Seniors Maddie Parrot, Andy Ten Eyck, Becca Young, Luke Haglin and Ben Banavige 

Orono seniors are preparing themselves for the approach of college application deadlines: specifically those of the ever-exclusive Ivies and their up-and-coming competitors.

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, and University of Pennsylvania are the holy grail of academic institutions. However, the Ivy League was not created in academic exclusivity, but as a collegiate athletic conference of private schools in the Northeastern United States.

Nevertheless, the eight private colleges that make up the league have far surpassed this sports reputation. They have become the top universities in the country, drawing in hopeful applicants from almost 100 countries, according to Princeton University.

A select few Orono students have joined this rank of hopefuls. Senior Becca Young is looking to Yale as her top choice to spend the next few years, as she feels “it’s academic philosophy mirrors [her’s].” What will she be studying if accepted? “Not physics,” Young said.

Ben Banavige, a fellow senior, will also be submitting an application to Yale–as well as Harvard, Dartmouth, and Princeton. According to U.S. News National University Rankings, this means Banavige will be applying to the three top universities in the nation (Princeton, Harvard, Yale).

Of the aforementioned trio, Banavige’s top choice is Harvard, as the “academic environment is fantastic” and he feels that the school could offer him a very beneficial education to develop his skills and apply them later in life.

Unlike Young, Banavige will be studying physics, specifically “mechanical engineering or something else with physics and math. Potentially biology.”

However, if the traditional Ivy League route is not for an individual, a new tier of universities is developing and attracting extensive attention: the “new Ivies.”

Which universities are these new contenders in the academic all-star competition? Schools such as Vanderbilt, Tufts, and Northwestern, to name a few.

Multiple Orono students have realized the achievements of these universities.

Senior Maddie Parrott has applied early decision binding to Northwestern, her number one choice.

To attain a spot in this highly selective university, Parrott did all she could, including taking part in an alumni interview.

She has visited the campus multiple times, feeling at home each occurrence. Her favorite thing about the school is the fact that “it is the perfect blend of top academics and school spirit,” Parrott said.

Seniors Luke Haglin and Andy Ten Eyck also hopes to attend Northwestern University next fall and has also applied early decision. Haglin looks forward to the community of Wildcats and the “perfect combination of environment, academic rigor, and opportunity to thrive.”

College application results should begin arriving soon. Hopefully, it will be all good news for Orono seniors.