The 16 Most Selective Colleges In The Country

The Huffington Post teamed up with the Princeton Review, one of the nation’s leading education-services companies, to present this special feature on the nation's most selective colleges -- and how to get in to them.

The goal of our “America’s Most Selective Colleges” project is to give college-bound students and their parents straight-on information about these challenging schools' acceptance rates and truly savvy tips for applicants.

To that end, we asked the Princeton Review to shares its list of the 16 colleges in its flagship book, The Best 376 Colleges (published August 2011) that earned a 99 -– the highest possible score -- on the Company's unique "Admissions Selectivity Rating." Presented in alphabetical order, this list is based on the Princeton Review's analysis of data it exclusively gathers from its institutional and student surveys.

We also asked the Princeton Review's Senior VP/Publisher, Rob Franek, to offer his expert advice on how to gain acceptance into these outstanding schools. Having also been a college-admissions officer, he knows this side of the admissions scene well. His seven short videos are packed with insights on what admissions officers are looking for, plus need-to-know tips for earning high test scores, writing stellar college essays and winning financial aid. All are sure to be useful in your college applications.

The Princeton Review publishes college information, admissions data, and application guidance on its website and Facebook.

Join us in the conversation that will lead you to the best-fit school for you!

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• Amherst College

  Location: Amherst, MA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 30-34 SAT Critical Reading: 670-770 SAT Math: 670-770 SAT Writing: 680-770 % accepted: 15 Total undergrad enrollment: 1,795 Professor interesting rating: 87 Professor accessible rating: 93 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/CheckOutSignIn.aspx?ComeBackTo=%2fschoollist.aspx%3fid%3d703" target="_hplink">Dorms Like Palaces</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amherst_College_Main_Quad.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: David Emmerman

• Importance Of Standardized Tests To Admissions

• Columbia University

  Location: New York City, NY ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 31-34 SAT Critical Reading: 690-780 SAT Math: 700-790 SAT Writing: 690-780 % accepted: 9 Total undergrad enrollment: 5,888 Professor interesting rating: 77 Professor accessible rating: 74 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/CheckOutSignIn.aspx?ComeBackTo=%2fschoollist.aspx%3fid%3d709" target="_hplink">Great College Town</a> Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Almamater.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Nowhereman86

• Deep Springs College

  Location: Deep Springs, CO ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: NR SAT Critical Reading: 750-800 SAT Math: 700-800 SAT Writing: NR % accepted: 7 Total undergrad enrollment: 26 Professor interesting rating: 93 Professor accessible rating: 99 Rankings/Lists: NR Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DeepSpringsCattleDrive.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Plowboylifestyle

• Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

  Location: Needham, MA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: 3.9 ACT Range: 33-35 SAT Critical Reading: 670-750 SAT Math: 710-780 SAT Writing: 650-730 % accepted: 30 Total undergrad enrollment: 346 Professor interesting rating: 99 Professor accessible rating: 95 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=756" target="_hplink">Students Study the Most</a> Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Olin_Center_Sunset.JPG" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: L33tminion

• High School Transcripts - Not Just Grades!

• Harvard College

  Location: Cambridge, MA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 31-34 SAT Critical Reading: 690-800 SAT Math: 700-790 SAT Writing: 710-800 % accepted: 7 Total undergrad enrollment: 6,641 Professor interesting rating: 71 Professor accessible rating: 69 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=687" target="_hplink">Best College Library</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boston5809.JPG" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Poco a poco

• Johns Hopkins University

  Location: Baltimore, MD ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: 3.72 ACT Range: 29-33 SAT Critical Reading: 630-740 SAT Math: 660-770 SAT Writing: 640-740 % accepted: 21 Total undergrad enrollment: 4,980 Professor interesting rating: 72 Professor accessible rating: 75 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/best-value-colleges.aspx" target="_hplink">Best Value Colleges</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gilman_Hall,_Johns_Hopkins_University,_Baltimore,_MD.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: daderot

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Location: Cambridge, MA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 32-35 SAT Critical Reading: 670-760 SAT Math: 740-800 SAT Writing: 670-770 % accepted: 10 Total undergrad enrollment: 4,285 Professor interesting rating: 70 Professor accessible rating: 76 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=756" target="_hplink">Students Study the Most</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitgreatdome.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Daniel P. B. Smith

• What's The Campus Like?

• Princeton University

  Location: Princeton, NJ ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: 3.89 ACT Range: 31-35 SAT Critical Reading: 690-790 SAT Math: 710-790 SAT Writing: 700-790 % accepted: 9 Total undergrad enrollment: 5,142 Professor interesting rating: 84 Professor accessible rating: 90 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=728" target="_hplink">Most Beautiful Campus</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_Hall_auditorium_Princeton.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Andreas Praefcke

• Stanford University

  Location: Palo Alto, CA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 30-34 SAT Critical Reading: 670-770 SAT Math: 690-780 SAT Writing: 680-780 % accepted: 7 Total undergrad enrollment: 6,889 Professor interesting rating: 91 Professor accessible rating: 86 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/schoolList.aspx?type=r&id=764" target="_hplink">Best Health Services</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stanford_University_1978.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Dirk Beyer

• Your Best Application

• The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

  Location: New York City, NY ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: 3.6 ACT Range: 29-33 SAT Critical Reading: 610-730 SAT Math: 610-780 SAT Writing: 620-640 % accepted: 8 Total undergrad enrollment: 910 Professor interesting rating: 72 Professor accessible rating: 70 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx" target="_hplink">Tution-Free Colleges Honor Roll</a> Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cooper_Union_New_Academic_Building_from_north.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Beyond My Ken

• University of Chicago

  Location: Chicago, IL ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: 3.79 ACT Range: 30-34 SAT Critical Reading: 700-780 SAT Math: 700-780 SAT Writing: 690-770 % accepted: 19 Total undergrad enrollment: 5,225 Professor interesting rating: 83 Professor accessible rating: 81 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx" target="_hplink">Most Politically Active Students</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hutchinson_Hall,_University_of_Chicago.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Richie D.

• University of Pennsylvania

  Location: Philadelphia, PA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: 3.89 ACT Range: 30-34 SAT Critical Reading: 660-750 SAT Math: 690-780 SAT Writing: 680-770 % accepted: 14 Total undergrad enrollment: 9,865 Professor interesting rating: 73 Professor accessible rating: 79 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx" target="_hplink">Green Colleges</a> Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Foliage_at_Penn_2005_035.jpg" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Bryan Y.W. Shin

• How A School Creates A Unique Freshman Class

• University of Virginia

  Location: Charlottesville, VA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 28-32 SAT Critical Reading: 600-710 SAT Math: 620-740 SAT Writing: 610-720 % accepted: 33 Total undergrad enrollment: 14,232 Professor interesting rating: 82 Professor accessible rating: 78 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx" target="_hplink">Great Financial Aid</a> Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alderman_Library.JPG" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Vtn5n

• Vanderbilt University

  Location: Nashville, TN ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: 3.7 ACT Range: 30-34 SAT Critical Reading: 670-760 SAT Math: 690-770 SAT Writing: 660-750 % accepted: 18 Total undergrad enrollment: 6,879 Professor interesting rating: 86 Professor accessible rating: 85 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx" target="_hplink">Great College Town </a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CommonsCVanderbilt.JPG" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Jbaker08

• Williams College

  Location: Williamstown, MA ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 29-34 SAT Critical Reading: 660-770 SAT Math: 650-760 SAT Writing: NR % accepted: 19 Total undergrad enrollment: 1,996 Professor interesting rating: 94 Professor accessible rating: 99 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx" target="_hplink">Best Classroom Experience</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Williams_College_-_Thompson_Memorial_Chapel_interior_view.JPG" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Daderot

• Yale University

  Location: New Haven, CT ASR: 99 Average HS GPA: NR ACT Range: 30-34 SAT Critical Reading: 700-800 SAT Math: 700-780 SAT Writing: 700-790 % accepted: 8 Total undergrad enrollment: 5,279 Professor interesting rating: 87 Professor accessible rating: 87 Rankings/Lists: <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx" target="_hplink">Happiest Students</a> Photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beinecke_Library_interior_2.JPG" target="_hplink">Credit</a>: Ragesoss

• Where Do I Fit In Best?

Comments

[MattWilliams06]

04:50 PM on 07/21/2012

Why can't anyone who performs these "selectivity rankings" perform simple math?

An acceptance rate cannot be measured by a percent alone. A percent is a number. For instance, Harvard boasts a 7% acceptance while MIT reports 10%. However, Harvard has, on average, 30,000 applicants per year, while MIT typically has 17,000. That means Harvard accepts 2100 applicants per year, while MIT only admits 1700. Therefore, Harvard admits 30% more students per year than MIT. But, all these people who do these "rankings" based on "selectivity" can't perform this simple analysis.

Probably because they didn't attend MIT.

[Siebenstein]

06:35 AM on 05/28/2012

Standardized Tests are another scheme, a moneymaker and tool to eliminate sometimes excellent students just because there are too many applicants. It is a dumb screening tool many institutions are starting to ditch because they came to see that it is more detrimental than helpful to the admissions process.

Originally these tests came out of the military and had nothing to do with academic achievement.

[Siebenstein]

06:31 AM on 05/28/2012

The main scheme of the Ivy Leagues are 'donations'. It's all about money, not about education. Money and marketing keeps these universities in the limelight. That's it.

[Siebenstein]

06:24 AM on 05/28/2012

This obsession with ranking is a result of another government attempt to keep people distracted by having them keep busy trying to reach the dream.

Well, it's all B-S.

You can be successful graduating from any decent University without having the names Yale, Stanford, Harvard, or else on your diploma.

Look at 'W'. What a graduate was he?
Then look at others who graduated from 'regular' (which the others are as well) universities.

I strongly recommend the following read to bring people down to Earth and away from their obsession with the Ivy League. Take it from an Ex- English professor who taught at Yale University: http://theamericanscholar.org/the-disadvantages-of-an-elite-education/

[evening dress]

04:06 AM on 05/07/2012

That was a great piece of information., I enjoyed reading it...
Herve Leger Dresses
oakley sunglasses
Burberry Bags

[dquandle]

03:30 AM on 03/21/2012

Standardized tests are virtually meaningless garbage. They are maintained by a for-profit testing industry that has a vested interest in colleges continuing to waste student's time and money and education in preparation for jumping through these moronic hoops. Students ought to be understanding subjects and thinking deeply and carefully , not learning how to fill in goddamned bubbles, and writing idiot essays on subjects they do not care about.

[Assumed Name]

07:36 PM on 03/18/2012

toooooo many ads

[spirrigold21]

03:54 PM on 03/18/2012

My biggest problem is that the school I attend, it is a top ranked high school in the state (3rd ranked, I believe.) The problem though is that for one, I can't take AP classes because my classes are already considered AP classes, but literally nobody knows that. Secondly, it is near impossible at my school to keep straight A's across the board. I work my butt off and still only manage to pull of just above a 3.0. It frustrates me because I wonder if colleges, even the ones in my state, know just how hard it is to succeed in the school I go to? Would they consider accepting me after seeing my grades? That's what I worry about...I know I am a lot smarter than the average public school kid who can pull off a 4.0 easily, but my grades definitely do not show that..

[Quis Custodiet]

12:31 AM on 03/19/2012

Do well on the SAT's and they'll realize just how gifted, or not gifted you are.

[ricchh]

10:54 AM on 03/19/2012

Yes, colleges know this information. All high schools are ranked and they know exactly the caliber of students they get from each high school. Also they know the average SAT scores and economic conditions of each high school.

[Quis Custodiet]

08:46 AM on 03/18/2012

This list is a joke. How do you include universities with 30% acceptance rates while dejecting Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna, UCLA, USC, Berkeley...????

Plain stupidity.

[ricchh]

10:55 AM on 03/19/2012

Harvey Mudd and Claremont Mckenna were revealed a few months ago for lying about their SAT scores for years on the rankings.

[Quis Custodiet]

11:57 AM on 03/19/2012

Which changes their admission percentages how exactly? Apples and bananas.

[Immovable Subject]

01:06 AM on 04/16/2012

What? I go to Pomona and I never heard anything about Harvey Mudd fudging scores. Where is your source? CMC, yes, but who cares about them? Please don't make things up.

[marcchagal]

03:21 PM on 03/17/2012

I don't know what morons put this list together, but it's harder to get into UC Berkeley than Harvard. Berkeley is not only ranked in the wrong place, but it's not ranked on this list at all. This is pretty glaring gaffe. The list has no credibility. Such an omission is unprofessional and flawed. The Guardian has ranked UC Berkeley number 1 in the world in History, tied with Princeton and Civil Engineering is ranked number 1. All other subjects are ranked #1 through #3 by the National Research Council who worked on their list for 15 years. Reuters ranked UC Berkeley #4, just behind Harvard, Cambridge and MIT in the world by reputation.

[realpragmatist]

10:58 AM on 03/18/2012

No, I respectfully disagree. Other than Julliard college (5.5% selectivity in 2011), Harvard is the most selective college (6.2%) and always has been. Cal's is also rated " very selective at 21%.
This 2011 year's class at Cal (UCB) has former junior olympic champions, national debate winners etc. in its freshman class. My kid is one of them, choosing Cal over other very good schools like Brown (8.7% selectivity) and Cornell (18% selectivity). He is very happy and feels it is a perfect fit at Cal. BTW, he was denied admission at Harvard and Stanford (his first choice). So, yes, Harvard College is the most selective baring Julliard college.
BTW, Berkeley and MIT are magnets for the best engineering students from the best engineering colleges from India, China, and South Korea for their graduate programs. For graduate school, especially Engineering and Computer Science amongst such related fields, Harvard is no comparison to Cal, with only MIT, Stanford, and Cal Tech its equals.

[ricchh]

11:04 AM on 03/19/2012

Also what is unique about the top ivies (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, etc.) is that they excel in EVERY field, in EVERY subject, in EVERY department, Altho people are listing "my school is number one in history, etc.", the ivies are generally in the top ten in every field and every graduate school and graduate department from science, to social science, to language, art, medicine, business, law, engineeering, religion, film. That's the difference. Altho Harvard may be two or three in something, it isgenerally in the top ten in every field where Berkeley, Caltech, MIT are not.

[Quis Custodiet]

06:26 AM on 03/17/2012

This list is so painfully stupid that I think it will take about a week or so for my canines to stop ringing.

[realpragmatist]

09:56 AM on 03/17/2012

Which list? - This HuffintonPost list or the "The Times" list that I provided?
Both are based on their own criteria. The way to look at them is, these are some of the very very good universities in the world, with lots of really good universities (like some of the ones in Europe, and the ones in India like the IITs) not even mentioned in the top 150 or 200 as per their criteria. Also, everyone knows Harvard and Cambridge are the two most prestigious universities in the world.

[Quis Custodiet]

01:28 PM on 03/17/2012

Mixing universities whose selectivity rate is 30% with Universities whose rate is 8% while entirely ignoring the hundreds of amazing schools who are more selective than UV, John Hopkins, or Franklin W. Olin makes for a borderline mentally challenged list.

What about Berkeley? CMC? Harvey Mudd? CIT? UCLA? USC?

[realpragmatist]

05:06 PM on 03/16/2012

The world's best university according to the highly regarded "The Times" (latest-2012) listing, which is just out:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/reputation-rankings.html

[realpragmatist]

05:08 PM on 03/16/2012

I meant "universities", not just university!

[Virulancer]

01:01 AM on 03/19/2012

Lolz, Oxford is so TTT.

[golions]

01:01 PM on 03/16/2012

Another poster thinks that hefty donations will ensure admission to a top university. This is mistaken. The really top institutions cannot be bought that way; for example Harvard's endowment is valued at $32 billion. It does help to have a parent who went to that college, especially if they are either unusually successful or consistently active in the alumni association.

For everyone else the matter is straightforward: make certain there is no weak spot in your application (grades all B and above, etc.) and have something in your favor that 10,000 valedictorians don't have. A state championship in something usually does it. There are many other possibilities; pursue an interest with enough seriousness and depth to produce results.

From someone who's been there.

[frank1946]

09:07 AM on 03/16/2012

Who need's expensive College ? Bill Gates left Harvard, etc.

Governor's University does it all for fraction of the cost Online at your convenience.

Old Expensive Colleges seem full of non-functional type Professors and high costs ?

Or do it the old-fashioned way, Marry a Rich Girl or Guy !

[Malapropism]

09:59 AM on 03/16/2012

As a current Columbia student who has also taken courses over the summer at Yale, I can attest that an education at one of the top schools (as old an expensive as they may be) contributes to a much richer understanding of the world and appreciation from knowledge. One of the classes I took at Yale was so incredibly formative that it changed my career goal and got me hooked on philosophies of law I never would have encountered otherwise.

[marcchagal]

03:27 PM on 03/17/2012

Malapropism,

So where's your moral outrage when UC Berkeley is not only not ranked in the top 5 of this list, but is not ranked at all? UC Berkeley always outranks Yale, Princeton, Columbia and is generally tied with MIT and Harvard is a whole host of subjects.

[michelv]

01:29 AM on 03/16/2012

There is one sure way to get in: have your parents make some hefty donations to the school.

College applications are kind of an exercise in BS-ology. You have to groom this phony image of being well-rounded, interested in everything, nice enough to volunteer for "good" causes, etc. It's all BS. Fortunately, once you get to grad school, at least in science and engineering, all that fluff becomes irrelevant.

In some European countries, the way you make it into the most prestigious universities is by taking an entrance exam. Everyone gets a grade and a rank based on it (no names show). Then they go down the list until all spots are filled. It can't be any more democratic and unprejudiced than that.

[pankate]

08:24 PM on 03/16/2012

Sorry if you got rejected from these schools, but I know plenty of people, myself included, who get in without donations from parents.