Rona Aydin is the founder of Oriel Admissions, a Princeton-based college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy. An Oxford University graduate, Rona leads a deeply experienced team whose distinctive 360 approach treats every part of the application - academics, testing, activities, essays, and interviews - as one connected strategy.
Duke University, founded in 1838, is known for combining elite academics with top-tier athletics, especially basketball, alongside strong programs in medicine, public policy, engineering, and the sciences, and a collaborative campus culture.
Stanford University, founded in 1885, is known for its deep ties to Silicon Valley and entrepreneurship, elite engineering and computer science, world-class programs across nearly every field, and a culture of innovation on its sprawling California campus.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded in 1861, is known for its world-leading strength in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics, a rigorous hands-on approach, and a culture of innovation and problem-solving.
Cornell University, founded in 1865, is known for its size and breadth, a distinctive land-grant mission that blends private and public colleges, and top-ranked programs in engineering, hotel administration, agriculture and life sciences, and architecture.
Dartmouth College, founded in 1769, is known for its strong focus on undergraduate teaching, a close-knit community in rural New Hampshire, the distinctive D-Plan academic calendar, and a powerful, loyal alumni network.
The California Institute of Technology is one of the world's foremost science and engineering universities, known for its intense STEM focus, a very small student body, groundbreaking research, and an extraordinary concentration of Nobel laureates and leading scientists.
The University of Michigan is one of the top public research universities in the country, known for its engineering programs, the Ross School of Business, broad excellence across disciplines, world-class research, a vast alumni network, and one of the most storied athletic traditions in college sports.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation's premier public technological universities, known for its top-ranked engineering and computer science, deep industry connections, a strong focus on innovation and research, and exceptional value for students.
The University of Chicago is a leading private research university, known for its rigorous Core Curriculum, world-renowned economics department, a famously intense intellectual culture, and deep strengths across the social sciences, physical sciences, and its professional schools.
Wellesley College is one of the nation's premier women's colleges, known for its rigorous liberal arts education, strengths in economics, political science, the sciences, and international relations, an exceptionally influential alumnae network, and its setting near Boston.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the nation's oldest public university, known for its journalism and business programs, strong public health and medicine, exceptional in-state value, world-class research, and one of the most storied basketball traditions in college sports.
Stanford requires the SAT or ACT for all first-year and transfer applicants, a requirement reinstated in June 2024 beginning with Fall 2026 entry. Learn Stanford's superscore rules for both tests, its AP self-reporting mandate, testing deadlines by round, and how to plan a Stanford-ready testing arc.
Carnegie Mellon University is a leading private research university in Pittsburgh, known for its top-ranked computer science and engineering, pioneering work in robotics and artificial intelligence, world-class drama and fine arts, and a distinctive fusion of technology and creativity.
Amherst College is one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges, known for its distinctive open curriculum, top-ranked undergraduate education, strengths in the humanities, sciences, and economics, and its membership in the Five College Consortium in western Massachusetts.
Williams College is one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges, known for its top-ranked undergraduate education, distinctive Oxford-style tutorials, strengths in economics, art history, and the sciences, and a tight-knit residential community in rural Massachusetts.
Swarthmore College is one of the nation's most rigorous liberal arts colleges, known for its distinctive Honors Program, Quaker heritage, one of the few engineering programs at a liberal arts college, and deep strengths across the sciences and social sciences near Philadelphia.