What is HYPSM? A Complete Overview
What’s Covered:
High-achieving high school students with aspirations of attending a top-rated college often have their sights set on HYPSM, shorthand for five of the most prestigious and selective colleges in the country: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT.
What is HYPSM?
The HYPSM schools are commonly regarded as the best schools in the country—they consistently rank among the top 10 national universities and are among the most selective U.S. colleges to gain admission to.
The first three HYPSM schools have long been grouped together—they’re all members of the Ivy League, have sterling reputations, and are among the oldest universities in the nation. It’s common to hear Harvard, Yale, and Princeton referred to as either HYP or as the “Big Three.”
The final two HYPSM schools—Stanford and MIT—are more recent additions to the group. Neither Stanford nor MIT belongs to the Ivy League, although many consider them equal to, if not better than, the Ivies.
Here’s a brief overview of these schools and their acceptance rates:
|
School |
Location |
Acceptance Rate |
|
Cambridge, MA |
4% |
|
|
New Haven, CT |
4% |
|
|
Princeton, NJ |
5% |
|
|
Stanford, CA |
4% |
|
|
Cambridge University |
5% |
1. Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,038
Acceptance Rate: 4%
Middle 50% SAT: 1510-1580
Middle 50% ACT: 34-36
Harvard has a history of being first, and not just in rankings of the nation’s best colleges. Founded in 1636, Harvard was the first institution of higher education established in the United States. (To put that in context, Harvard is 140 years older than the Declaration of Independence.) But it’s not just academics in which Harvard is a leader—the university is renowned for its affluent alumni and enormous endowment as well.
There are also numerous ways Harvard distinguishes itself from other colleges, including a distinguished faculty, notable clubs such as the Harvard Lampoon, and world-renowned libraries.
Learn more about what makes Harvard unique in our article, What is Harvard Known For?
2. Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,814
Acceptance Rate: 4%
Middle 50% SAT: 1480-1560
Middle 50% ACT: 33-35
Yale has a reputation as the HYPSM college that places the most value on the arts. This reputation is enhanced by the large number of Yale graduates who’ve gone on to gain fame in fields like film, including:
- Angela Bassett
- Paul Giamatti
- Jodie Foster
- Edward Norton
- Oliver Stone
Students interested in other fields will also find top-notch programs and interdisciplinary opportunities. Yale especially values students who are intellectually engaged outside of school, such as performing research or publishing op-eds.
Yale student life is centered around its residential college system. All students are randomly assigned to one of fourteen colleges, where they remain during their time at Yale. Each college features a library, gym, dining hall, and activity spaces. These colleges offer students a tight-knit and diverse community immediately upon arrival.
Yale stands apart from other colleges in a variety of ways. Learn about them in our article, What is Yale University Known For?
3. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,813
Acceptance Rate: 5%
Middle 50% SAT: 1500-1560
Middle 50% ACT: 34-35
Princeton holds a prominent place in academia—it consistently ranks at or near the top of numerous publications’ rankings of the best schools in the country. The university is perhaps best known for its School of Engineering and Applied Science or its School of Public and International Affairs. Every student at Princeton faces rigorous coursework, including a Junior Paper (kind of like a pre-thesis) and a senior thesis.
A unique aspect of life at Princeton is its eating clubs, which are exclusive dining halls and social centers for their members. Clubs not only feature food, but also study spaces, libraries, and game rooms.
Princeton’s financial aid promises to meet 100% of each family’s demonstrated need without loans. Admissions are need-blind, meaning that a student’s ability to pay isn’t factored into their admissions decision. Princeton is one of the few schools in the country to apply these same policies to international students as well.
Read more about Princeton in our article, What is Princeton University Known For?
4. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, California
Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,904
Acceptance Rate: 4%
Middle 50% SAT: 1510-1570
Middle 50% ACT: 34-35
Stanford has developed a reputation for high achievement. The university has produced more billionaires than any school other than Harvard, and more Turing Award winners (considered the “Nobel Prize of Computing”) are associated with Stanford than any other institution. Stanford faculty members have won 36 Nobel Prizes since the university’s founding, and 20 current members of the Stanford community are Nobel laureates. Stanford excels not only in the classroom but also in athletics—Stanford students and alumni have earned 335 Olympic medals.
Stanford is known for its close ties to Silicon Valley, its highly regarded School of Engineering, and its unique mascot—a tree. Learn some of the other ways that Stanford sets itself apart from other colleges in our article, What is Stanford University Known For?
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,535
Acceptance Rate: 5%
Middle 50% SAT: 1520-1570
Middle 50% ACT: 34-36
MIT doesn’t have the same extensive history as its Ivy League counterparts—it was founded on April 10, 1861, two days before the start of the Civil War, more than a century after Princeton, and more than 200 years after Harvard. While MIT’s history doesn’t date back to the 1600s, it’s still impressive. The world’s first computer was built at MIT (Whirlwind), the first email was sent between MIT alumni, and the first spreadsheet was created at MIT. However, MIT was innovating higher education well before computers, and is home to the nation’s oldest architecture program.
Age is just one of the many ways MIT separates itself from the other HYPSM schools—there are also famous faculty, interesting clubs, and quirky traditions. Learn all about them in our article, What is MIT Known For?
What are Your Chances at HYPSM Schools?
The HYPSM schools are among the most prestigious and selective colleges in the country. Many competitive schools, like HYPSM, use the Academic Index to expedite the admissions process. The Academic Index distills a student’s academic performance into a single number, allowing admissions officials to make quick judgments on an applicant’s credentials. If a student’s Academic Index fails to meet an institution’s standards, it’s highly unlikely an admissions officer will read the rest of their application.
CollegeVine’s free admissions calculator can help students better understand their chances at the HYPSM schools, along with hundreds of other colleges. Our data-driven chancing engine uses metrics like GPA and test scores, along with more holistic factors like extracurricular activities, to provide students a clear idea of their chances of acceptance. It even shows students what aspects of their profile they need to improve.
