How to get accepted to college while acceptance rates plummet | College Connection
“You’re not imagining it – it feels damn near impossible to get into top colleges right now” is the headline of a recent article in Business Insider, highlighting the record high number of applications being received by elite schools, and the dropping acceptance rates.
There’s no sign of this trend easing up. In fact, there’s a “surprisingly large increase in the number of students applying to college for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year,” according to Forbes, which reported a 41% increase in applicants utilizing The Common App since the 2019-20 school year – the last one not affected by COVID.
Typically, as colleges receive a rising number of applications, their acceptance rate plummets. And this is not just at the Ivy League schools which host single-digit acceptance rates. Harvard’s acceptance rate, for example, was less than 4% for the past two years.
Popular universities, including New York University, Northeastern and Babson, have “skyrocketed in popularity” in recent years, according to Business Insider. NYU announced a record low acceptance rate of 8% for the Class of 2027. By comparison, NYU’s acceptance rate was 35% in 2014.
More: The passion project advantage in college admissions | College Connection
A key contributor to the rise in the number of applications being received by colleges is the “test optional” policy at many schools. Often students naively believe that they don’t have to worry about SAT scores as an admission criterion. Yale University, noting the number of “clearly uncompetitive and unqualified applicants” who were seeking admission, recently added a step to its application process called “initial review” to weed out such students.
Students are realizing that the bar is set quite high these days, not only at the very top schools but at those a tier below as well. The most competitive applicants are not only presenting high SAT scores and top grades on a rigorous high school curriculum, but they are also showcasing impressive passion projects.
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In the past, being a varsity captain, member of Model UN or the robotics team or editor of the school newspaper or yearbook was enough to impress many college admissions officers. Now, competitive applicants are launching companies, pursuing scientific research projects, and hosting international tutoring services. Business Insider wrote about a student who founded a nonprofit organization, Cancer Kids First, which raises money to buy gifts and build community for pediatric cancer patients. She leads 30,000 volunteers in 63 countries. Fortunately, this was enough to get her into Harvard, although she did apply to 26 colleges!
Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: How to get accepted to college while acceptance rates plummet
