What are the Little Ivies and how to get in

You’ve no doubt heard of the Ivy League and its eight universities of worldwide repute, but there’s a lesser known group of highly competitive but smaller universities in the north east of the US, usually referred to as the "Little Ivies". Although less well-known than their larger counterparts, these are nevertheless unique and often historic institutions providing a highly regarded liberal arts education to smaller numbers of undergraduate students.

There’s no definitive list of the Little Ivies, but a handful always make the cut whenever they’re being discussed, and in this article you’ll find out all about those and others, as well as what they offer students, admissions hints and tips, and the advantages of choosing a little Ivy over a bigger one. 

What are the Little Ivies?

Harvard, Princeton, and Yale need no introduction. These, and others, form what’s known as the Ivy League – an academically selective set of eight US universities that have an international reputation for education, research, and sport. Yet, they aren’t the only competitive and highly regarded universities in the US.

There are also several others that are in the top rank of American academia, but which are smaller and less talked about than their larger counterparts. These are the so-called ‘Little Ivies’, liberal arts colleges clustered in the north east of America and focusing predominantly on undergraduate education rather than on both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes like the Ivy League. While there’s no categorical agreement about which colleges are Little Ivies, there are always some whose status is agreed upon, and we’ll look at these below.

Little Ivies are selective, have large endowments, excel academically, and are often set in idyllic surroundings, so you might wonder how they’re any different from the Ivy League. The greatest difference is their size – many have under 2,000 students enrolled at any one time, rather than several thousand like some of the bigger Ivy League universities. Also, most of them, but by no means all, only offer undergraduate courses, so it’s normal to continue your postgraduate study elsewhere.

By nature of their size, Little Ivies appeal to US as well as international students often for the same reasons. They are less overwhelming in terms of their student body and curriculum, meaning they feel less intimidating for someone who’s just left home, whether they’re from the US or abroad. They’re also known to devote great care and attention to the individual through continuous mentoring and support, meaning you’ll feel part of a close-knit community – something that may be harder in a larger institution.

Notable Little Ivies and what sets them apart

Features: Small class sizes, focus on undergraduate teaching, strong alumni support

In Little Ivies you can expect to experience smaller class sizes, close working and social relationships with your fellow students, faculty, and alumni, a major focus on undergraduate courses, and specialised courses that are tailored to your ambitions and goals. Below you’ll find a table of some of the principal Little Ivies, along with       their acceptance rates, U.S. News national ranking, and whether they offer Early Decision/Early Decision II.

Williams College

Location: Williamstown, MA

This college was founded in the eighteenth century and is set on a 450-acre rural campus in a quaint town in Berkshire County, MA . Around a quarter of its students study Economics, so it’s no surprise it does well in this subject, while other popular degrees are Psychology and English. It offers a range of different accommodation types, so there’s really something for everyone. 

Amherst College

Location: Amherst, MA

Amherst has a fairly small student body (fewer than 2,000 students usually), but occupies a huge campus of 1,000 acres. It regularly features in the top five liberal Arts college rankings and is a popular choice for Maths, Computer Science, and Economic students, but it does offer a wide range of other degree courses. Its graduates go on to distinguished careers in a variety of fields.

Swarthmore College

Location: Swarthmore, PA

This small, prestigious liberal arts college excels in the social sciences, as well as Computer Science, and has a student to faculty ration of 8:1. It offers more than 40 different degree courses and allows students to design their own major from over 600 different modules. The college is in a beautiful setting and even has its own arboretum, but is located only 11 miles from Philadelphia for the trappings of city life.

Bowdoin College

Location: Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin has strong academic and pastoral missions, and is very successful at turning out well-rounded liberal arts graduates. It’s a campus university, founded in 1794, and offers grants rather than loans to its students on a need-blind basis. The college places a strong emphasis on working for the common good and encourages students to engage in this aim through community service, research, and internships.

Pomona College

Location: Claremont, CA

Pomona was founded in the late 19^th century, has a student to faculty ration of 8:1, and offers 48 different majors and minors. It is a need-blind college, so it meets the financial needs of all those admitted, and features a wealth of extra-curricular activities for students to engage in. Studying abroad is also encouraged in the form of internships and research opportunities in many foreign countries. 

For further information about these colleges and more, take a look at the US News ranking table. 

Is it difficult for international students to get into a Little Ivy?

Academic excellence

Little Ivies are like any other highly competitive university in that they are looking for the best scores across a range of qualifications for admission, so expect to be asked for a high grade point average (GPA), as well as top marks in your individual exams for IB/A-levels/AP and coursework.

Extracurriculars and leadership

In addition to excellent academic work, Little Ivies will want to see that you’ve engaged outside the classroom as they want well-rounded, interesting and interested students on their courses. Don’t just list what you’ve read or done – ensure you demonstrate how you’ve involved yourself meaningfully in a range of activities.

Standardised tests

All universities are different, and some will require you to have taken the SAT or ACT while others won’t, e.g. Bates and Bowdoin Colleges don’t ask for these. It goes without saying that, if they do, then competitive scores (above 1400 for SAT and 30 for ACT) are necessary for you to get in, but at A-List, we encourage students to still submit test scores even if the school you're applying to is test-optional, given the importance of these tests as an implication of academic performance as more Tier 1 universities have brought back mandatory testing in the past year.

English proficiency 

If English is not your first language, then it’s likely that you’ll be asked to take a TOEFL or IELTS exam and be required to achieve certain scores in particular tests and a given average across the different exams. Look this up on the universities’ websites and start planning when to take the test in time for your application.

Financial aid for international students

You’ll find the financial packages offered by Little Ivies, and US universities more generally, unique in their generosity and policies. Some are ‘need-blind’, like Amherst, meaning they will meet your required costs whatever they may be. Understandably, places at these Little Ivies are fiercely contested. Others (most) are ‘need-aware’, which means they will take into account your circumstances before making an offer of financial assistance.

Demonstrated interest

You want to mark yourself out from the many other international students who will be applying, and a good way to do that is through attendance in person or virtually at events held by the college, and in an interview if the college offers you one. You should show your eagerness to attend that university by researching it in depth and         knowing what you’re signing up for.

The benefits of choosing a Little Ivy

With far fewer students than the bigger US universities, you can expect to form close relationships quickly with your fellow students and academics. This means there can be a closer community feel about the college and being mentored is easier, which is an aspect that appeals to many.

Given their size, Little Ivies can’t accommodate as many students as the bigger Ivy League institutions, so competition for places can be even greater. That said, you’re no competing on the basis of brand, but instead on what matters – academic performance – so be reassured that this is what they’ll be looking at.

Little Ivies are renowned for offering personalised academic pathways tailored to your ambitions and interests, as well as many collaborative research opportunities and helpful career planning and mentoring for the next chapters in life.

Little Ivies are highly regarded in the working world for turning out capable and well-educated people, so their graduates are in high demand in the workplace. Little Ivies also create close bonds between people, meaning that they are good at offering placement and employment opportunities through their extensive alumni networks.

Final tips and next steps

Remember that Little Ivies are like any other university in that they want to see your burning desire to go there, so ensure your application demonstrates this, as well as your achievements and interests.

To help you map out where you really want to go and how to get there, or just to get some further information about the US admissions system in general, why not book a complimentary Discover Session with one of our experts who’d be delighted to advise you further?

Depending on your plans and priorities on the universities in question, you can apply to a Little Ivy through the Early Action, Early Decision, or Regular Decision Route. These are all very different, and come with varying degrees of limitation on what you can and cannot do.

Make sure to investigate this with each of your chosen universities and check out our Guide to Early Action vs Early Decision for further guidance.