Was Barron Trump rejected by Ivy League schools? Melanie dismisses the claims

The speculation intensified after Donald Trump casually revealed in late 2024 that Barron would enroll at NYU's Stern School of Business, breaking the family tradition of attending prestigious schools like the University of Pennsylvania or Georgetown, where Donald, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, and Tiffany Trump had studied, according to The Economic Times.

Many found Barron's choice surprising. One social media user claimed, "Guess what colleges didn't accept Barron Trump? Harvard. Stanford. Columbia. Any college Trump is attacking — are the ones that with all of his money they said 'no endowment will let him in.'"

According to reports cited by Nicki Swift, rumors suggested the 19-year-old was denied admission by Harvard, Columbia, and Stanford. Some viewed his college decision as evidence of rejection from Ivy League schools, especially given the recent strained relations between the Trump family and these institutions.

Barron Trump gestures after being acknowledged by his father U.S. President Donald Trump during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by AFP

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's tweet in April fueled further speculation, reading: "Can't help but wonder how many Trumps got rejected by Harvard."

Some netizens have demanded Harvard release Barron's application and rejection letter to reveal the truth.

PEOPLE said in a Tuesday report that it has reached out to Harvard University admissions but did not immediately hear back.

Meanwhile, First Lady Melania Trump is dismissing the viral online theory.

"Barron did not apply to Harvard, and any assertion that he, or that anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false," a spokesperson for Melania was quoted by PEOPLE and New York Post as saying on Tuesday.

Donald Trump previously told The Post that several schools had offered his son admission, without divulging which ones.

He stated in September 2024 that Barron had multiple options and ultimately chose NYU because he genuinely liked it. Melania also shared that Barron preferred to stay close to home in New York and live at Trump Tower.

Barron completed his freshman year at New York University's Stern School of Business earlier this month after graduating from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Fla., in spring 2024.

There is no solid proof supporting his Harvard rejection claims, which fact-checking site Snopes has deemed to be unverified.

Yet the rumors persist online, fueled by his father's ongoing criticism and the withdrawal of grants and other federal funding from the elite school.

The Trump administration on Tuesday asked federal agencies to cancel contracts with the Ivy League university worth about US$100 million. The government already has canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school, which has pushed back on the administration's demands for changes to several of its policies and most recently threatened to block it from recruiting and hosting international students.

The move came after Harvard refused to fulfill the administration's list of demands issued in April, which targeted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the admission of international students, and more.