- lesscollegestress
- Jul 24, 2022
The truth:
Princeton and Stanford, among others, are not disclosing their admit rates. Harvard, Columbia, and MIT had admit rates under 4%.
Sixteen colleges and universities now have admit rates under 10%.
Some admit rates dropped precipitously in one year: New York University from 21% in 2021 to a 12.2% admit rate in 2022.
Northeastern University is now an “unlikley” for all applicants.
Test-optional policies and grade inflation caused by the pandemic drove this huge increase in applications. The above focuses on a small sample of highly-selective colleges because the result trickles down to affect all colleges. See 2019 (pre-COVID-19) numbers because the pandemic already caused a skew in the numbers for 2020.
Many parents went to highly selective colleges. They assume that their kids have high rigor and straight As and assume they can also attend highly selective colleges. But the landscape is nothing like what it was back then, or even two years ago. My colleague Bari Norman held a virtual presentation in which she brilliantly compared admissions rates at all 8 of the Ivy Leagues in 1992 to today’s admissions rates and the equivalent colleges.
It’s a fact that many kids have worked very hard. When they hear how difficult it is to get into many highly selective colleges, they often wonder, what was it all for? The truth is that every one of these students will go to a GREAT college even if does not have the name they thought it would have.
Being prepared with the truth means knowing and understanding why you will likely not be admitted to the most selective schools–those I call unlikelies. The right college is one that gives you the resources, space, and support to go out and create your success–that’s what we mean by fit. Research, visit, and learn about colleges to discover the truth about them–then go out there and make real changes in the world.
- lesscollegestress
- Jul 17, 2022
From a Kaplan survey of College Admissions Officers:
68 percent said that a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam generally earned a student college credit.
66 percent said such a score would earn a student the right to skip entry-level courses.
Only 22 percent said it would result in a boost in an applicant's chances of admission.
Surprised? Even though well over half of the responding colleges gave college credit for a 3, less than a quarter said a score of 3, 4, or 5 would provide any admissions boost.
This is, however, to be expected based on NACAC's State of College Admissions report. We see that what matters to college admissions is the GRADE students received in college prep courses, which would include AP courses (rated as Considerable Importance, the top category, by 73% of responding colleges), NOT the AP test score (only 5.5% rated it Considerable Importance, while 41% indicated it was of no importance at all in admission decisions). That may be why the grade in the rigorous college prep course might be the more fair thing to use (instead of an AP test score, even a 4 or 5).
If applicants hope that their AP scores would literally pay off (save money by graduating earlier) once they got to college, they need to check the AP score policies at their colleges. As that Kaplan data suggests, 68% said a score of 3 would generally earn the student credit at their institution. This is where having a 4 or 5 can make a big difference. Curious to see which colleges give credit/advanced standing for which AP courses and for what scores? Check this link.
- lesscollegestress
- Jul 10, 2022
Holly Shulman
Consumer Behavior and Marketplace Studies Major
Ever since I visited my sister Abby at University of Wisconsin-Madison when I was in 7th grade, I knew Wisconsin was my dream school. I fell in love with the city-like campus as well as the school spirit that was evident after a short conversation with any student. Throughout the college process, I made sure to keep an open mind, but always knew I wanted to go there. After receiving my acceptance in December 2020, I committed shortly after.
I have always had a passion for fashion for as long as I could remember. In high school, I had my own small college clothing business on Instagram called AllPatchedUp, so I knew I wanted to explore more of the business side of fashion in college. Within Wisconsin’s School of Human Ecology, the consumer behavior and marketplace studies major is the perfect fit for me to learn about all things retail, consumer behavior, business, and more all wrapped up into one. Being such a large university, it is nice to be a part of a smaller school, with only around 500 students in my major. This allows me to have more individualized attention, and get to know the other students in my major better.
Aside from the consumer behavior major, I have been able to explore other areas of study that interest me, such as women and gender studies and graphic design, which I intend on getting certificates in. With such a wide range of class options, there are endless opportunities at UW-Madison to explore anything you're interested in!
Outside of the classroom, I was able to get involved in Greek life in the fall semester. Although the recruitment process can be stressful, I am so happy with the group of girls I ended up with, and it helped shaped my freshman year experience. I am living in the sorority house this year, and I could not be more excited. I also got involved with Humorology during my first semester, which is a student-run philanthropy organization that raises money for a beneficiary each year. 1-2 sororities are paired with 1-2 fraternities, and we put on an annual musical show that takes place in April. Being involved with theater throughout high school, this was the perfect opportunity to continue my love of theater while being involved in my sorority. After having a lead role last year, I now have a leadership position this year, and will be helping to write and produce my cast’s show! I am so happy to be a Badger, and enjoy all of the opportunities that Wisconsin has and will continue to give me!