Recent College Admissions Trends
This past cycle saw increased uncertainty in college admissions. Here are some important trends parents and students should be aware of for the upcoming college application season.
A number of colleges have begun requiring standardized test scores. Private universities like Brown, Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale and state schools including UT Austin, University of Florida, and University of Georgia are among the schools requiring applicants to submit test score this cycle. When making a college list, be sure to check the test policy of each school.
Many colleges went to their waitlists this year which extended the application cycle into the summer. University of Michigan began accepting student off the waitlist in the middle of May. Cornell accepted approximately 380 students off their waitlist. Many other universities continued to accept students off the waitlist in June. Parents and students should understand that currently the college process often extends past the May 1st deposit date.
At state universities there is often a big discrepancy between in-state and out-of-state acceptance rates. For example, UNC’s out-of-state acceptance rate is 7% while in-state is 38%. Students applying to public universities need to determine the admissions rates that correlate to their residency.
Grade inflation continues to be in an issue in admissions with large numbers of students reporting GPAs in the A range. Parents should encourage their students to pursue meaningful activities (that reflect their authentic interests) as a means to differentiate themselves in the admissions process.
If you have questions or would like to learn more about college admissions, please visit Excelsioradmissions.com or click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to learn how I can help with your college admissions process.
