HOW COLLEGE ADMISSIONS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WHY IT MAKES SENSE TO GET HELP FOR YOUR STUDENT
The college admissions process has changed over the years. The number of college applicants has risen steeply, while colleges have maintained roughly the same number of openings. The US News graph below illustrates the increase in admissions at top universities since 2007.
In the 1980’s students were encouraged to apply to a small list of colleges; sometimes as few as 3 colleges. Today students are encouraged to apply to a minimum of 10, and often apply to as many as 25 colleges, according to one MIT admissions officer. Increased competition leads to higher rates of rejections or a decrease in the percentage of acceptance, as illustrated by the US New graph below. This data corresponds to data from the same top universities.
Other Trends in College Admissions:
Women are attending college at higher rates than men. The gender gap varies from college to college and may create an advantage for male applicants, depending on the college’s admission directive.
The way that colleges look at underrepresented applicants varies from college to college. By definition, underrepresented applicants include Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans. They are underrepresented in terms of being college-bound, as well as graduating. Caucasians and Asians are not included in this population. Knowing if you have an advantage or if the odds are against you, can tell you something about your financial package.
There has been an increase in student involvement at the high school level among college applicants. 96% of MIT applicants had community service on their applications. Not all activities and community service are equal in the eyes of the admissions team reading your student’s college application. Knowing what type of community service your student should pursue and which activities to get involved with can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.
There is an increase in international applicants. Your student is not only competing with students from your home state, they are competing with the entire country, as well as the international applicant pool. The increased level of competition creates the need for differentiation among applicants. It is worth finding out what sets desirable applicants apart from others.
The college admissions office will read a staggering number of applications. MIT had over 18,000 applications for only 1,447 available spots. If applying to a competitive college, you want your student’s applications to stand out, get noticed, and reflect your student in the best possible light.
If you are unsure about how to help your child and want them to have a clear advantage over guessing their way through the process, contact CollegeGPS for a complimentary 30-minute consultation to learn how we can help pave the road to success for your child.
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