Colleges are not “better” because they are “popular”’

“Our applications for admission, which hovered around 9,000 for many years, suddenly doubled to 17,500. Then they increased to over 21,000. We have to turn away students who want tours and we find ourselves looking at an admit rate of 10 percent. Has this deterred students from applying? No. I am left wondering: Is Colgate more desirable because it is more desired?” Brian Casey, the president of Colgate University.

When people perceive something as desirable, others want it too, and assume “it must be good.” This has nothing to do with the college. Conversely, many believe that if a college is easier to get into, it must not be good.

“Fit,” the crucial factor, is not in this equation.

I have written about the fallacy of the question, “Is that a good college?”

The question should always be “Is that a good college for me?”

“The number of college applications filed through the Common Application has jumped 30 percent over the past three years. That equates to some 1.56 million additional applications sent by this year’s class compared to their counterparts in the class of 2020 — although the classes are roughly the same size.” Jeff Selingo, Who Gets in and Why.

The classes of 2020 and 2023 might be the same size, but there are 21% more applicants applying to those 841 Common Application member institutions today. Too many students are applying to a group of about 250 colleges.

Why did this not occur before 2020? There were approximately 1000 test optional colleges then, but few students focused exclusively on those. Most applied to colleges where their GPA’s and test scores were a match, between 25%-75% of the school’s accepted range. It was rare to see students defy the numbers and just submit applications that were likely denials. All that has changed in the age of general test optional admissions caused by the pandemic.

My credo has always been, ”the more colleges, the more stress.” Avoid adding stress to an inherently stressful process by applying to a balanced list of colleges that are your academic and cultural fits (more on that second piece next week), not simply because they are “popular.” Today’s trendy colleges were less popular 10 years ago…why not explore and discover some (not-so) hidden gems?

Why Do Some Colleges Become Popular?

In February, I tallied up where my students applied in Top States For ‘23 Grads? My colleagues across the US are finding similar results. Large schools in the southeast are enjoying record-breaking numbers of applications, while the popularity of some small liberal art colleges, especially those that are less selective, has declined.

Some attribute this to the relative openness of these southern schools during the pandemic, but many of them still have vaccine mandates, so that’s not entirely the reason. Warm weather, rah-rah sports, and high-spirited Greek life seem to be the draws. As schools grow more popular, their admissions rates drop. Auburn’s popularity soared to an all-time high 48,000 applications, up 5% from last year when their admissions rate dropped from 71.1% to 43.7%. In last week’s blogpost, I detailed how the University of Tampa doubled in size and boasted a low admit rate around 26% this year.

However, this might be changing in the future as many students are now unwilling to go to the South for political reasons. According to this article in Inside Higher Ed, 1 in 4 students consider politics in their decision. I personally do not see that many of my students are motivated one way or the other by politics.

Sports success matters: listen to The Flutie Effect to learn why. Just by making the Final Four, NCAA basketball teams allow themselves to have $1.2BB in free advertising over the course of those two weeks. The University of Tennessee became more selective this year based on last year’s football success. After March Madness, expect San Diego State University, Furman University, and Florida Atlantic apps to increase next year. Several of my juniors have already added FAU and SDS to their lists!

Just remember that out of thousands of US colleges where students can earn a valuable degree, only about two hundred admit fewer than 50%.

"How will you be remembered at your school five years from now?"

A speaker posed this question in a recent webinar. While being remembered five years from now may seem impossible, the examples given were not farfetched. Leadership in high school certainly counts, but standout activities require a commitment to something beyond winning a game, being in the marching band, or serving on the prom committee. When applying to the most highly-selective institutions, what’s needed is a well-developed profile and intellectual curiosity–in action.

What matters? Do something that is not commonly done, make your mark, and do it sincerely. If that doesn’t resonate, think more deeply.

In the wake of the pandemic, when school halls were emptier and the mood was depressing, one of my students spearheaded a plan to paint an uplifting wall mural and enlisted other artists to help. A few years earlier, another student developed materials to tutor students for APUSH, then trained tutors to keep the program running after she graduated. One of my current students is running a financial literacy program for low-income students in his area. Before graduating, he can engage other students to keep it going. Any student can create such a program in any subject. Other recommendations to help underserved communities were creating a traveling library and raising money for library computers.

Involvement in political causes demonstrates critical thinking and the confidence to enact change. Students who are passionate about our environment might lobby for meatless Mondays or create a race fundraiser for an environmental (or any) cause. Several of my students served as high school liaisons on their towns’ Environmental Commissions, implementing initiatives and recruiting volunteers. Campaigning for a candidate, achieving prominence in Model UN, and targeting the issues you care are just a few of many acts that can make you memorable…maybe even for five years.