The college admission process has always been a competitive one, but in recent years, the acceptance rates at many colleges and universities have dropped to the lowest in history. This trend continues in 2023, as top schools receive record numbers of applications and turn away an increasing number of highly qualified candidates.
Nowadays, admissions officers are not only looking for students who have exceptional grades and test scores, but also for students who are able to showcase their passion and commitment to various activities are highly valued by admissions officers. This is because extracurricular activities offer a glimpse into a student’s character and give an indication of how they may contribute to the college community.
What Can Students Do to Maximize their Chances of Getting into a Top College?
Starting preparing early! Preparing for college early can provide significant benefits for students. Increasingly, students are beginning to think about their college applications as early as 6th or 7th grade. Starting early can allow students to explore their interests, develop strong skills and experiences, and create a well-rounded and competitive college application.
By starting early, students can take the time to explore various areas of interest and identify what they are passionate about. This exploration can lead to a more meaningful set of extracurricular activities and experiences, showcasing their strengths and unique qualities. Moreover, starting early can provide opportunities for students to take on leadership roles in their activities, showing initiative and the ability to make a positive impact.
In addition to focusing on their own accomplishments, students should also consider the overall profile of the colleges and universities they are interested in attending. Different schools place different weights on various aspects of the application, so students should research each school carefully and tailor their application accordingly. They should also consider applying to a range of schools, from “safety” schools where they are highly likely to be admitted, to “reach” schools where admission is more competitive.
Overall, the college admission process is becoming increasingly competitive, and students who want to be admitted to their dream schools should start strategically planning and executing earlier. By focusing on academic excellence, pursuing meaningful extracurricular activities, and effectively packaging their applications to specific schools, students can increase their chances of being admitted to the college of their choice.
College Acceptance Rates (Class of 2027)
School | Class of 2027 Admission Rate | Class of 2026 Admission Rate | Class of 2025 Admission Rate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
American University | 44.00% | 40.63% | 64.09% | |
Amherst College | 9.00% | 7.25% | 8.74% | |
Babson College | TBA | 22.35% | 25.35% | |
Barnard College | 6.50% | 8.00% | 10.40% | |
Bates College | 12.00% | 13.76% | 17.31% | |
Boston College | 15.00% | 16.70% | 18.90% | |
Boston University | 10.70% | 14.00% | 18.30% | |
Bowdoin College | 7.75% | 9.19% | 8.80% | |
Brown University | 5.09% | 5.00% | 5.50% | |
Bucknell University | TBA | 32.55% | 34.50% | |
Carleton College | 21.75% | 16.63% | 17.55% | |
Carnegie Mellon University | TBA | 11.30% | 13.54% | |
Case Western Reserve University | TBA | 27.41% | 30.24% | |
Claremont McKenna College | TBA | 10.30% | 11.24% | |
Colby College | 6.00% | 7.45% | 8.00% | |
Colgate University | TBA | 12.34% | 17.20% | |
College of the Holy Cross | 21.00% | 36.00% | 43.00% | |
Colorado College | <20% | 16.30% | 14.25% | |
Columbia University | 3.90% | 3.73% | 3.90% | |
Cornell University | TBA | 7.26% | ~8.70% | |
Dartmouth College | 6.23% | 6.38% | 6.17% | |
Davidson College | TBA | 16.95% | 17.80% | |
Denison University | 17.00% | 22.00% | 28.27% | |
Duke University | 6.00% | 6.20% | 5.70% | |
Emory University | 16.24% | 11.35% | 20.40% | |
Fairfield University | 44.90% | 52.18% | 55.81% | |
Florida State University | 23.77% | 25.04% | 37.06% | |
Fordham University | 50.00% | 54.13% | 58.30% | |
Georgetown University | 13.00% | 12.10% | 12.00% | |
Georgia Tech | Overall: 16.00% (instate: 36%, out of state: 121%) | 17.14% | 18.30% | |
Grinnell College | TBA | 9.20% | 10.50% | |
Hamilton College | TBA | 11.78% | 14.10% | |
Harvard University | 3.41% | 3.19% | 3.43% | |
Harvey Mudd College | TBA | 13.36% | 9.99% | |
Haverford College | TBA | 14.21% | 17.84% | |
Johns Hopkins University | TBA | 7.24% | 7.40% | |
Lafayette College | 30.70% | 33.60% | 40.70% | |
Lehigh University | 28.49% | 36.98% | 45.97% | |
Macalester College | 27.55% | 28.42% | 31.26% | |
Middlebury College | TBA | 11.50% | 15.70% | |
MIT | 4.68% | 3.96% | 4.00% | |
Mount Holyoke College | 38.00% | 39.76% | 52.30% | |
New York University | 8.00% | 12.20% | 12.80% | |
Northeastern University | Boston Campus: 6.00% | 6.80% | 18.38% | |
Northwestern University | 7.00% | 7.00% | 6.80% | |
Oberlin College | TBA | 34.90% | 34.34% | |
Pitzer College | 15.90% | 18.40% | 18.31% | |
Pomona College | TBA | 7.02% | 6.60% | |
Princeton University | TBA | 5.70% | 3.98% | |
Rice University | 7.70% | 8.56% | 9.30% | |
Santa Clara University | 42.00% | 53.90% | 53.99% | |
Smith College | 19.00% | 22.86% | 29.91% | |
Stanford University | TBA | 3.68% | 3.95% | |
Swarthmore College | 6.78% | 6.93% | 8.00% | |
Trinity University | TBA | 31.00% | 33.72% | |
Tufts University | 9.50% | 9.69% | 11.00% | |
Tulane University | TBA | 11.45% | 9.63% | |
UCLA | TBA | 8.56% | 10.76% | |
University of California – Berkeley | TBA | 11.39% | 14.53% | |
University of California – Irvine | TBA | 21.15% | 26.34% | |
University of Chicago | 5.00% | 5.44% | 6.20% | |
University of Georgia | Overall: 35.10% (in state: 48%, out of state 26%) | Overall: 42.23% | Overall: 38.96% | |
University of Miami | TBA | 18.94% | 28.49% | |
University of Michigan | TBA | 17.69% | 20.15% | |
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill | TBA | 16.85% | 19.24% | |
University of Notre Dame | 11.90% | 12.87% | 14.60% | |
University of Pennsylvania | TBA | 6.51% | 5.68% | |
University of Richmond | 22.00% | 24.37% | 27.33% | |
University of Southern California | 9.90% | 11.88% | 12.00% | |
University of Texas – Austin | TBA | 31.41% | 28.75% | |
University of Virginia | In-state: 26.86%; out of state: 12.35% | In-state: 27.58%; out of state: 15.21% | In-state: 28.16%; out of state: 17.45% | |
Vanderbilt University | 5.61% | 6.10% | 6.70% | |
Vassar College | TBA | 18.66% | 20.15% | |
Wake Forest University | TBA | 20.00% | 25.18% | |
Washington and Lee University | TBA | 17.00% | 18.87% | |
Washington University in St. Louis | TBA | 10.00% | 13.00% | |
Wellesley College | 13.00% | 13.57% | 16.00% | |
Wesleyan University | 15.75% | 14.43% | 19.44% | |
William & Mary | 32.00% | 33.50% | 36.50% | |
Williams College | 9.80% | 8.50% | 8.00% | |
Yale University | 4.35% | 4.40% | 4.62% | |