Breaking Down Ivy Day 2026: A Conversation with a Command Education Director of Mentoring

A: The first thing I’d say is that the trends look a little different depending on the type of student you’re talking about (their background, their goals, the schools they want to apply to, their timeline). But there are a few broader shifts that apply to students across the board.

First, the process is getting earlier every single year, as early admissions pathways become prime strategies for motivated applicants. The University of Michigan introduced Early Decision for the first time this cycle, and a vast number of students took advantage of this application option. Just a couple of weeks ago, USC extended Early Decision beyond its business school. These shifts are a part of a much bigger pattern—more and more schools are relying on early pathways to fill an increasing share of their incoming class, maximize yield, and meet institutional priorities. If you’re not thinking about your early application strategy, you're already behind.

I’m also noticing that colleges are returning to the basics. Columbia is now the only Ivy League school that has not retired their test optional strategy (and, notably, they don’t intend to). GPA, SAT, and ACT scores matter again in a significant way in the admissions process, and institutions have been spotlighting academic prowess in their results announcements—USC, for instance, shared that this cycle saw the highest GPA amongst their incoming class. In light of this, students need to prepare to showcase an impressive academic profile and demonstrate their readiness for rigorous college coursework.

Finally, three years after the end of affirmative action, universities are finding new ways to build diverse classes. Geography is one of the biggest ways to achieve this, as schools are actively recruiting from rural communities and underrepresented parts of the world. Socioeconomic diversity is another concern amongst top colleges, and we’re seeing institutions break records for the number of Pell Grant recipients in their incoming classes.

A: Absolutely—the big “rah-rah” schools are having a moment. Students want the full college experience: the culture, the community, the energy of a large campus. Even students whose dream school might be an Ivy or a prestigious liberal arts college are hedging their bets at flagship state schools like Michigan and UNC. Students are gravitating toward schools like University of Wisconsin (what some call the fraternal twin of Michigan) that might not have dominated the conversation in previous cycles, but offer a fantastic education, a powerful network, and a culture that will define the next four years of their life.

One thing I always tell my students is that you may not learn that much from the information session, but pay close attention to the vibe on campus. Do you like the atmosphere? Do you connect with the students you meet? Do you share their interests? That feeling matters enormously when it comes to where students ultimately thrive.

A: I hope every student reading this is facing a hard decision right now! That means the process worked. But the factors to consider are genuinely different for everyone.

I typically encourage students to start by thinking about financials: Have a real, honest conversation with your family about what each school actually costs, what the aid package looks like, and what financial investment your family is able to make in college. Location is another important factor to take into consideration. Are you comfortable being far away from home? Do you want to be in a small town or a big city?

Other important questions include: Does the school have the program you want? Does it have the flexibility to support you if you’re still figuring out your direction? Does it have affinity groups that align with your values, or research resources in your field of interest? These are questions you probably asked yourself when building your college list and writing your “Why This School” essays, and revisiting these materials can be a good way to refresh your memory about what drew you to each school on your list.

A: Start by carefully reading whatever notification you received — it will almost always include specific instructions for next steps. In most cases, you'll have the opportunity to submit a Letter of Continued Interest, or LOCI, and I encourage every waitlisted student to do so. Use it to reaffirm that you want to attend, and give meaningful updates about your candidacy since you submitted your application. You want to compellingly show the admissions committee that you are still a driven and capable student, even after applications have been submitted, and that you will be a great fit for their community. If the school publishes the contact information for regional admissions officers, reach out to yours directly by email.

Your high school college counselor can also be a behind-the-scenes advocate for your candidacy, so be sure to update them about the status of your application. They may be able to call the university directly to reiterate your passion for the school and what you’d add to campus.

Once you've taken those actionable steps, shift your energy toward getting genuinely excited about the schools that have already accepted you. Waitlist odds can be extremely low and unpredictable. Yale and Harvard have accepted zero students off the waitlist in certain years. This is, in large part, a game of chance, and the odds can sometimes be even lower than the already competitive acceptance rates. While you should remain optimistic, it’s also important to open your heart to the remarkable opportunities already in front of you.

A: Students who work with me know that one of my favorite quotes is from Dion Waiters: “I’d rather go 0 for 30 than 0 for 9 because you go 0 for 9 that means you stopped shooting. That means you lost confidence.” Getting rejected from your top school can feel like a gut punch, and it’s okay to sit with that sadness and frustration for a few days. Connect with your friends and family, unplug your phone, and allow yourself to feel it. And then, when you’re ready, pick the ball back up. Odds are, you were admitted to a phenomenal school that has everything you need to flourish. The only way you won’t find success is if you stop shooting.

A: The first thing I would say to younger students is to be observant of how imperfect this process is. Odds are, you saw students you thought were sure things get rejected or students you never expected to get in who did. That is how this process works. There's not a single right path to a top university, and I think that should actually inspire some hope and excitement in students. If there is not a one-size-fits-all path, that means you are free to find the path that works best for you. Work hard, be yourself, and invest your time in things that bring you joy and improve the lives of people around you.

At Command, I work with students as young as middle school to start building their profile thoughtfully. The first step is always to seek out support. This is not a process you can navigate alone, and having a robust and diverse support network can be the differentiating factor for many students. With my younger students, we also spend a lot of time figuring out what motivates them and makes them genuinely passionate, because authenticity matters just as much as achievement in the admissions process. One of the cornerstones of our mentorship is the passion project, which is an independent initiative that moves students beyond a theoretical understanding of their interests into actionable exploration. Starting a business, partnering with an organization, conducting research, building a social media presence, creating art—there are so many different avenues students can explore, but they all depend on starting early and building a strong foundation.