Have there really been years that admissions have been easier than in other years? Hasn’t every year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

This. Things have changed.

+100 holistic admissions on crack.

Test optional, grade inflation and maniacal increase in number of applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

This. Things have changed.

Harvard class of 2023 was 22% black, Latino and Native American

Harvard class of 2028 was 28%.

You have an odd definition of “doubled”

Hopkins was 19% white last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

Those acceptance rates two years ago, were half of what acceptance rates were four years ago. And so on.

College enrollments peaked in 2010 at 18m undergrads and dropped to 16m undergrads in 2020. What those acceptance rates just mean is that kids are applying to more places. But there are fewer kids applying each year, so things are actually “getting better” over time.

Exactly. Acceptance rates are a stupid way to consider if college admissions are getting harder.
It's easier to apply to more schools now, so there are more applicants per school, so there are more rejections per school. But that doesn't mean there are more qualified applicants or that Larlo's chances have changed that much. If the bottom 1/3 of kids applying to each school never would have applied to them in the past, it really has no bearing on the chances of the top 1/3 of the kids who applied. It's still a crap-shoot, but it's only a crap-shoot among the qualified applicants.

You still don’t get it. Test optional changed how colleges defined qualified. The last two years really have been completely different than what came before.

Eh well, if it means the unqualified are getting in, then in two years or so we will see big drops in the graduation rate as the unqualified drop out or flunk out.

And kids creating petitions to fire professors that are “too hard”….wait that already is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

Those acceptance rates two years ago, were half of what acceptance rates were four years ago. And so on.

College enrollments peaked in 2010 at 18m undergrads and dropped to 16m undergrads in 2020. What those acceptance rates just mean is that kids are applying to more places. But there are fewer kids applying each year, so things are actually “getting better” over time.

Exactly. Acceptance rates are a stupid way to consider if college admissions are getting harder.
It's easier to apply to more schools now, so there are more applicants per school, so there are more rejections per school. But that doesn't mean there are more qualified applicants or that Larlo's chances have changed that much. If the bottom 1/3 of kids applying to each school never would have applied to them in the past, it really has no bearing on the chances of the top 1/3 of the kids who applied. It's still a crap-shoot, but it's only a crap-shoot among the qualified applicants.

You still don’t get it. Test optional changed how colleges defined qualified. The last two years really have been completely different than what came before.

Eh well, if it means the unqualified are getting in, then in two years or so we will see big drops in the graduation rate as the unqualified drop out or flunk out.

First, I don't buy that they are admitting anyone who is unqualified. College is college, and ranking doesn't make a school significantly easier or harder to pass and graduate. Also, you know colleges won't let that statistic drop significantly. They'll pass some people if they have to to save that statistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Harvard class of 2023 was 22% black, Latino and Native American

Harvard class of 2028 was 28%.

You have an odd definition of “doubled

Look at FGLI. It’s such a focus now that most selective colleges include this number in their admissions announcements. It’s a huge hook and numbers have doubled.

It went from 16.4% to slightly under 20%. Again an interesting definition of doubled. Combine those totals went from 38% to 48%. And there is obviously overlap in those two categories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

Those acceptance rates two years ago, were half of what acceptance rates were four years ago. And so on.

College enrollments peaked in 2010 at 18m undergrads and dropped to 16m undergrads in 2020. What those acceptance rates just mean is that kids are applying to more places. But there are fewer kids applying each year, so things are actually “getting better” over time.

Exactly. Acceptance rates are a stupid way to consider if college admissions are getting harder.
It's easier to apply to more schools now, so there are more applicants per school, so there are more rejections per school. But that doesn't mean there are more qualified applicants or that Larlo's chances have changed that much. If the bottom 1/3 of kids applying to each school never would have applied to them in the past, it really has no bearing on the chances of the top 1/3 of the kids who applied. It's still a crap-shoot, but it's only a crap-shoot among the qualified applicants.

You still don’t get it. Test optional changed how colleges defined qualified. The last two years really have been completely different than what came before.

Eh well, if it means the unqualified are getting in, then in two years or so we will see big drops in the graduation rate as the unqualified drop out or flunk out.

First, I don't buy that they are admitting anyone who is unqualified. College is college, and ranking doesn't make a school significantly easier or harder to pass and graduate. Also, you know colleges won't let that statistic drop significantly. They'll pass some people if they have to to save that statistic.

If they're making it easier to graduate then the people they admit are, by definition, qualified to be there - because they will graduate from the current program, even if they would have flunked out from previous programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just been more difficult that the last since…forever? I have kids with a 6-year age gap and it seems like every year there are “this is the absolute hardest year ever.” So, are there any specific years in which that has not been the case re: admissions to top schools? Have acceptance rates ever gone upon YOY for a particular selective college?

There are a few issue at play, including 1.) people who are not directly and regularly involved with universities during and after covid have no idea how much the impact of covid has affected admissions, and will continue to do so until at least 2026. 2.) there is an exponentially high number of applicants for certain schools, and not others, which (in itself) perpetuates the cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just been more difficult that the last since…forever? I have kids with a 6-year age gap and it seems like every year there are “this is the absolute hardest year ever.” So, are there any specific years in which that has not been the case re: admissions to top schools? Have acceptance rates ever gone upon YOY for a particular selective college?

There are a few issue at play, including 1.) people who are not directly and regularly involved with universities during and after covid have no idea how much the impact of covid has affected admissions, and will continue to do so until at least 2026. 2.) there is an exponentially high number of applicants for certain schools, and not others, which (in itself) perpetuates the cycle.

Can you show the data please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

This. Things have changed.

+100 holistic admissions on crack.

Test optional, grade inflation and maniacal increase in number of applicants.

This. And for class of 23, international applicants came back full force after pandemic lull.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

Those acceptance rates two years ago, were half of what acceptance rates were four years ago. And so on.

College enrollments peaked in 2010 at 18m undergrads and dropped to 16m undergrads in 2020. What those acceptance rates just mean is that kids are applying to more places. But there are fewer kids applying each year, so things are actually “getting better” over time.

+1 also slots are growing, although very slowly. Less total undergrads plus slightly more slots, should be making it slightly easier overall. Also regarding FGLI, there are more of them because of past immigration rates thus the small increase consistent with there demographic size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually, 2020 was easier. Yes it felt more uncertain, but there were much greater admissions rates due to 1) internationals assumed not coming 2) more kids taking gap years assumed. So it turned into a waitlist and regular decision windfall for kids getting admitted to high reaches

Well no, RD certainly not impacted. Those decisions almost all released by time everything shut down and nobody knew what was happening in fall until many months into the pandemic.

But the WL moved much more than most years. Simply for reasons the PP stated---international students couldn't easily come, many kid decided to take gap years after getting their acceptances. Just check out the CDS for many T50 schools.

But I agree with you, that RD was not impacted, those results were out or almost out when the world shut down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

Those acceptance rates two years ago, were half of what acceptance rates were four years ago. And so on.

College enrollments peaked in 2010 at 18m undergrads and dropped to 16m undergrads in 2020. What those acceptance rates just mean is that kids are applying to more places. But there are fewer kids applying each year, so things are actually “getting better” over time.

+1 also slots are growing, although very slowly. Less total undergrads plus slightly more slots, should be making it slightly easier overall. Also regarding FGLI, there are more of them because of past immigration rates thus the small increase consistent with there demographic size.

Actually a number of schools took smaller classes this year because of over enrollment issues in the past two years.

Also, it is false that there are fewer kids applying, the article up thread indicates both total number of applicants and total number of applications are up this year, by a significant amount

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just been more difficult that the last since…forever? I have kids with a 6-year age gap and it seems like every year there are “this is the absolute hardest year ever.” So, are there any specific years in which that has not been the case re: admissions to top schools? Have acceptance rates ever gone upon YOY for a particular selective college?

There are a few issue at play, including 1.) people who are not directly and regularly involved with universities during and after covid have no idea how much the impact of covid has affected admissions, and will continue to do so until at least 2026. 2.) there is an exponentially high number of applicants for certain schools, and not others, which (in itself) perpetuates the cycle.

Can you show the data please?

Admission rates per school are available online. You would have to search per school, and I am not inclined to do that for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started following UrbanBaby (now defunct NYC version of DCUM) 12 years ago and EVERY year the college admissions posts referenced a “bloodbath.” Test optional has obviously changed the process and increased numbers of applicants, but really it hasn’t changed all that much

Acceptance rates are literally half what they were just 2 years ago, and the number of urm, and first Gen has doubled. Even if you believe in those institutional priorities (which I do), that’s a substantial decline in the number of slots available for white and Asian umc students.

Those acceptance rates two years ago, were half of what acceptance rates were four years ago. And so on.

College enrollments peaked in 2010 at 18m undergrads and dropped to 16m undergrads in 2020. What those acceptance rates just mean is that kids are applying to more places. But there are fewer kids applying each year, so things are actually “getting better” over time.

+1 also slots are growing, although very slowly. Less total undergrads plus slightly more slots, should be making it slightly easier overall. Also regarding FGLI, there are more of them because of past immigration rates thus the small increase consistent with there demographic size.

Actually a number of schools took smaller classes this year because of over enrollment issues in the past two years.

Also, it is false that there are fewer kids applying, the article up thread indicates both total number of applicants and total number of applications are up this year, by a significant amount

+1

Both proclamations are wishful thinking. Look up the data per school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2021

How do you figure? Wasn't that the year there were very few available slots because so many kids had taken gap year the year before so the entering class for 2021 started out with significantly fewer spots available? my kid was a 2021 high school grad and it sure seemed much more difficult for his class than it was for the year before.