As the LFHS graduating class of 2025 begins the college admissions process, many students are struggling to create a balanced college list of stretch, target, and safety schools. The main issue students have had is that schools that have previously been considered “safety” or “target” schools are now categorized as “stretch” schools. This shift has made the college application process much more difficult and stressful, discouraging many students from applying to schools they otherwise would have.
A prime example of this phenomenon is Northeastern University. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Northeastern appeals to students craving an urban life. Historically, Northeastern had a much higher acceptance rate; in 2010, their rate was around 37.9% and in the 1980s, it was as high as 90%. Today, however, Northeastern’s rate has dropped to 6.8% for regular decisions.
Another instance of this is the sharp decline in Johns Hopkins University’s acceptance rate. In 1990, the rate was 53%, but it has now plummeted to a slim 7.3%.
So, why are college acceptance rates declining? There are a few reasons as to why this is occurring:
1. Increased Applicant Volumes: Common App, the national application that the majority of colleges use, allows students to apply to up to twenty schools. This is incredibly helpful for students who are torn between many colleges or are afraid of not getting accepted, but it also encourages people to apply to more schools than they previously would have. Naturally, if a school doesn’t expand its classroom size or campus facilities – yet more students apply there – fewer students will get in, consequently lowering the acceptance rate.
Additionally, with the high volume of applications, colleges have begun to place a greater emphasis on evaluating extracurriculars and essays. This means that there is a much higher likelihood that an underqualified student might get into a prestigious school than a qualified applicant, despite the irony in the situation.
2. Some Schools Remain Test-Optional: This encourages students with diverse academic experiences and backgrounds to apply to schools where they may not necessarily be qualified, especially at prestigious institutes like the Ivy Leagues. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have happen as it is important to diversify who is enrolled in colleges but those who are truly qualified are often overlooked.
To add on, this skews the average test scores for colleges, making them appear unrealistically high and discouraging qualified applicants from applying. For example, most Ivy Leagues publish their average SAT score range as 1410 to 1560. This might cause students who are on the lower end of this scale to not submit their scores, consequently inflating the average test scores of certain schools.
3. Colleges Seek to Admit Students They Believe Will Actually Enroll: Colleges want to admit students who they are confident will attend their university, and the percentage of students admitted to a school who then matriculate is called a yield. Many schools base their admissions decisions on increasing this yield, and, as a result, schools will reject applicants who don’t seem entirely committed to that college— even if they are qualified candidates.
4. The Excessive Use of Waitlists: While universities have always utilized their waitlists, they are now used more extensively than in the past. Going back to the idea of yields, colleges use their waitlist to gauge which students pursue the application versus which students don’t. If they are unsure about a student and the possibility that they will apply, they will use the waitlist to confirm if they are committed or not. However, for many students, being thrown onto the waitlist is discouraging and they may choose to remove themselves from it. This also creates an added hassle and extra stress for students.
My advice for LFHS students is to try not to be discouraged by low acceptance rates. Getting into college has become increasingly difficult and competitive, but if you are interested in a school, apply there. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
