Suffice it to say the Ivy Leagues were tough to get into well before the shift to test-optional policies sent applications soaring. Even in Arlington, where 70% of graduates earn an advanced studies diploma, and SAT and ACT scores outpace state and national averages by significant margins, these prestigious East Coast institutions are a reach for the vast majority of college-bound seniors, with acceptance rates mostly in the single digits.
Below is a breakdown of Arlington Public Schools (APS) applications and acceptances at Ivy League schools from 2019 to 2023. The data were drawn from Arlington Magazine’s annual College Admissions snapshot, which highlights where graduating seniors applied and were accepted.
Important note: The data were self-reported by APS students from the Arlington Career Center/Arlington Tech, H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, Wakefield High School, Washington-Liberty High School and Yorktown High School.
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island   Â
2023
Applied: 115
Accepted: 6
Admit Rate: 5%
2022
Applied: 92
Accepted: 0
Admit Rate: 0%
2021
Applied: 91
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 2%
2020
Applied: 62
Accepted: 7
Admit Rate: 11%
2019
Applied: 72
Accepted: 4
Admit Rate: 6%
Columbia University
New York, New York
2023
Applied: 102
Accepted: 4
Admit Rate: 4%
2022
Applied: 81
Accepted: 3
Admit Rate: 4%
2021
Applied: 85
Accepted: 1
Admit Rate: 1%
2020
Applied: 48
Accepted: 1
Admit Rate: 2%
2019
Applied: 46
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 4%
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
2023
Applied: 103
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 2%
2022
Applied: 96
Accepted: 5
Admit Rate: 5%
2021
Applied: 95
Accepted: 9
Admit Rate: 9%
2020
Applied: 47
Accepted: 6
Admit Rate: 13%
2019
Applied: 67
Accepted: 5
Admit Rate: 7%
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
2023
Applied: 55
Accepted: 4
Admit Rate: 7%
2022
Applied: 38
Accepted: 1
Admit Rate: 3%
2021
Applied: 36
Accepted: 1
Admit Rate: 3%
2020
Applied: 32
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 6%
2019
Applied: 28
Accepted: 6
Admit Rate: 21%
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts   Â
2023
Applied: 97
Accepted: 1
Admit Rate: 1%
2022
Applied: 87
Accepted: 4
Admit Rate: 5%
2021
Applied: 59
Accepted: 3
Admit Rate: 5%
2020
Applied: 30
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 7%
2019
Applied: 39
Accepted: 0
Admit Rate: 0%
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
2023
Applied: 84
Accepted: 3
Admit Rate: 4%
2022
Applied: 67
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 3%
2021
Applied: 69
Accepted: 1
Admit Rate: 1%
2020
Applied: 42
Accepted: 0
Admit Rate: 0%
2019
Applied: 34
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 6%
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2023
Applied: 121
Accepted: 6
Admit Rate: 5%
2022
Applied: 93
Accepted: 3
Admit Rate: 3%
2021
Applied: 89
Accepted: 4
Admit Rate: 4%
2020
Applied: 65
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 3%
2019
Applied: 67
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 3%
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
2023
Applied: 86
Accepted: 4
Admit Rate: 5%
2022
Applied: 83
Accepted: 6
Admit Rate: 7%
2021
Applied: 77
Accepted: 3
Admit Rate: 4%
2020
Applied: 36
Accepted: 1
Admit Rate: 3%
2019
Applied: 46
Accepted: 2
Admit Rate: 4%