Indian high schoolers deserve a shot at an elite undergraduate education at a top school in the United States. Unfortunately, the college counseling landscape of India leaves much to be desired. Indian students have very few places to turn for accurate advice and guidance to optimize their odds of admission to a school like Harvard University or Dartmouth College. In fact, many of the so-called college counseling firms in India do more harm than good by misleading their clients with outdated information, common misconceptions, and plain old guesswork. 

To make a bad situation worse, Indian college applicants (just as is the case with Indian American college applicants) face discrimination on the part of elite college admissions officers. With the odds stacked against them to such an extent, it’s no wonder that Indian students feel demoralized and disadvantaged by the time college admissions season rolls around. But fear not, Ivy Coach’s team of former elite college admissions officers, with over 30 years of experience, has been successfully guiding Indian citizens into the top schools in the nation. We are well-versed in the many obstacles this group faces and understand what distinguishes the students who get in from those who don’t.

Indian Representation in the Ivy League

Ivy League School	Number of Indian Students	Number of Chinese Students	Number of South Korean Students
Brown University	163	606	106
Columbia University	884	5,035	481
Cornell University	624	2,253	350
Dartmouth College	151	247	47
Harvard University	505	1,378	399
Princeton University	125	437	100
University of Pennsylvania	609	2,045	357
Yale University	204	771	129

Source: College Factual

Among Ivy League schools, Columbia has the most Indian students, followed by Cornell and then Penn. However, across the board, international students from overrepresented countries are just that in the Ivy League—overrepresented relative to students from other places that very rarely send their best and brightest to the Ivy League. The same applies to most highly selective institutions, including MIT, Stanford, and UChicago. It just goes to show that elite college admission is possible for Indian citizens — thousands of students get into American schools each year — but it takes some ingenuity. Let’s unpack why.

Why Elite Colleges Discriminate Against Indian Applicants

Elite colleges discriminate against Indian applicants for the same reason that Indian Americans are discriminated against — they so often conform to the stereotypes that, unfortunately, cause admissions officers to write them off. They apply by touting their tennis and classical dance extracurriculars, showing an affinity for STEM disciplines at the expense of the humanities, and stating their reverence for their grandparents. You might not like to hear it, but it’s true! Whether it’s a comfortable fact or not, these characteristics are found in the vast majority of Indian students’ applications, and they adversely impact their chances!

Since Indian students are considered overrepresented on college campuses (just like their Chinese and South Korean counterparts), those who want to get into the school of their dreams must set themselves apart from the rest by refusing to conform to stereotypes that lead to unfair discrimination and by harnessing the power of the singular hook. Your singular hook is the unique passion, pursuit, discipline, or cause that informs every last aspect of your application and signals to elite colleges that you will make the most of your time on campus.

How Ivy Coach Helps Get Indian Students Into Elite Schools

It shouldn’t be the responsibility of you or your child to navigate an unfair and discriminatory college admissions system. Leave these troubles at Ivy Coach’s door by letting us optimize your child’s odds of admission to a highly selective college in the United States. Each year, we help students get into schools like Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and MIT by assisting with crafting applications that give admissions officers zero chance to discriminate.

If you’re interested in getting started, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch.