Indian and Indian American students both face unjust discrimination in the Ivy League admissions process. It’s disheartening to know that admissions officers at these elite schools are prone to discriminate against Indian and Indian American applicants who have participated in what they consider to be “stereotypical” activities, including but not limited to classical Indian dance, tennis, and extracurricular activities in STEM. We at Ivy Coach have made it our mission to help Indian and Indian American students navigate this prejudiced system and secure admission to the nation’s top schools. Let’s review Indian representation in the Ivy League and the strategic actions Indian and Indian American students can take to avoid this unfair discrimination.

The Number of Indian Students at Each Ivy League School

Ivy League School	Number of Students From India (as of 2024-2025)
Columbia University	1,303
Cornell University	624
University of Pennsylvania	609
Harvard University	340
Brown University	252
Yale University	204
Princeton University	197
Dartmouth College	151

Regarding Ivy League admissions, India is considered a well-represented country, so Indian applicants do not experience the competitive edge that students from underrepresented countries benefit from. Similarly, Indian American applicants are considered an over-represented (ORM) minority in elite college admissions compared to coveted underrepresented minorities (URMs), which include Black, Latino, and Native American students. We applaud the Indian American families who defy these odds and insist that their children receive the best education possible. More often than not, the parents of Indian American students went to college in India and grad school at a moderately selective school in the United States. These parents naturally want better for their children. Unfortunately, just as Jewish students were discriminated against in Ivy League admissions a century ago, students of Indian descent are currently faced with a similar campaign of bias. 

That’s where we at Ivy Coach come in. We understand the challenges you face, and we’re here to help. We’ll walk you through the steps you can take to circumvent discrimination and optimize your child’s odds of admission to the school of their dreams, whether they’re Indian or Indian American.

How to Avoid Indian Discrimination When Applying to Ivy League Schools

1. Tell Your Story in a Compelling Way that Avoids Clichés

Regardless of your heritage, if you choose a “third-rail” essay topic when writing your Personal Statement or college supplemental essays, your application is bound to fall flat. For example, a past client from India came to us after receiving an Early Action rejection from their top choice school. They had created a quick test for oral cancer. However, when they wrote about this groundbreaking feat on their application, they succumbed to all kinds of clichés about family members with cancer and the emotional journey their invention took them on. We helped this student pivot to an exciting narrative that got them into Stanford. Richard Shaw, Stanford’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, even cited our client in a video describing the incoming class!

2. Don’t “Follow in the Footsteps” of Your Parents

Many Indian and Indian American applicants have highly successful doctor or engineer parents. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of your parents’ success and seeking the same for yourself. But leave it off of your application. Describing your parents’ (or grandparents’) success will make you come across as privileged (i.e., less socioeconomically diverse and therefore less admissible) and unoriginal. Instead, pivot to a singular hook that has nothing to do with your STEM aspirations, as stating your intention to be a doctor or engineer opens the floodgates of discrimination! 

For example, we had an Indian American client who aspired to be a doctor. Our team of former elite college admissions officers helped this student shape his extracurricular commitments around an entirely different pursuit: the Classics. He joined the Classics Society, wrote in Classics literary journals, and started a Classics club at his school, among other things. Not only did our client get into Harvard using this original approach that gave admissions officers no room to stereotype, but he fell in love with his new discipline, majoring in it on campus and turning it into a great story that got him into a top medical school for the same reasons that it got him into Harvard. His success story is a testament to the power of a unique singular hook. He still had to excel in Organic Chemistry, but his med school application had a human element so often lacking in the Biology major’s application.

3. Turn to Ivy Coach to Develop a Competitive Strategy that Protects Against Discrimination

We’re here to help you choose the curriculum, activities, and narrative that will make you or your child stand out amongst other Indian and Indian American applicants, protect you from insidious stereotyping and discrimination, and optimize the odds of admission to an Ivy League school. Fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.