What is required for you to get admission in the top US universities? Let’s find out!
If you really wish to pursue an undergraduate degree, then it is essential for you to satisfy all the general requirements. Some of the universities might ask for something else, however, you will have to do research on what they need and expect, beforehand. The requirements are:
- Should have completed the Grade 12 examination or rather needs to graduate that year. Sometimes, IB examinations are held after the early bird applications for the universities, therefore, you will have to submit predicted scores for admission.
- Needs higher secondary school certificate (10th Grade), high school certificate (12th Grade) and intermediate certificate or documents (11th Grade).
- A personal statement which you will be uploading while submitting your application.
- Any letters of recommendation (some universities require you to submit 1 or a few, and some don’t)
- Lastly, a common requirement is an English proficiency test like IELTS and TOEFL. This test is mandatory for international students who wish to apply for undergraduate courses in the US.
- There are other standardized tests that colleges may look at such as SAT and ACT’s. However, almost all of the colleges have made this optional therefore, you are not obligated to write the test and submit the scores.
Here are some of the eligibility requirements for the top undergraduate US universities:
| Name of College | IB Score | GPA | SAT/ACT Score | IELTS/TOEFL Score | Acceptance Rate |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Minimum of 39 | 3.8 | SAT – 1520
ACT – 34 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 90 |
8% |
| Stanford University | Minimum of 39 | 3.8 | SAT – 1520
ACT – 33 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 100 |
5% |
| Harvard University | Minimum of 40 | 3.8 | SAT – 1470
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 100 |
5% |
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | Minimum of 43 | 3.8 | SAT – 1530
ACT – 34 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 110 |
9% |
| University of Chicago | Minimum of 30 | 3.8 | SAT – 1525
ACT – 34 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 104 |
8% |
| Princeton University | Minimum of 40 | 3.8 | SAT – 1460
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 100 |
7% |
| University of Pennsylvania | Minimum of 37 | 3.8 | SAT – 1500
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 7.5
TOEFL – 100 |
10% |
| Yale University | Minimum of 40 | 3.8 | SAT – 1510
ACT – 34 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 100 |
6% |
| Cornell University | Minimum of 37 | 3.7 | SAT – 1480
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 100 |
14% |
| Columbia University | Minimum of 40 | 3.8 | SAT – 1300
ACT – 29 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 100 |
7% |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor | Minimum of 37 | 3.6 | SAT – 1460
ACT – 33 |
IELTS – 6.5
TOEFL – 90 |
26% |
| John Hopkins University | Minimum of 37 | 3.7 | SAT – 1480
ACT – 34 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 100 |
13% |
| Northwestern University | Minimum of 37 | 3.8 | SAT – 1520
ACT – 24 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 90 |
13% |
| University of California, Berkeley | Minimum of 37 | 3.5 | SAT – 1450
ACT – 33 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 90 |
17% |
| New York University | Minimum of 37 | 3.6 | SAT – 1440
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 7.5
TOEFL – 100 |
32% |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Minimum of 35 | 3.6 | SAT – 1315
ACT – 31 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 87 |
17% |
| Duke University | Minimum of 43 | 3.8 | SAT – 1480
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 7
TOEFL – 90 |
11% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Minimum of 30 | 3.7 | SAT – 1500
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 7.5
TOEFL – 102 |
21% |
| University of San Diego (UCSD) | Minimum of 37 | 3.3 | SAT – 1275
ACT – 28 |
IELTS – 6.5
TOEFL – 80 |
51% |
| Brown University | Minimum of 43 | 3.7 | SAT – 1488
ACT – 32 |
IELTS – 8
TOEFL – 100 |
9% |
Colleges additionally look at your involvement in extracurricular activities. You could be the jack of all trades, but the master of a few. Universities look at how deeply and committed you are to these two or three interests. These activities would include sports, clubs, music groups, etc. They look into the leadership positions you may have taken up, what you accomplished, and how much time you committed to the activity.
In addition to your grades, most universities require letters of recommendations from your high school faculty or/and counselor. Sometimes, they require letters from people who know you well so they have an insight as to who you are personally; academic abilities, character and personality.
Next thing would be your essays and/or personal statement. They provide a set of questions for you to answer in short essays. This is your chance to pour your personality out into each of the questions. It is important to write it well because a poorly written essay would lower your chances despite having good grades.
Let us see what the major and most popular courses there are in each of these universities. That way, you will find it easier to pick your most desired and best college for your undergraduate degree.
| Name of College | Popular Courses |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Computer Science – 424 graduates
Mechanical Engineering – 147 graduates Mathematics – 112 graduates |
| Stanford University | Computer Science – 307 graduates
Biology – 205 graduates Engineering – 181 graduates |
| Harvard University | Economics – 215 graduates
Computer Science – 190 graduates Social Science Research Methods – 157 graduates |
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | Computer Science – 72 graduates
Physics – 34 graduates Electrical Engineering – 15 graduates |
| University of Chicago | Economics – 423 graduates
Mathematics – 159 graduates Biology – 147 graduates |
| Princeton University | Computer Science – 158 graduates
Economics – 126 graduates Public Policy Analysis – 108 graduates |
| University of Pennsylvania | Finance – 390 graduates
Economics – 225 graduates Management Sciences and Information Systems – 215 graduates |
| Yale University | Economics – 198 graduates
Political Science and Government – 159 graduates History – 108 graduates |
| Cornell University | Biology – 466 graduates
Computer Science – 396 graduates Business – 270 graduates |
| Columbia University | Computer Science – 341 graduates
Economics – 338 graduates Political Science and Government – 255 graduates |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor | Information Science – 1086 graduates
Business – 596 graduates Economics – 586 graduates |
| John Hopkins University | Public Health – 171 graduates
Neuroscience and Neurobiology – 135 graduates Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering – 130 graduates |
| Northwestern University | Economics – 338 graduates
Psychology – 190 graduates Journalism – 151 graduates |
| University of California, Berkeley | Computer Science – 845 graduates
Economics – 751 graduates Cellular Biology – 724 graduates |
| New York University | Liberal Arts and Humanities – 607 graduates
Economics – 503 graduates Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia – 440 graduates |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Economics – 824 graduates
Sociology – 779 graduates Biology – 696 graduates |
| Duke University | Computer Science – 339 graduates
Public Policy Analysis – 233 graduates Economics – 219 graduates |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Computer Science – 237 graduates
Statistics – 169 graduates Electrical Engineering – 140 graduates |
| University of San Diego (UCSD) | Biology – 733 graduates
Cognitive Science – 632 graduates International Studies – 631 graduates |
| Brown University | Computer Science – 229 graduates
Economics – 203 graduates Computational and Applied Mathematics – 178 graduates |
Now that you know the eligibility requirements and the most popular course for some of the top universities in all of the US, you will have a goal to work towards. All the best for all of your exams and scores!
