Many Edina High School students benefit from the top-tier athletics and academic rigor, and a handful of seniors have taken full advantage of their EHS education and will be attending Ivy League schools to further pursue their academic careers. The admissions process is especially competitive for these schools, all of which have acceptance rates below 15%.

Abby Mans: Dartmouth College

Abby Mans was drawn to Dartmouth College because of its unique location. Located in the Appalachian Mountains of New Hampshire, both the academics and the beautiful scenery set Dartmouth apart for her. Mans, a born student, is excited about the excellent academics and strong alumni network at Dartmouth. As an early decision applicant, Mans was relieved of the college application stress in December and returned to her senior year with a smile.

Laura Schroeder: Cornell University

At first, Laura Schroeder was tentative about Cornell University because of her close familial ties to the school (her mom, brother, and other extended family members are all alumni). Schroeder is interested in continuing her French and Spanish studies so, after researching a bit about Cornell’s foreign language program, Schroeder knew it was the school for her. However, Schroeder will not be enrolling next year, as she has opted to spend a gap-year in Brazil learning Portuguese and immersing herself in the culture. Nonetheless, Schroeder is finished with the application process and on her way to success.

Khalid Ishani: Yale University

Khalid Ishani prepared for his Yale University application by participating in several extracurriculars and working diligently all of his classes at EHS. Debate and Model UN are just two activities in which he excels. Ishani was drawn not only to the cooperative and intense culture of Yale, but the residential college system that allows students to live in the same dorm for all four years of school, making housing situations quite simple. “It’s exciting. I’m very excited for next year and I’m happy that it worked out,” Ishani said.

Richard Zhu: Harvard University

How does one get into Harvard University? Richard Zhu will modestly tell you there’s not much to it: just work hard, get involved, and focus on those essays. Zhu was pulled to Harvard as his sister is a current student at the school, and he appreciates the open nature of Harvard. Students aren’t pressured to choose a major straight away, and can instead spend some time on their decisions. “Not much has changed, I just know where I’m gonna go to school now,” Zhu said.

Also Notable:

Bruce Acosta: Columbia University

Tanner Jones: Dartmouth College

Addie Jung: Princeton University

Chris Minge: Princeton University

Anand Mittal: Dartmouth College

Benjamin Velani: Cornell University