in China who give them a pile of essays from which they can choose one to submit with their U.S. college application. These same unethical admissions agents make up awards for them and even rework their transcripts! The students even hire other students to take the SAT for them (maybe this is where those Great Neck, Long Island students got their inspiration!).

It's about time for U.S. universities to take a stand against unethical Chinese admissions agents.

This is nothing new. We’ve reported on the unethical Chinese admissions agents before. And there isn’t much that can be done to stop these unethical individuals from compromising the college admissions process in the United States. Or is there? What if these unethical agents didn’t receive commissions from U.S. universities if their students got into a school and attended? What if U.S. universities just said “no more?” Wouldn’t that be something! But instead, U.S. universities are dragging their feet, unwilling to take a stand against these gross violations of ethics. In no uncertain terms, in many though certainly not all cases, they look the other way!

Want to know why? Because U.S. universities have something very important to gain from admitting and ultimately matriculating these Chinese students: money, money, money. Chinese students are seen as “full-pays.” They pay the full cost of tuition. Universities don’t have to offer these students financial aid like they do for American applicants. So U.S. universities will gladly take their money, look the other way at these gross ethical violations, and run. We’re calling on U.S. universities to reverse this policy, to take a stand at the blatant corruption in China. We’re calling on U.S. universities to put their money where their mouth is.

According to “The New York Times,” the University of California – Berkeley announced that come next fall, students from middle class backgrounds will only have to contribute no more than 15% of their annual tuition. This new Berkeley tuition program, according to Rebecca Ruiz of “The New York Times,” is for students whose families earn up to $140,000 a year. So if your parents’ combined income exceeds $140,000, you wouldn’t be eligible for the program.

Berkeley has become the first public university to offer significant financial aid to families with an income of less than $140,000 a year.

The change in tuition policy at Berkeley is going to cost the university around $12 million each year but it’s the right thing for the school to do as it helps middle class families finance a college education. Often times, it’s the middle class families who aren’t eligible for the financial aid packages at various schools and therefore certain schools become off-limits to students. Berkeley hopes to help these middle class families with their efforts.

According to Jennifer Medina of “The New York Times” on the topic of Berkeley tuition, “While several elite private universities — including the Ivy League triumvirate of Harvard, Princeton and Yale — offer similar programs for families with incomes up to $200,000, experts said that Berkeley was the first public university to do so. For the most part, public colleges have focused on merit scholarships to lure top students and aid for the poorest families to ensure access, but many now worry that approach has left out a wide group of families.”

Check out this post on University of California Admissions.

The G.I. Bill will still cover the full cost of college tuition for military veterans - even the high cost of Ivy League tuition.

There’s an inaccurate article out today in “The Huffington Post” about veterans and the Ivy League. We’re wondering where the writer did his/her reporting (no by-line is listed). In the article, it says that many military veterans face a cap on their college tuition from the G.I. Bill – at $17,500 a year. But do not fret or fear, military vets, as this isn’t actually the case as Congress unanimously passed the “Restoring G.I. Bill Fairness Act” back in August 2011. There will indeed be no cap on college tuition for military veterans who honorably served our nation.

It’s disappointing that “The Huffington Post” would overlook this act passed by Congress in their reporting as the article unnecessarily scares veterans that their tuition won’t be covered…especially at Ivy League colleges where tuition exceeds twice the $17,500 cap cited by “The Huffington Post.” We first reported on Congress’ passage of this act for veterans furthering their educations back in August.

Anyhow, the piece in “The Huffington Post” does have some correct information concerning veterans and Ivy League colleges. If you’re curious which Ivy League colleges tend to be the most friendly to veterans, nearing the top of the MilitaryFriendlySchools.com chart for 2012 are Columbia University and Cornell University. In fact, in Columbia’s General Studies program, a program aimed specifically at older students, 210 students are military veterans. According to “The Huffington Post,” that’s 50 more students than just three years prior.

Cooper Union tuition is somewhat of an oxymoron. Cooper Union, after all, doesn’t charge tuition and this has been the college’s practice for over a century. Founded by Peter Cooper, an entrepreneur, industrialist, social reformer, and education pioneer, Cooper wanted to make education available to all. He didn’t want one’s lack of means to restrict a capable student of pursuing a first-rate education. And he put his money where his mouth was by founding a school that does just that.

Cooper Union, a school that has never charged tuition with a very difficult admission rate, may have to start charging students (photo from Wikipedia).

Cooper Union, a haven for engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and artists, offers one of the very finest educations in the country in these areas. And somehow – unbelievably -the college has made the practice of not charging tuition a sustainable business practice. But that may now change. Cooper Union, after about a hundred years of making college free for a very select set of students (the admission rate ranges from 5% to 10% each year) may now have to start charging tuition. Students from middle-class and low-income families will, however, still get to go for free.

While Cooper Union hasn’t set in stone just yet that they will begin charging tuition, the announcement has sparked outrage from alumni. These alumni, after all, owe their careers, their educations to their free Cooper Union experience. They want to ensure that students of future generations are afforded such opportunities as well. They want to ensure that Peter Cooper’s life achievement does not die in our current economic crisis.

While you’re here, check out this post on College Tuition. And check out the article in “The New York Times” on Cooper Union Tuition Costs.

University of California tuition costs are on the rise. Again. This should come as no great shock as University of California schools have been turning to more and more out-of-state applicants since these students pay quite a bit more than California residents. In short, there’s a major budget crisis in California and the UC system needs money. That means tuition is only going to go up…significantly.

University of California tuition for California residents is only going up and up and up.

How significantly? Well, according to the “LA Times” article on University of California tuition, “[In-state] students could face annual tuition increases of 8% to 16% over the next four years, possibly bringing the fee as high as $22,068 for the 2015-16 school year, according to a long-term budget plan the university unveiled Wednesday.” And what’s the major reason for the increases? Well, due to the down economy, the University of California will be receiving less funding this year than last year from the State of California.

What do you think about the rise in University of California tuition? Do you think it’s fair that out-of-staters are getting an edge in the UC admissions process? Do you think this trend will end? Let us know your thoughts by sharing your comments below. And have a look at our posts on University of California Admissions and University of California Tuition Costs.

Tuition at UCLA has risen by 17.6% this year! And for students applying to UCLA, there may be more hikes later this year.

Some UCLA students will be paying about 50% more than they anticipated spending on tuition for the coming academic year. How this will impact students applying to UCLA and other University of California schools remains in question. This past Thursday, the UC Board of Regents voted on and adopted a 9.6% tuition hike. If you remember, there was an 8% tuition hike this past November. So since November, there has been a 17.6% rise in the cost of tuition.

Many students applying to UCLA and other UC schools feel that they may as well attend private universities if public university tuition is rising so high, so fast. One UCLA student estimates she’ll be paying $56,000 for the upcoming academic year, according to the “UCLA Bruin.” And tuition hikes may not be over this year! According to the “UCLA Bruin” article on UCLA tuition, “If extra tax revenue fails to materialize later this year, the UC will face a $100 million cut. To offset that amount, an additional 5.9 percent tuition increase has been proposed, though the regents have tabled the issue for now.”

College tuition costs increased by 439% from 1982 to 2007. Meanwhile, family income increased by 147% over that same time span. Does that sound a bit ridiculous? It may, but it’s also true according to a report published a couple of years back by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. So our question is — just how ridiculous is a 439% increase in college tuition costs?

College tuition costs are not only rising at a rate higher than inflation. They're rising at a rate higher than just about anything (chart from: "New York Times" / December 3, 2008).

Since November, UCLA has raised its university tuition costs by 17.6% and there may indeed be more tuition hikes in Westwood later this year. And they’re not alone. Read about rising Ivy League tuition costs. And read about how college tuition increases at a rate much higher than inflation.

But how does a 439% increase compare to other sectors? Well, during that same 28 year time frame, medical care costs increased by 250%. The consumer price index increased by just a bit over 100%. In fact, college tuition costs “outpace median family income and the cost of medical care, food and housing,” according to a tuition article in the “New York Times.”