The Most Selective Colleges, Why, and How to Get In (2023)

FAQs

How do you get into a highly selective college? ›

Many applicants to highly selective colleges have perfect GPAs, strong performance in AP and IB courses, sky-high SAT and ACT scores, amazing extracurricular and leadership resumes, enthusiastic letters of recommendation, and compelling personal statements.

A Selective College Is Simply a College That Does Not Admit Everyone. Selectivity is measured by the percentage of students who are admitted. The lower the percentage, the more selective the school is. Essentially, most colleges are selective to some degree.

A reader should be able to learn about at least some of the following: your passions, feelings, perspectives, values, your defeats and/or accomplishments. College essays should also demonstrate your ability to think and organize your thoughts. Above all… make sure you choose a topic you care about.

There are a number of reasons for the increased competitiveness in college admission. Although the number of high school graduates in each state has either plateaued or decreased in recent years, there are more applicants because a larger percentage of graduates apply to four-year colleges.

The rankings are based on acceptance rates and SAT/ACT test scores. Harvard ranked as the toughest school in the country to get into. It has a 5% acceptance rate, according to Niche. Stanford came in second on the list— with an acceptance rate of 5% as well.

Stand-out applications showcase achievement, merit, and previous academic success. Taking honors classes or AP courses can give you a significant advantage. Most colleges generally prefer applicants with a B in an honors program over those with an A in standard courses because it shows initiative.

Besides grades, colleges look at SAT® and/or ACT® scores, leadership experience, course load difficulty, letters of recommendation, application essays, and more. So, it's important for students to realize that good grades require time and dedication, but so do many other important factors.

Good grades, a challenging high school curriculum, standardized test scores, extracurriculars, and a strong essay are a few key factors admissions officers assess. Each university may emphasize different elements of the application process.

Studies have also found that those who have attended selective colleges have higher earnings later in life. On average, graduates from top-tier colleges earn 12 percent more than graduates from middle-tier colleges, and 18 percent more than graduates from bottom-tier colleges.

What is a less selective college? ›

Less Selective means an admission rate between 50-75%. The Least Selective means an admission rate over 75% Global or National Rate is the publicly released admissions rate or average admissions rate for the indicated group of schools.

The acceptance rate at NYU is 16.2%.

This means the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don't meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.

Use specific examples that demonstrate you understand what makes that college unique and why you are a good match. If you have visited, state that and don't tell them things they already know like that they have a great faculty or a beautiful campus.

#1 Applicant pools are growing, and acceptance rates are shrinking. This cannot be overstated. Students intent on applying to the small circle of ivies, highly selective liberal arts colleges, and flagship public universities are facing unprecedented competition as acceptance rates are pressing to single digit lows.

The 2020 pandemic continues to affect college applications in 2022, with an unprecedented increase in college applicants, a decrease in college acceptance rates, the rise of test-optional schools, and the elimination of SAT subject tests, among other factors.

Here are two of the major reasons for the increased competitiveness in college admissions: There are more students, and many of these students are applying to more schools. Many of today's college applicants are part of what's referred to as the “Echo Boom” – kids of Baby Boomers and beyond.

What is the #1 University in the world? ›

Courses and Grades

A student's grades in college-preparatory classes remain the most significant factor in college admission decisions. Highly selective colleges look for students who: Complete core academic requirements.

Colleges look for students who took the most challenging courses available to them who performed well in each class. Some high schools don't offer many college prep classes. If that is the case for your high school, admissions officers will take this into account.

A willingness to take risks. Initiative. A sense of social responsibility. A commitment to service.

Colleges can see posts on social media, such as Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok, if the accounts are not set to private. Up to 25% of college admissions officers check out applicants' social media presence. Sometimes, they do so if anonymous third parties report troubling online posts by applicants.

In general, colleges and universities show their interest in applicants by sending them either likely letters or early writes. Some schools include the name of students on the priority waitlist. Then there are also institutions that offer top applicants competitive merit-based scholarships.

Students in an AP class with weighted grading receive a five-point weighted average for each of the four-letter grades: As, Bs, Cs, and Ds. As a result, a student who only takes AP classes and receives A's will have a 5.0 GPA.

Why does it matter what college you go to? ›

While the name of your school isn't likely to land you a job, you'll want to be sure that your degree is from an accredited institution. Employers want to feel confident, knowing you've received a quality education and will bring the skills you developed as an undergraduate student to the table if offered a position.

More selective colleges admit more highly competitive applicants. But that doesn't mean their coursework is necessarily harder. For example…a student taking calculus someplace is likely to encounter a very similar level of difficulty.

They discovered that college selectivity matters more to those who major in business, social science, education, and humanities. They found that business graduates from schools with top selectivity earned 12% more on average than schools with middle selectivity.

This includes Ivy League schools and schools like Stanford and MIT. These schools have strong name recognition even on an international level, so they attract a huge number of applicants. In 2020/2021, Harvard offered admission to only 2,320 students out of 57,786 total applicants!

For example, Stanford, which tops the list of the hardest school to get into in the world, receives on average over 55,000 applications every year. Of these thousands of applications, they admit less than 2,200 students. That's a low, low admission rate of 3.9%.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.

It is tough to get into Harvard. The university receives applications from more qualified applicants than they can accept, and most applicants have at least a 4.18GPA. Meeting GPA and SAT/ACT requirements (although these are now optional) will help you get through the first round of filters.

What are colleges looking for in essays? ›

Colleges look for three things in your admission essay: a unique perspective, strong writing, and an authentic voice. People in admissions often say that a great essay is one where it feels like the student is right there in the room, talking authentically to the admissions committee!

Start with Quotations. You can use two types of quotes here: literary citations and inspirational quotes from famous people or influencers in the field. A literary quote would be a perfect hook for your application essay, while quoting influencers helps to support an argument you represent in your paper.

In the US admissions process, colleges and universities take many factors into consideration. Admissions officers look at “hard factors” (GPA, grades, and test scores) and “soft factors” (essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and demonstrated interest) to gain a full picture of applicants.

We seek to identify students who will be the best educators of one another and their professors—individuals who will inspire those around them during their College years and beyond. As we read and discuss your application, here are some things that will be on our minds.

"Your college is convenient and close to home." Here again this might be an honest answer, but college is preparing you for the rest of your life. Proximity to home suggests that location is more important than your actual education. "My counselor told me to apply." Fine, but you'll want a better answer.

This includes Ivy League schools and schools like Stanford and MIT. These schools have strong name recognition even on an international level, so they attract a huge number of applicants. In 2020/2021, Harvard offered admission to only 2,320 students out of 57,786 total applicants!

Studies have also found that those who have attended selective colleges have higher earnings later in life. On average, graduates from top-tier colleges earn 12 percent more than graduates from middle-tier colleges, and 18 percent more than graduates from bottom-tier colleges.

What is considered a selective acceptance rate for college? ›

While most schools admit most applicants, many of the most selective colleges report an acceptance rate of under 10%.

The RSI summer program is one of the most prestigious research programs for high school students--and one of the most competitive as well. The MIT RSI acceptance rate is less than 5%. The MIT Research Science Institute is for rising high school seniors and takes place for six weeks over the summer on MIT's campus.

It is tough to get into Harvard. The university receives applications from more qualified applicants than they can accept, and most applicants have at least a 4.18GPA. Meeting GPA and SAT/ACT requirements (although these are now optional) will help you get through the first round of filters.

While the name of your school isn't likely to land you a job, you'll want to be sure that your degree is from an accredited institution. Employers want to feel confident, knowing you've received a quality education and will bring the skills you developed as an undergraduate student to the table if offered a position.

More selective colleges admit more highly competitive applicants. But that doesn't mean their coursework is necessarily harder. For example…a student taking calculus someplace is likely to encounter a very similar level of difficulty.

They discovered that college selectivity matters more to those who major in business, social science, education, and humanities. They found that business graduates from schools with top selectivity earned 12% more on average than schools with middle selectivity.

10 Colleges With the Highest Acceptance Rates

A whopping 99% of students who apply to Liberty University get accepted. Marshall University, the University of New Mexico, Kansas State University, and the University of Maine all have acceptance rates of over 95%.

What is the hardest college to get into 2022? ›

RSI participants have exceptionally strong academic ability and background and are about to enter their last year of high school. Typically, this means students apply in the middle of their junior year (a.k.a. third year, or grade 11) of high school.

A majority of RSI alumni go on to study at universities like MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton and have received awards such as the Rhodes Scholars, Waterman Awards, and Simmons Investigators.

Stanford University admissions is most selective with an acceptance rate of 4%. Half the applicants admitted to Stanford University have an SAT score between 1470 and 1570 or an ACT score of 34 and 35.