dramatic acceptance rate change: Holy Cross

[Anonymous]

I was researching schools, looking for liberal arts colleges that admit about a third of its students. Holy Cross came to mind based on memory.

Well, I saw Holy Cross went from an admission rate of 43% for the class of 2025 (probably on the high side) to 36% for the class of 2026 (probably closer to its historic norm) to 21% for the class of 2027 (a historic low at the time, I believe) down to 16% for the incoming class of 2028.

I realize it is a small school, so those percentages can move fairly easily, but this still seems like a crazy big change in 4 years! Does anyone know what's up?

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/college-admission-rates/

[Anonymous]

Every college has been able to lower acceptance rates over the past three years because of higher applications being thrown in everywhere, by everyone, due to TO. So, I believe the numbers are accurate for Holy Cross. I think they take bunch ED.

[Anonymous]

I know admission rates have been dropping for tons of schools but a 43% acceptance rate for incoming seniors down to 16% for incoming first years is a massive shift.

[Anonymous]

It's a SLAC with single sex dorms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a SLAC with single sex dorms.

In Worcester.

[Anonymous]

Worcester is starting to re-gentrify and I think people have started to look at it harder since BC has gotten so hard to get into. It used to be a very highly respected school but seemed to decline in popularity over the past couple of decades. I'm glad to see it coming back.

[Anonymous]

We visited recently with our kid. A lot to like there.

[Anonymous]

All the Boston area schools are seeing the same phenomenon. Tufts, BC, NEU, BU, WPI all have seen their acceptance rates plummet over the past 5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I was researching schools, looking for liberal arts colleges that admit about a third of its students. Holy Cross came to mind based on memory.

Well, I saw Holy Cross went from an admission rate of 43% for the class of 2025 (probably on the high side) to 36% for the class of 2026 (probably closer to its historic norm) to 21% for the class of 2027 (a historic low at the time, I believe) down to 16% for the incoming class of 2028.

I realize it is a small school, so those percentages can move fairly easily, but this still seems like a crazy big change in 4 years! Does anyone know what's up?

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/college-admission-rates/

Lot's of name in the news due to Fauci and Clarence Thomas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Worcester is starting to re-gentrify and I think people have started to look at it harder since BC has gotten so hard to get into. It used to be a very highly respected school but seemed to decline in popularity over the past couple of decades. I'm glad to see it coming back.

This. I think, also, that the 30-40% acceptance rate was a big draw. It was so obviously off.

FWIW, we considered it a low target for my daughter (who did get into BC and other reach-for-everyone schools), and she was waitlisted at HC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Worcester is starting to re-gentrify and I think people have started to look at it harder since BC has gotten so hard to get into. It used to be a very highly respected school but seemed to decline in popularity over the past couple of decades. I'm glad to see it coming back.

Same. There seem to be a high number of really good colleges that DCUM land seems to not know about.

[Anonymous]

Discouraging to see this! My DD has it on her list as a target but all the dropping acceptance rates make it even harder to figure out what is a target.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worcester is starting to re-gentrify and I think people have started to look at it harder since BC has gotten so hard to get into. It used to be a very highly respected school but seemed to decline in popularity over the past couple of decades. I'm glad to see it coming back.

This. I think, also, that the 30-40% acceptance rate was a big draw. It was so obviously off.

FWIW, we considered it a low target for my daughter (who did get into BC and other reach-for-everyone schools), and she was waitlisted at HC.

FFS this is called yield protection

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I was researching schools, looking for liberal arts colleges that admit about a third of its students. Holy Cross came to mind based on memory.

Well, I saw Holy Cross went from an admission rate of 43% for the class of 2025 (probably on the high side) to 36% for the class of 2026 (probably closer to its historic norm) to 21% for the class of 2027 (a historic low at the time, I believe) down to 16% for the incoming class of 2028.

I realize it is a small school, so those percentages can move fairly easily, but this still seems like a crazy big change in 4 years! Does anyone know what's up?

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/college-admission-rates/

Okay, Mr. Plourd.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. My daughter was accepted for class of 2026 but ended up elsewhere. I thought the school was gorgeous.