Some
of the United States' most prestigious colleges and universities reside
in the Northeast region of the country. This region, also known as New
England, hosts two well-known groups of schools—the Ivy League, a group
of eight coeducational schools, and the Seven Sisters, seven
traditionally all-female schools. These schools actively recruit
international students, and their degrees are highly respected
worldwide. Ivy League
The Ivy League is a grouping of eight schools, named for the ivy plants that adorn their older buildings. The term Ivy League originated in the 1940s as a label for athletic competition among the schools, but today it is most commonly associated with the institutions' academic excellence. An “Ivy League education” is quite prestigious due to the high academic standards of these schools.
The members of the Ivy League are:
- Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island, founded 1764. Brown's total enrollment is
7,595 students, nine percent of whom are international. Find out how to apply.
- Columbia University, New York City, New York, founded 1754. Columbia's total enrollment is 23,650 students, which includes 4,083 international students from 150 countries. Visit Columbia's International Community.
- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, founded 1865. Cornell currently enrolls 19,620 students; the international student body includes 3,120 students from 123 countries (16 percent of the student body). Check out the International Students & Scholars Office.
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, founded 1769. Smaller than the other Ivy League schools, Dartmouth has a total enrollment (undergraduate and graduate level) of 5,664, including 219 international undergraduate students. See the International Office for more information.
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. This university, founded in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Harvard's student body of more than 18,000 is dominated by graduate and professional students (12,250); undergraduate students typically number around 6,500. Approximately 3,500 international students attend Harvard in undergraduate and graduate programs. Visit Harvard's admissions office.
- Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, founded 1746. Total enrollment is 4,676, including 390 international students (eight percent). See A Guide for International Students.
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1749 as the Academy of Philadelphia, this university was the fifth college founded in the United States and the first to train students for business and social endeavors. The first four colleges—including fellow Ivy League members Harvard, Princeton, and Yale—all focused on training members of the clergy in their early years. Today the university enrolls 23,305 students, including 807 international students from 89 countries. See International Admissions for more information.
- Yale University,
New Haven, Connecticut, founded 1701. Yale's total enrollment is
11,359; 1,800 international students, representing 108 countries,
attend this school. Office of International Students and Scholars.
Seven Sisters
Early
American schools typically enrolled men only. Beginning in the 1800s,
widespread attempts were made to bring educational opportunities to
women that would equal those already offered for men. Formally
organized in 1927, the Seven Sisters includes seven of these early
schools and was named as a reference to the Pleiades, seven sisters in
Greek mythology. Today only four of the original seven remain
independent all-female schools.
The original Seven Sisters are:
- Barnard College, New York, New York. Barnard, founded in 1889, is now affiliated with Columbia University. The undergraduate student body of 2,297 includes students from 40 countries. Access International Student Advising and Columbia's International Students and Scholars Office.
- Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, founded 1885. Bryn Mawr has 1,781 students, ten percent of whom are international students from 60 countries. A starting point for international students.
- Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, founded 1837. Mount Holyoke is the nation's oldest institute of higher learning for women. Today the school has 2,100 students, 17 percent of whom represent 33 nations outside the United States. Learn about the international community at Mount Holyoke.
- Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded 1879. Radcliffe merged with Harvard University in 1999 and is now officially known as the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
- Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, founded 1871. Smith enrolls 2,750 students, including 200 international students from 58 countries. Find out about international admissions.
- Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, founded 1861. Vassar has been coeducational since 1969 and now has 2,400 male and female students; international students from 45 countries make up eight percent of the student body. See Vassar's International FAQ.
- Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, founded 1870. Wellesley enrolls 2,400 students, nine percent of whom come from outside the United States. See the Slater International Center.
