Last week, former President Donald Trump revealed that his son, Barron Trump, has chosen to attend a university in New York, diverging from the family’s long-standing tradition of enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania. The announcement, made to the Post, indicated that Barron is “all set in a certain school that’s very good” and that an official announcement would be made “soon.” However, as freshman orientation programs commence across New York, no further details have emerged regarding Barron’s university choice.
No Sign of Barron Trump or His Chosen University
Despite the high-profile announcement, Barron Trump, 18, has yet to be spotted at any New York universities. Neither Barron, his mother Melania Trump, nor his security team have been seen on campus. According to US News and World Report, Columbia University and Cornell University are among the top-ranked institutions in New York, both holding the 12th position in overall rankings. New York University (NYU) is ranked 35th.
In April, the Daily Beast reported that Barron’s preferred choice was NYU, located just 3.5 miles from Trump Tower in lower Manhattan. Former President Trump had previously mentioned that the decision to avoid certain colleges was influenced by campus unrest following the Hamas terror attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people. On Fox and Friends, Trump stated, “Colleges six months ago, you look at a college and you want a certain college, and then you see all of these colleges are rioting. And maybe you want to go to a different kind of a college because there’s plenty of colleges that we also like that are different and they don’t riot.”
Despite rumors circulating on social media about Barron being spotted at Cornell, The Cornelia Daily Sun confirmed that he does not appear in the student directories of Cornell, Columbia, or NYU. Typically, first-year students are listed in these directories.
Trump’s Praise for Barron’s Academic Achievements
Donald Trump has frequently lauded his son’s academic achievements and college prospects, although he has been notably secretive about Barron’s academic records. On Fox and Friends Weekend in June, Trump described Barron as “amazing” and a “very good student,” adding, “He’s applied to colleges and gets into everywhere he goes. He’s very sought-after from the standpoint he’s a very smart guy. He’s a very tall guy and he’s a great kid. He’s cool. He’s pretty cool, I’ll tell you.”
Donald Trump himself graduated from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, after transferring from Fordham University. Trump had initially attended Fordham but later sought to study film at the University of Southern California, although he was rejected. While Trump often highlights his Wharton degree, he rarely mentions his time at Fordham. His children’s educational paths include Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Tiffany Trump graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, while Eric Trump attended Georgetown University.
Melania Trump, Barron’s mother, attended the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia for a brief period to study design before leaving to pursue her modeling career in Europe.
