Originally established as an intercollegiate athletics conference between eight universities in the Northeast USA, the Ivy League system has now come to be synonymous with pride, prestige and academic acumen.

Naturally, of course, these universities often make it to every aspirant’s college wish list and attract thousands of quality applicants from some of the most outstanding students in the world. So who are the eight members of the Ivy League? In no particular order, these are:

1. Harvard University
2. Yale University
3. Dartmouth College
4. Brown University
5. University of Pennsylvania
6. Cornell University
7. Princeton University
8. Columbia University

What’s the big deal about the Ivy League schools?

As we can see, this list doesn’t include some of the best universities in the US, such as Stanford, MIT, Caltech or Berkeley. While the Ivy League schools are now seen as the figureheads of excellence and prestige, they’re not the only place at which to get a top-tier education. So, what’s the fuss about the Ivy Leagues? While originally famed for their onus on athletics, the Ivy League colleges are now known for their generous endowments, excellence in R&D, state-of-the-art libraries and infrastructural facilities and a certain prestige that has now come to be associated with the colleges. While certainly, you can find these at many of the non-Ivies, what truly sets apart the Ivy League schools is, as a professor at Harvard pointed out, is the fact that the average student at, say, Harvard or Yale, will be usually more dedicated, ambitious and bright than the average student elsewhere. This kind of an atmosphere then automatically pushes you to work and perform better, and consequently, add to the academic caliber of the institution. Another aspect of the Ivy League is the focus on fostering diversity in the student body. By offering generous scholarships and endowments, the Ivy League colleges are dedicated to making high-quality secondary education accessible to people from historically disadvantaged strata of the society. A move that has been imitated by many other top-tier schools, this has helped the Ivy League colleges encourage and educate some of the best minds in the country (and the world).

What does it take to get into the Ivy League schools?

Taking into account the rich histories and legacies of these colleges, coupled with their repute for cutting-edge excellence in research and academics, it’s not difficult to see why so many higher studies aspirants would want to apply to these schools. A high number of applications, typically from outstanding students, means that the acceptance rates of these schools are usually quite low. Though the acceptance rates are invariably anywhere between 5-10%, it can be still lower for highly sought-after programs such as computer science. So, what can you, as an Ivy League aspirant, do to maximize your chances at an offer letter from Columbia or Penn? In other words, what are the admission requirements of these schools? Let’s take a look, shall we?

1. GPA: While these colleges aren’t looking for a perfect 10 GPA, it goes without saying that a high GPA is paramount to your Ivy League dreams. Additionally, your relative performance matters too: generally, you are required to be in the top 10-15% of your class.
2. 91Èȱ¬ and TOEFL scores: Again, though Ivy League schools don’t necessarily have a 91Èȱ¬ or TOEFL score cutoff, having a high score in these competitive exams can seriously help in improving your chances at an offer letter since it speaks of your technical and linguistic acumen.
3. Extracurricular activities: Remember, these schools are looking for all-rounders, and this isn’t restricted to just the classroom. Sports, music, fine art or dance, a strong extracurricular profile sets you apart as a force to be reckoned with. It especially helps if your extracurricular activity exhibits a synergy of your academic and non-academic passions: for instance, if you’re applying for an MS in CS, it helps if you were, say, the captain of the programming team in college.
4. Community service: After all, what good is a leader if he doesn’t give back to his community? Ivy League colleges are known for their thrust on community service and volunteering work, so any experiences working with the local pet shelter or teaching at the underprivileged girls’ school on weekends are likely to help bolster the quality of your application.
5. Strong, reflective essays: your SOP is crucial to your admissions, but even more so in the case of the Ivy Leagues, which use your essays as a tool to gauge your commitment to your discipline, your preparedness for graduate school, and your achievements within and beyond the classroom.
6. Prior research experience: Most fresh undergraduates have little to no research experience by the time they get out of college, so any and all such experience you may have had—be it a research internship or working as a research assistant with a faculty member—will set you apart from your similarly qualified peers.
7. Co-curricular activities: Sure, a high GPA is great, but that’s not the only thing it takes. Paper publications, participation in academic conferences and workshops, and internships will add invaluable weight to your application and portray you as a serious, committed candidate: something that is crucial to your Ivy League dreams.

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ÌýWhat are the Ivy League schools like?

Lush, sprawling campuses, rosters of reputed alumni, huge libraries and celebrated athletic teams are just a few things that separate the Ivy League schools from the rest. But what is special about each of the individual colleges? Moreover, what are the ranking, tuition fee and application deadline for these colleges? Let’s have a look.

1. Harvard University:

Harvard University – Ivy League Colleges

Established in 1636, Harvard is the US’s oldest institute of higher education and hardly requires any introduction. With an acceptance rate of 6%, the University has so far produced eight US Presidents, more than thirty foreign heads of state, 62 livingÌý, 359Ìý, and 242Ìý. Today, the University is synonymous with academic excellence, prestige, and honor.

Harvard University – Admissions details

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2. Yale University:

Yale University – Ivy League Colleges

Yale University – Admission Details

The third-oldest university in the US, Yale counts notable personalities such as George W. Bush, Meryl Streep, James Franco and Bill Clinton among its impressive list of alumni. Other than the well-documented rivalry with Harvard, Yale is also known for its football team, the Yale Bulldogs, and the Yale Whiffenpoofs, an a cappella group.

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3. Dartmouth College:

Dartmouth College – Ivy League Colleges

Dartmouth College Known for being the smallest Ivy League with a student enrolment of about 6,400, Dartmouth is renowned for its excellence in liberal arts, medicine and international relations. With an acceptance rate of 11%, Dartmouth is relatively an easier school to get into, although the university is reputed for its undergraduate courses, and not so much for its graduate programmes.

Dartmouth College – Admission Details

Ìý4. Brown University:

Brown University – Ivy League Colleges

Brown University – Admission Details

Located in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University is coveted for its track record in R&D excellence, its onus on cultural values, and an active campus life. Boasting of stalwart alumni such as John D. Rockefeller, John F. Kennedy and Emma Watson, the university has thus far produced 54 members of theÌý, 56Ìý, 52Ìý,Ìý49Ìý,Ìý14ÌýÌýFellows andÌý21ÌýÌýwinners.

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Ìý5. University of Pennsylvania:

University of Pennsylvania – Ivy League Colleges

University of Pennsylvania – Admissions Details

Founded by Benjamin Franklin, UPenn is the US’s sixth-oldest university, and is home to the reputed Wharton School of Business. Penn alumni include current US president Donald J. Trump, singer-songwriter John Legend, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and legendary sociolinguist Noam Chomsky. With an acceptance rate of 10%, it is one of the less selective Ivy League schools.

6. Cornell University:

Cornell University – Ivy League College

Cornell University – Admissions Details

Established in 1865, Cornell is the youngest Ivy League school, but that hasn’t stopped the university from contributing 58 Nobel laureates, 4 Turing Award winners, 55 Olympic medallists and 30 Rhodes scholars to the world, among others. The school is known for Cornelliana, its distinctive campus culture and tradition, its focus on cutting-edge research, and its rich history of working at the nexus of engineering and management.

7. Princeton University:

Princeton University – Ivy League College

Princeton University – Admissions Details

The fourth-oldest university in the US, Princeton boasts of a top-notch school of Engineering, an exciting campus life, and notable alumni including former First Lady, Michelle Obama, and US Supreme Court Justice Susan Sotomayor. Other claims to fame include the university’s dedication to community service and its generous endowments.

8. Columbia University:

Columbia University – Ivy League Colleges

Columbia University – Admissions Details

Last but not the least, Columbia University in the city of New York is the dream destination for scientists and researchers alike and has helped pioneer groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of genetics, earth sciences, nuclear engineering, and machine learning. Its first president was none other than the literary stalwart Samuel Johnson, and the university is also responsible for administering the prestigious Pulitzer Prize which recognizes excellence in music, literature and journalism.

(Note: All rankings are taken from the latest QS university rankings. Fees mentioned include tuition, room and board before aid, and may differ from programme to programme.)

While the Ivy League schools may certainly seem daunting and out of your league (pun intended!), it is actually possible for just about anyone to make it to their dream Ivy League college, provided they are armed with a good academic profile and a high 91Èȱ¬ score. Like the best things in life, an offer letter to an Ivy League just takes a little more effort and preparation.

Dreaming of an Ivy League education? Why not take the first steps today to make your dreams a reality? If you’re eager to start applying but aren’t sure of how you could go about it, you can drop a comment below and an expert from 91Èȱ¬ will reach out to you in no time. We wish you warmly on your grad school journey ahead!

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The ETS offers the 91Èȱ¬ in two formats:

1. Computer-delivered 91Èȱ¬ General Test
2. Paper-delivered 91Èȱ¬ General Test

Computer-delivered 91Èȱ¬ General Test:

The computer-based tests are conducted throughout the year at Prometric test centers and sometimes even outside the Prometric network. You can take the test up to five times in a year, with a gap of at least 21 days in between attempts. Keep in mind, though, that it might be very difficult to get an appointment at your nearest 91Èȱ¬ testing center during the peak application season, which is mostly the second half of the year, and it’s always a smart decision to book your slot well in advance. It takes around 10 to 15 days to send your test reports to universities and for the universities to process them, so select your test date accordingly.

The overall duration of the computer-based test is 03:45 hrs, and there are 6 sections to be attempted. The time-distribution is as follows:

91Èȱ¬ Exam – Time Distribution for different subjects

The 91Èȱ¬ Exam General test offers test-takers some very handy features, such as:

• The freedom to go forward and backward and skip or flag questions for review (so that you can revisit them later if you have time)
• Preview and Review options in each section
• A Mark and Review option within a section
• An on-screen calculator, which you can use on the Quantitative part of the test and a timer so that you don’t lose track of how much time you have left.

Note: – You can even cancel or change your test date up to 4 days in advance in case of an emergency, and reschedule your test on any other date according to your convenience. The fee to change your test date is US$50 and the new date should be within one year of the original test date. You cannot switch from the 91Èȱ¬ General test to the 91Èȱ¬ subject test or vice-versa.

You can register and pay for the Computer-delivered 91Èȱ¬ General test online from the ETS’s website or over the phone.

Paper-delivered 91Èȱ¬ General test:

The Paper-delivered 91Èȱ¬ General test is only available in those areas of the world where the computer-delivered test is not available. Since in India the computer-delivered 91Èȱ¬ General test is available, the PDT is not available.

What is 91Èȱ¬ Score Select Option and How is it beneficial?:

Your 91Èȱ¬ exam score is valid for five years from the date of taking the test, and you can take the test for any number of times in between. The 91Èȱ¬ Score select option gives you the flexibility of sending the highest score of yours to the universities you wish to apply to.

For instance, if you take the test in February, and score a 321 and you take it again the following month score a 315, you can take the benefit of the 91Èȱ¬â€™s Score Select option to send your higher score of 321 to the graduate schools you want to apply to.

Note – There are two different types of scores for the Computer-delivered 91Èȱ¬ Exam – one is the score you get right after your test gets over, called the ‘Raw score’, and the other is the official score which is sent to you after 4 to 5 weeks. You can send the raw score (which is the number of questions you’ve answered correctly) to four graduate schools without any extra fee. You can also send your test score after the test but for every additional scorecard, you have to pay an additional fee of $27.

How to make a perfect 91Èȱ¬ timeline and how to prepare for it?:

In order to make a perfect 91Èȱ¬ timeline, let’s work backward. Say, a person named ‘A’ wants to apply for the fall intake. It should be noted that most universities in the U.S. have their deadlines in December and January, with their early applications deadlines being in October and November.

So, ‘A’ has to apply to his dream universities latest by December. Ideally, he has to finalize his documents and ready his application for the universities by November, and in order to do that he has to start writing SOP three months prior to that, i.e., August. He has to write the SOP according to the specific requirements of the universities and courses he is applying for, which means that he should have completed the university shortlisting process by July. According to an ideal timeline, he should have taken his 91Èȱ¬ exam by June and for that, he should have started his preparation 3-4 months in advance. That is, he should have started his 91Èȱ¬ preparation from February or March.

So, it could be said that a perfect admissions timeline would be a span of 9 months that is from February to November, for students applying for the fall intake.

1.ÌýAnalyze where you stand

In order to efficiently prepare for the test, your most important task would be to analyze where you stand. And to do this, a well-structured online 91Èȱ¬ mock/sample test can work wonders. Try the ‘91Èȱ¬ Score Predictor’Ìý for free now and get an accurate idea of how much you’d score on the 91Èȱ¬ exam if you took it today, along with a personalized evaluation of your performance on the test.

To know where your current level of preparation stands, try this free 91Èȱ¬ score predictor tool. Not only will you get an accurate estimation of your 91Èȱ¬ score, but you’ll also get feedback of where exactly you need to work on!

2. Target score

After getting your score, you’ll know what your strengths and weaknesses are. The next step is to set up a target score for yourself, and for doing this, you have to keep in mind the following factors:

• The threshold/average score of admitted students at your dream universities.
• The duration of your study or preparation time.
• Your current level of proficiency in the verbal and quants sections.
• Your target scores in the Verbal and Quants sections.
• Your schedule & time-limitations – for example, if you’re a student, intern or working professional.
• Your other commitments.

3. Success Mantra

Start Early – Learn Longer – Finish Early: If you’re a third or final-year undergraduate student or a working professional, then the right time to take the 91Èȱ¬ is as soon as possible, while also giving yourself enough time to prepare. Starting early lets you devote more time to your preparation and towards building your fundamentals – you can find your weaknesses and work on them to achieve mastery, and also take as many mock tests as possible and get rid of exam phobia.

If you start early, you will also have more time in hand for writing your SOPs, getting your LORs, shortlisting your Universities, meeting experts and other important work. You can apply for financial aid and scholarships on time and not rush before the deadlines.

Moreover, in case you are late to start your preparation, take the test late, and do not reach your target score, then you might want to retake it. However, do keep in mind that you have to wait at least 21 days between 2 successive attempts, and you risk missing out on university application deadlines.

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Preparing for a high score on the 91Èȱ¬ exam is something that should be done in a few months and not in a few weeks. Most students who miss out on their target scores start late and devote less time to their preparation, practice and doubt-solving sessions, often over-estimating their skills and abilities. The 91Èȱ¬ test fee amounts to $205, so you should try and ensure that you’re well-equipped to hit a high score on your very first attempt, to avoid having to take it again!

4. Practice More!

Take more mock tests and get used to the test pattern. The 91Èȱ¬ exam is an adaptive test, which means that your performance on the first section determines the difficulty level of the subsequent sections. In order to get a good score, it’s important that you familiarize yourself with the test pattern and practice solving full-length question papers of the same difficulty level and duration as that of the real test. Take section-wise practice tests separately weekly (to assess your performance on each section), and attempt the full-length mock test after you’re confident of performing on each individual section.

Click here to take the 91Èȱ¬ Quiz Now!

5. Being realistic – Managing your other Commitments

Your timeline should also account for other commitments of yours like your college studies, jobs, relationships and leisure activities (whichever applicable) to ensure that it’s realistic. Final year undergraduate students have to focus on their project work apart even from preparing for the 91Èȱ¬ exam as it’s something the universities look out for when assessing your profile. Third-year undergraduate students on the other hand also have to focus on maintaining a decent GPA, internships, and on developing other skills.

Click Here toÌýevaluate your admissions awarenessÌýin under 10 minutes

Do feel free to leave your doubts in the comments, and we’ll be happy to help you out! All the best!

The post 91Èȱ¬ Exam Dates: Find the Best 91Èȱ¬ Date for You appeared first on 91Èȱ¬ Blog.

The ideal amount of time you should set aside to prepare for 91Èȱ¬ will actually depend on a plethora of factors, all of which you should take into account while drawing up timeline to prepare for 91Èȱ¬. These parameters include your ideal target score, your current skill levels, the time you’re able to allot to your 91Èȱ¬ preparation every day, the mode of learning you follow, and your learning speed.

For instance, if you’re able to set aside about 3 or 4 hours of your day prepare for 91Èȱ¬ and practice every day, you shouldn’t need more than a month to ace the exam. However, if, say, your Verbal skills are weak and in need of some serious work, then you may want to consider setting aside more than just a month since 91Èȱ¬ Verbal is something that requires a considerable amount of practice before you get the hang of it.

To know where your current level of preparation stands, try this free 91Èȱ¬ score predictor tool. Not only will you get an accurate estimation of your 91Èȱ¬ score, but you’ll also get feedback of where exactly you need to work on!

1. What’s a Good 91Èȱ¬ Score

Generally, the idea of a ‘good score’ is purely subjective and is contingent on the programmes and universities you apply for, plus the relative 91Èȱ¬ scores of your competitors. However, it’s always a good idea to know what you’re up against, so here are the 91Èȱ¬ cutoffs of the top ten schools in the US:

Top Universities Average 91Èȱ¬ Score Requirement

Check out the 91Èȱ¬ Cutoff scores for top 35 US Universities Here

As we can see, every single university but one has an average requirement of at least 320, so anything above 320 could be considered a good 91Èȱ¬ score.

Keeping that in mind, then, let’s see how long it takes on an average, for an aspirant to score a 320+ when you prepare for 91Èȱ¬.

2. Time require to Achieve 320 in 91Èȱ¬

Over the years, we at 91Èȱ¬ (…formerly 91Èȱ¬edge) have been able to observe how much time 320+ scorers normally take to achieve their desired results, and we’re happy to share our findings with you in the hopes that they help you too! Our findings are based on tracking the study activities of students just like you, and this ensures that it is absolutely spot-on. Excited? Well, here we go!

Graph – Days to Prepare for Better 91Èȱ¬ Score

Out of a random sample of more than a thousand 320+ scorers in 91Èȱ¬, we observed that a majority of those who did get high 91Èȱ¬ scores prepared for anywhere between 45 to 90 days. However, we also noted that there were at least 200 students who scored a 320+ with just 30 days of prep.

So, what did these guys do differently? What are their secrets? How many hours did they put aside each day to score a 320+?

• First, our 320+ scorers spent around 2.5 hours on their 91Èȱ¬ prep every day, dedicating about 1 hour 15 minutes each to Quant and Verbal. This may sound like a lot of time, especially if you’re working but remember, it’s almost the same time you’d take to watch the latest series of Sherlock! So, how exactly should you split your 2.5 hours?
• Let’s start with Quants first. As we know, there are six main topics: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Data Interpretation, Data Analysis, and Applied Math. While it’s important to dedicate time to all of these components, our findings reported that Geometry and Arithmetic were the areas where our 320+ scorers spent more time. 16.72% of their time was dedicated to mastering Arithmetic, while the time spent on Geometry was 16.57%. They divided the rest of their time equally among the other topics.

Subject wise Graph to prepare for 91Èȱ¬

• So, what about Verbal, the other half of while preparing for 91Èȱ¬? According to our data, 91Èȱ¬ aspirants dedicate a whopping 45% of their total Verbal prep time on Reading Comprehensions! Surprised? Well, given that ten out of the total 20 questions on the 91Èȱ¬ Verbals are based on the Reading Comprehensions, it makes sense to spend proportionate time on the preparations, too.

Prepare for 91Èȱ¬ Verbal

• Finally, we have the infamous 91Èȱ¬ Words. While it may be tempting to cram all the words on your list in a matter of one week, our aspirants have a better solution. We found that they learn around 612 91Èȱ¬ words in a month, which translates to roughly 20 words a day. If you’re daunted by that, you can start small, with 5 or 7 words a day, and gradually build up.

Download our eBOOK on “High Priority 91Èȱ¬ Word List”

Now that you know what kind of a 91Èȱ¬ score to aspire for and how much time to set aside per day for the same, the next step should be to formulate a proper study plan that will help you perform your best. Having such a plan is crucial to bringing you closer to your dream of a 320+.

3. Making a Proper Study Plan

Download 2 hrs/day 320+ scorer 30 day study planÌýHere

The very first step is to take a test that gives you a good picture of your current strengths and weaknesses, so you can plan accordingly.

Did you know that you can take the Diagnostic Test, which is a crucial tool to help you gauge your preparedness for the 91Èȱ¬? Yes! The Diagnostic Test is basically a mock 91Èȱ¬ test and must be taken without any prior preparation. Based on the results, you’ll know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as how you stack up against your peers.

Want to give it a go? Click here to get started. Your diagnostic test results will also be instrumental in helping us customize a program just for you, so you can put your best foot forward on test-day.

So why is a customized study program important? Often, we might hear about our friend or cousin scoring a 325 after 20 days of preparation, and think a similar plan would work for us too.

However, it’s a common misconception many students fall prey to. In reality, your prepare for 91Èȱ¬ plan needs to be as unique as you.

Why so?

From our experience in tracking the study patterns of high 91Èȱ¬ scorers, we have found that proper planning has always been instrumental in helping students reach a stellar 91Èȱ¬ score. The study plan usually varies from person to person.

4. How to prepare for 91Èȱ¬?Ìý

Over the course of our findings, we also noted that generally, students tend to spend more time on preparing for the Verbal section than the Quants. Specifically, one of the things that require patience is vocabulary building. The 91Èȱ¬ is notorious for its use of obtuse, often archaic words and phrases, and so, a decent mastery over vocabulary is crucial in order to be able to target a high 91Èȱ¬ score.

But how many words do you actually need to learn? The whole Manhattan Word List, containing around 3500 words? Actually, our findings have shown that more than 400 students who scored 160+ in their Verbals only learned about 1000 words or so, while mastering an average of 500 words in total. What is the difference between learned and mastered words? Mastered words are those whose meanings and usage you are familiar with. But is it actually that straightforward? Not really; because you see, there are two kinds of problems that students face when learning new 91Èȱ¬ words: complicated 91Èȱ¬ words and remembering these words. Given that the 91Èȱ¬ tests words that we don’t really use in common parlance, it becomes important to devote a portion of your preparation time to memorising these words. An average person can only learn about 7-8 words every day. But when you are preparing for 91Èȱ¬, the stakes are higher, since you’ll have to learn at least 25-30 words everyday, if you want to reach the goal of learning about 650 new words a month. Don’t be daunted just yet, though, since there are three techniques you can espouse to make your 91Èȱ¬ word preps more enjoyable and long-lasting.

The First technique is called Learning and Application. Think of learning a new 91Èȱ¬ word is like meeting a new person. Would you consider the person a friend if the only thing you know about him is his name? It’s the same with 91Èȱ¬ words. If you merely read the 91Èȱ¬ words without learning their usage, you are bound to forget it. When you become comfortable enough to use the words in your everyday writing and speaking, that’s when you know you’ve mastered it!

So, how can you constantly check your relationship with your Ìý91Èȱ¬ words? By learning and testing at regular intervals, that’s how. Here is something that can help you with that!

The Second technique is called Visual Learning. So, did you know that visual memory has a massive stage capacity for object details, and is 60% more powerful than rote learning?. So how can you use visual learning for learning 91Èȱ¬ words? Visual learning is a memory enhancement that relates a particular concept to a visual element. For instance, you could associate a picture of the bells ringing to the 91Èȱ¬ word ‘tintinnabulation’ (meaning a ringing sound) to aid in better retention.

Download our eBOOK to learn 91Èȱ¬ WordsÌýwith TV Series & Cartoons

The Third and Final technique is a classic one, and is an excellent way to learn words in bulk. It’s called the root-word technique. Here, you would be required to split the 91Èȱ¬ words and identify their root word, or the word they originate from. For instance, the root word ‘gamy’ in Latin means marriage: learning this means you’ll be able to parse the meanings of words like ‘polygamy’, ‘monogamy’ and ‘misogamy’, meaning multiple marriages, single marriage and an aversion to marriage respectively. That’s three words learned with knowing just the root-word suffix. Amazing, isn’t it?

These are just some of the techniques you will learn with the WordBot, an App designed to help you gain complete mastery over 91Èȱ¬ words, using fast, effective techniques that make memorization easy and long-lasting.

Check out the Wordbot App Now!

We hope you found this article useful and informative, and wish you well on your graduate school journey ahead! Have any doubts or queries? Be sure to drop a comment below, and we’ll get in touch with you at the earliest.

All the Best!

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