In the previous issue, Xiaobin updated the application materials and deadlines for the top ten schools in the US News ranking. This week, I will fulfill my promise to update the US News Top 11-20 schools and the University of California series!
Dartmouth College
Established in 1769, Dartmouth College is the smallest Ivy League university with the least number of Chinese students. The school advocates small but precise, high-quality teaching, with a teacher-student ratio of 1:7. 62.3% of the courses are taught in small classes with no more than 20 students. The composition of students at Dartmouth College is also very diverse, with international students accounting for 8% of the total student population.

 

 

Applicants need to apply through Common Application or Questbridge Application and submit two teacher recommendation letters and three documents. The school also suggests that applicants submit a peer recommendation. Although Dartmouth College does not require SAT or ACT, international students are required to take language proficiency tests. The school does not have strict requirements, but the majority of applicants have TOEFL scores above 100, IELTS scores above 7, Duolingo scores above 130, and Cambridge English scores above 185.
The following are three document topics for Dartmouth 2023-2024:

 

Early recording deadline (ED): November 1, 2023
Regular application deadline: January 2, 2024

 

2. Brown University
   As one of the Ivy League universities, Brown University is the seventh oldest university in the United States. The college design of Brown University is quite unique, and there are not many colleges set up based on majors. The main colleges of the school are called university colleges, followed by medical colleges. A university college is a liberal arts college, while a medical college is a professional college. Brown University's academic curriculum combines innovative teaching with scientific research, making it the only research-oriented university in the country where undergraduate students can design their own learning courses.

 

 

Applicants need to apply through the Common Application application system or Questbridge Application, and submit two teacher recommendation letters and three documents. It is worth noting that Brown has abandoned his previous alumni interview plan and instead encouraged applicants to submit a two minute personal video introduction. Although Brown does not require SAT or ACT, international students need to take language proficiency tests. The minimum score for the TOEFL online exam is 105 points, the minimum score for the IELTS is 8 points, and the minimum score for Duolingo is 130 points. However, Brown does not accept the IELTS indicator exam.
The following are three essay titles for Brown from 2023 to 2024:

Early recording deadline (ED): November 1, 2023
Regular application deadline: January 3, 2024
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private comprehensive university ranked 15th in the United States, founded in 1873 and is part of the New Ivy League. The entire Nashville is full of music and cultural atmosphere, with a profound artistic heritage. Vanderbilt University was once named the "most beautiful campus" in the United States by the Princeton Review. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt University has also been rated as the happiest university in the United States. Learning and living in such a picturesque environment, happiness is almost overflowing.

 

 

There are three application methods for Vanderbilt University: Common Application; Coalition Application; QuestBridge Application. International students are required to submit language scores: Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency requires a minimum score of 185, Duolingo requires a minimum score of 130, IELTS requires a minimum score of 7, PTE exam requires a minimum score of 70, and TOEFL requires a minimum score of 100. Applicants are required to submit two teacher recommendation letters and two documents, but it is not mandatory to submit SAT/ACT scores.
The following are two essay titles for Vanderbilt University from 2023 to 2024:

 

Early recording deadline (ED 1): November 1, 2023
Early recording deadline (ED 2): January 1, 2024
Regular application deadline: January 1, 2024
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis pays full attention and investment to teaching. In terms of science and engineering, the University of Washington is at the forefront of American universities in biochemistry, biophysics, biomolecules, and civil engineering. In the fields of humanities and social sciences, its German language, political science, phonetics, and economics are among the top disciplines in American universities. The medical school has been named one of the top five medical schools in the United States multiple times, and the business school has also been ranked among the top ten business schools in the United States several times.

 

 

There are three application methods for Washington University in St. Louis: Common Application; Coalition Application; QuestBridge Application. Washington University in St. Louis does not require the submission of SAT/ACT scores, but international students are required to submit Duolingo English Test (DET), IELTS or TOEFL scores. The school requires applicants to submit a teacher recommendation letter and a document, and recommends that students study the same foreign language for at least 2 years in high school.
The following is the document title for UW2023-2024: (Within 200 words)
Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why
Early recording deadline (ED 1): November 1, 2023
Early recording deadline (ED 2): January 3, 2024
Regular application deadline: January 3, 2024
Rice University
Rice University ranks first among the "best value" private universities and is a target institution for many students when applying to American universities. Rice University's relatively affordable tuition fees stand out among the top universities in the United States and are particularly eye-catching. Rice University generally adopts small class teaching methods, although campus life is very relaxed, academic performance is not easy.

 

 

There are three application methods for Rice University: Common Application; Coalition Application; QuestBridge Application. Rice University does not require the submission of SAT/ACT scores, but international students are required to submit language proficiency tests. Duolingo requires a minimum score of 130, the minimum requirement for IELTS is 7, and the minimum requirement for TOEFL is 100. Applicants need to submit two teacher recommendation letters and four documents.
The following are the paper titles for Rice University from 2023 to 2024:

 

Early recording deadline (ED): November 1, 2023
Regular application deadline: January 4, 2024
Cornell University
The engineering and agriculture schools at Cornell University are highly renowned, as well as the best hotel management programs in the United States. Each college has great autonomy and can customize its own academic plans and enrollment standards. In addition to the intense academic pressure of prestigious universities, Cornell University also offers numerous entertainment and lifestyle courses for students, such as wine tasting, equestrian, wilderness survival, fencing, sailing, and tree climbing.

 

 

Although Cornell does not require the submission of SAT/ACT scores, international students are required to submit language proficiency tests. Duolingo requires a minimum score of 120, the minimum requirement for IELTS is 7.5, the minimum requirement for TOEFL is 100, the minimum requirement for iTEP is 5.5, the minimum requirement for PTE is 70, and the Cambridge English proficiency level is 191 or above. Applicants need to apply through the Common Application and upload two teacher recommendation letters to complete one Cornell paper and one college paper on their intended major.
The following are the essay questions for Cornell 2023-2024. You can check the detailed college papers on the official website according to your own situation:

 

Early recording deadline (ED): November 1, 2023
Regular application deadline: January 2, 2024
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame University is a typical Catholic university, but the school does not require students to believe in Catholicism. Although the disciplines offered by Notre Dame University do not cover many fields, they possess strong research capabilities in many areas, including architecture, physiology, biology, biomedical science, etc., which can provide strong foundational support for students' scientific research.

There are three application methods for Notre Dame University: Common Application; Coalition Application; QuestBridge Application. Notre Dame University does not require the submission of SAT/ACT scores, but international students are required to submit language proficiency tests. Duolingo requires a minimum score of 120, the minimum requirement for IELTS is 7.5, the minimum requirement for TOEFL is 100, and the minimum requirement for PTE is 70. Applicants are required to upload a teacher recommendation letter, complete two written documents and three short answer questions.
The following are the written and short answer questions for the Virgin Mary from 2023 to 2024:

 

Early application deadline (EA): November 1, 2023
Regular application deadline: January 1, 2024
Columbia University
Compared to the geographical location of other Ivy League schools, New York is one of the important reasons why most people ultimately choose Columbia University. As one of the five oldest universities in the United States, Columbia University was founded in 1754 and has world-class law schools, business schools, journalism schools, medical schools, etc. Its financial engineering is also known as the Magic Seven of metalworking.

 

 

There are three application methods for Columbia University: Common Application; Coalition Application; QuestBridge Application. Columbia University does not require the submission of SAT/ACT scores, but international students are required to submit language proficiency tests. Duolingo requires a minimum score of 135, the minimum requirement for IELTS is 7.5, and the minimum requirement for TOEFL is 105. Applicants need to upload two teacher recommendation letters and complete five short answer questions.
Here are the short answer questions for Columbia University from 2023 to 2024:

Early recording deadline (ED): November 1, 2023
Regular application deadline: January 1, 2024
9 University of California Series
The University of California is the largest public university in the US system, with over 220000 students from around the world. The University of California has nine campuses: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, and UC Merced. The rankings of different campuses of the University of California range from 20th to 97th in the United States.

 

The University of California has its own unique application and does not accept Common Application or Coalition Application, but applicants only need to fill out one application for all UCs they are interested in. When filling out the University of California application form, you may not be able to resist checking each box and applying to all University of California campuses, but each campus application requires a fee of $70. Therefore, it is still hoped that students can consider their own conditions and campus characteristics together.
The University of California does not require the submission of SAT/ACT scores, but international students are required to submit language proficiency tests. Duolingo requires a minimum score of 115, the minimum requirement for IELTS is 6.5, and the minimum requirement for TOEFL is 80. The University of California does not require applicants to submit a recommendation letter, but students are required to study the same foreign language for at least 2 years in high school.
In the category of "activities and awards", the classification of the University of California and Common Application is also different. This category of the University of California includes educational programs and any courses that applicants study outside of high school (such as university courses), as well as awards and honors. The following are the detailed requirements:

 

Applicants need to choose four out of eight document questions to answer, and each document cannot exceed 350 words. The following are the paper titles for the University of California, 2023-2024:

 

Application deadline: November 30, 2023 (early application and early registration options are not provided)

 

 

 

The above is the application summary for the top 20 US News and the University of California. We will update the application summary for the top 21-30 US News next time! If any student wants to apply to a school that Xiaobin did not mention in the article, please feel free to send a private message to your supervisor for consultation~