Class of 2021 Admit Rates and Final Numbers

Regular decision is in full swing, and some colleges and universities have released their admit rates and final numbers for the class of 2021.  As in years past, schools have seen record application numbers (Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Williams from the list below). Remember this fall when UCLA released they had over 100k apps this year!?!?! As a result, gone are the days of applying to just a few select schools, although it’s possible if you approach creating your college list realistically and strategically.

In our work with applicants, we focus on creating a list that makes sense and doesn’t leave you with an insane amount of apps to complete.  Some students, though, apply to 15 or even more schools. During the last two admissions seasons, I had a student apply to 20 colleges. I did not advise this, but my guess is against the advice of many counselors, students and parents are pressing submit on as many schools as they can. Partly because of how competitive the RD round can be and they took some risks early; partly because they can afford it. There are probably other reasons, but these are the two I most frequently encounter.

In addition to surging application numbers (thank you, Common Application!), the competition is fierce. There’s a chance the profile that might’ve gotten you into your dream school a few years ago won’t hold up in the current admissions landscape, but have hope! Some school’s admit rates are remaining constant (Boston College), and there are more ways today than ever before to demonstrate to your dream school that you are a perfect fit and that they are your #1! I am a big fan of connecting with schools via social media, as well as having a strong online presence via LinkedIn, and believe your digital footprint and the presence of a digital portfolio can help not hurt you in the college application process.

Anyway, back to the news. Thanks always to College Kickstart for providing all of our admissions-related data needs.

Institution Applied Admitted Rate
Boston College 28,500 9,200 32%
Georgetown 21,459 3,219 15%
Georgia Tech 31,484 7,297 23%
Johns Hopkins 26,578 3,133 12%
Middlebury 8,910 1,753 20%
MIT 20,247 1,438 7%
Pomona 9,046 741 8%
Swarthmore 9,383 960 10%
Virginia 36,807 9,957 27%
Wellesley 5,700 1,197 21%
Williams 8,593 1,253 15%

You can stay up to date on College Kickstart’s Class of 2021 Overall Admission Rates page.

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High-agency working environments motivate students to own the college application process

 

I help students organize and manage the college application process.

I’m always a bit surprised when a student, even when provided clear instructions from colleges, and on top of those guidelines an outline of what do to complete required tasks crafted specifically for them by me, acts completely helpless.

I introduce organizational tools, send lots of reminders, and provide emotional support during what is a stressful time, but students need to take the initiative and act on it for these supports to be put to best use. In 10 Tips for Developing Student Agency, Tom Vander Ark states, “agency is the capacity and propensity to take purposeful initiative—the opposite of helplessness.” Hitlin and Elder, in their work on the concept of agency, suggest four overlapping conceptions of agency, the fourth being particularly relevant as it pertains to the college admissions process:

  • Existential agency: The capacity, or free will, for exerting influence on our environments.
  • Programmatic agency: Following rules and routines.
  • Identify agency: What we believe about ourselves and the ways that we wish to be perceived by others.
  • Life-course agency: Actions that we take to affect future outcomes.

Student’s actions, or inaction, affect future outcomes—and this is especially true as it pertains to applying to college. They need to write their essays, fill in their applications, and submit them on time—they need to own their role in the process!

I hope the relationships I create with my students during the college counseling process result in a high-agency working environment, motivating them to take ownership of the process, while at the same time knowing they have a caring adult to support them every step of the way.

My Weekly Reads: Top 5

College Kickstart is one of my favorite “college admissions” websites. They are my go-to resource for all things data related to admit rates, decision deadlines, etc.. Recently, they have been updating their Class of 2021 Regular Decision Notification Dates page, which I am now checking daily. (College Kickstart)

As Atticus Finch famously said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” how do we get our students to do that? Powerful videos that I suggest watching. (New York Times)

Adam Grant talks with Angela Duckworth about the science of creativity, purpose, and motivation. This is a must read, especially if you are interested in learning more about developing passions (yes, developing, not magically finding them!). Make sure you read to the end so you can get Duckworth’s feedback on a question I often get, “How do I get my kids into Harvard.” (Heleo)

Getting into college does not mean a student is ready to go. I wrote a short post on this, here! (New York Times)

The Science and Politics of the GMO is a course stumbled upon on Coursera being offered by Cornell, so not a typical “read” I would post, but this class looks so cool I am adding it here anyway. Description: Learn the basics of genetic engineering and biotechnology and examine why the GMO is politically contentious. Participants will gain an understanding of how science works, its limits, and how the interaction of these factors leads to decision making. (Coursera)

Updated SAT Subject Test Policies

From Compass, updated SAT Subject test (SAT II) requirements and recommendations for the Class of 2018. Not many changes here, but worth reviewing now as it is time to sign up for May and June exams, and think ahead as you create your testing plan. Thanks, Compass!

Class of 2021 Regular Decision Notification Dates

My favorite site for college admissions-related data, College Kickstart, has compiled a list of upcoming regular decision deadlines for the Class of 2021. Schools often post results in advance of their “official” notification dates, so they’ve compiled the most recently updated dates for you, along with the notification dates from last year. Bookmark this page, as they will post updates often.

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University of California Seeks Cap on Out-of-State Students

 

From Inside Higher Ed: The University of California System on Monday announced a proposal to limit undergraduate enrollment from out of state, systemwide, to 20 percent, The Los Angeles Times reported. The proposal would allow the three campuses already over 20 percent—Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego—to keep their out-of-state levels. The remaining campuses would be allowed to grow to 20 percent but not exceed it, but only if the proposed systemwide cap is not hit. The university system has significantly increased out-of-state enrollment in the last decade, to 16.5 percent across the system, citing state appropriations cuts that have increased the need for other sources of revenue, such as the higher tuition rates paid by non-Californians.

The Times reported that faculty leaders oppose the university plan and fear that such limits could result in the system losing both top students and revenue that it needs.

The UC Board of Regents will take up the proposal next week.

My Weekly Reads: Top 5

 

Awkward teens (and 20- and 30-somethings) rejoice. Study finds that it might take 63 years, but you will, eventually, shed all traces of your awkward middle-school self. (Fast Company)

Adderall usage by individuals without attention deficit is out of control. Fast Company reminds us we have the power to control our brains, sans meds. (Fast Company)

Diverse Hollywood, in NYC? Steiner Studio lot at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is surprisingly under the radar. It costs a third of most other film schools—$18,400 a year—and part of its mission is to admit women and minorities whose stories aren’t usually told. (New York Times)

And the award for the most unsatisfying industry to work in post-college goes to anything in finance (kind of). Meanwhile, in self-reported data from more than 13,000 recently graduated college students, such industries as technology, biotechnology, consulting, and arts, media, and entertainment top a list of “job satisfaction” ratings. Consulting -> we agree! (Poets & Quants)

Depression strikes today’s teen girls especially hard, and I see this firsthand in my work with high school students as they prepare and apply to college. Brains constantly “on-tech,” and in particular social media, may not be helping, but talking about it and identifying symptoms of depression early on can help teens get back on the right track. (NPR)

These Business Schools Produce the Most Billion-Dollar Startup Founders

When it comes to making what Sage refers to as “unicorns,” one business school is making everyone else look bad. As a recent Fortune article reports:

Founders of the meal delivery service Blue Apron, health insurance startup Oscar, and content delivery network CloudFlare all pursued business degrees at Harvard Business School. Altogether, 23 HBS grads have founded a private company valued at $1 billion or more, according to research by Sage.

With 19 unicorn founders, the Stanford Graduate School of Business comes in second, followed by Wharton, with nine.

It’s important to note, however, that for undergrads, Harvard and Stanford swap places: Stanford’s undergraduate program has produced 51 founders of billion-dollar startups, followed by Harvard with 37.

Below are the top business schools, ranked by how many of their students and alumni went on to found billion-dollar companies.

  • Harvard Business School: 23
  • Stanford Graduate School of Business: 19
  • University of Pennsylvania, Wharton: 9
  • INSEAD: 5
  • WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management: 5
  • University of Southern California: Marshall: 4
  • University of California at Berkeley: Haas: 3
  • Columbia Business School: 3
  • HEC Paris: 3
  • Indian Institute of Management: Calcutta: 3
  • UCLA Anderson School of Management: 2
  • Brigham Young University: Marriott: 2
  • George Washington University: 2
  • London Business School: 2
  • Northwestern University: Kellogg: 2
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business: 2

Note: Founders are classified based on their highest level of education. (For instance, if they received a Master’s degree at Harvard University and a PhD at Stanford Business School, they would be placed in the latter category.) The list also includes founders who didn’t graduate. For more information, see a breakdown of the research here.

 

MOOCs for Potential Business Majors

As I have said before, MOOCs are a no-brainer for high school students who want to explore their academics interests and possible college majors. And for those of you who have not started exploring your interests outside of school, you should; it is not terribly time-consuming, especially with online options you can access 24/7, and colleges look favorably upon applicants who explore outside of school. These are also applicable to pre-MBA applicants!

The four below are from Coursera, and are available now for sign-up:

Creativity, Innovation, and Change, The Pennsylvania State University

Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence, Case Western Reserve University

Creating a Startup from an Idea, Israel Institute of Technology

Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills, University of Michigan

International SAT Date Changes

The SAT is offered internationally several times a year. Unfortunately, the following changes to the international testing schedule were recently announced:

  • In June 2017, only the SAT Subject Tests will be administered internationally. The SAT will not be administered in June.
  • In the 2017–18 and 2018–19 school years, the SAT will be available internationally in October, December, March, and May. SAT Subject Tests will be available in October, November, December, May, and June.
  • Country-specific scheduling changes will be announced in spring 2017.

Learn more about international test dates and registration here.