What do the 8 Ivy League schools actually look for?

Every Ivy League school publishes a Common Data Set every year, and Section C7 asks each one to rate how much weight it gives 18 different admission factors. Below is that real, self-reported data for all 8 schools side by side (2025-26 filings; Brown still 2024-25) -- see our guide to reading a Common Data Set if you want the full picture of what C7 covers.

Harvard and Brown are the only two Ivies that don't consider class rank at all -- Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, and Columbia rate it “very important.”

Dartmouth is the only Ivy that considers demonstrated interest at all -- the other 7 rate it “not considered.” Columbia and Penn don't consider the interview either.

Legacy (“alumni relation”) is “considered” at all 8 schools -- none has dropped it, even after the 2023 affirmative-action ruling prompted roughly 92 other colleges nationally to stop considering it. See what's actually disclosed about legacy admit rates.

Academic factors

Factor	Harvard	Yale	Princeton	Columbia	Brown	Penn	Dartmouth	Cornell
Rigor of secondary school record	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important
Class rank	Not considered	Very important	Very important	Very important	Not considered	Important	Very important	Important
Academic GPA	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important	Considered	Very important	Very important	Important
Standardized test scores	Considered	Considered	Very important	Considered	Considered	Considered	Very important	Considered
Application essay	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important
Recommendations	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important

Nonacademic factors

Factor	Harvard	Yale	Princeton	Columbia	Brown	Penn	Dartmouth	Cornell
Interview	Considered	Considered	Considered	Not considered	Considered	Not considered	Considered	Considered
Extracurricular activities	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important	Considered	Important	Very important	Very important
Talent/ability	Considered	Very important	Very important	Important	Considered	Important	Important	Very important
Character/personal qualities	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important	Considered	Very important	Very important	Very important
First generation	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered
Alumni relation (legacy)	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered
Geographical residence	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered
State residency	Not considered	Considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Considered	Not considered	Considered
Religious affiliation	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered
Volunteer work	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Important	Considered	Considered
Work experience	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Considered	Important	Considered	Considered
Level of interest (demonstrated interest)	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Not considered	Considered	Not considered

Source: each school's own official Common Data Set filing, Section C7. Racial/ethnic status is a valid Common Data Set factor but isn't shown here because it hasn't been researched for any of these 8 schools yet.

This same Section C7 data is published for hundreds of other schools too, right on each school's own profile page -- browse the full list to check one that isn't an Ivy.