Some of America’s almost-best publics still have high acceptance rates!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone noticed that some of the best (but not “very best”) public universities still have high acceptance rates in 2025?

Two of the most shocking are Illinois and Washington, some of the best research stem schools with global brands, but the acceptance rate is 40%.

UT Austin’s acceptance rate is 30%, and had many great departments across the board, most of which match or surpass UVa/UNC

Wisconsin is the most shocking of all, with a 40% acceptance rate, despite a distinguished history.

If you put any of these “A-“ publics up against privates such as Vanderbilt or Washu, they are academically competitive but the acceptance rate for the ladder two are much lower.

On the one hand: All of the schools you’ve listed here are great schools. They’re all roughly at the same level.

On the other hand: The problem with a great school with a high acceptance rate is that it might flunk a lot of students out, especially in STEM classes.

Those might be good for brilliant kids who earned so-so grades in high school because they were bored.

Would-be STEM majors who are bright but not natural-born geniuses might be better off at lower-ranked schools with fewer weedout courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[mI have a Harvard JD colleague with a Rhodes undergrad.

How many Rhodes graduates in the school’s history have attended Harvard Law School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you apply for a job no one asks whether you got in from in state or out of state. They just kind of average it out. So being one of the tiny number of people who got in from out of state doesn't make you extra special. Not that the in state kids are dumb - it is also very hard. But not the same.

When you apply for a job no one averages out the acceptance rates or cares in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[mI have a Harvard JD colleague with a Rhodes undergrad.

How many Rhodes graduates in the school’s history have attended Harvard Law School?

There is a Rhodes grad on the Supreme Court, so they must be doing something right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone noticed that some of the best (but not “very best”) public universities still have high acceptance rates in 2025?

Two of the most shocking are Illinois and Washington, some of the best research stem schools with global brands, but the acceptance rate is 40%.

UT Austin’s acceptance rate is 30%, and had many great departments across the board, most of which match or surpass UVa/UNC

Wisconsin is the most shocking of all, with a 40% acceptance rate, despite a distinguished history.

If you put any of these “A-“ publics up against privates such as Vanderbilt or Washu, they are academically competitive but the acceptance rate for the ladder two are much lower.

UT oos admit rate is about 5%. Way tougher oos admit than UVA, Michigan, or the Cal schools…

Who cares...their overall is over 30%.

Don’t be an idiot. In state accounts for 80% of the admitted students. And guess what you knucklehead. 90% of those are kids in the top 6% of their Texas HS. If you are not , then you are most likely not applying to UT. OMG…

over 30% overall acceptance rate and 50% in-state. Sorry, not elite.

Explain why acceptance rate matters. Seriously, and be specific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are not from Texas your chances to being admitted to UT’s Business School is slim to none. My kid was accepted to Wharton, UC Berkeley and MIT and denied at UT. 1580/36 3.9 UW

UT definitely would have been more fun than the others.

Sure, but his lifestyle after UG will definitely be better at the others….

You might want to be less arrogant. Lots of Ivy grads are driving uber right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone noticed that some of the best (but not “very best”) public universities still have high acceptance rates in 2025?

Two of the most shocking are Illinois and Washington, some of the best research stem schools with global brands, but the acceptance rate is 40%.

UT Austin’s acceptance rate is 30%, and had many great departments across the board, most of which match or surpass UVa/UNC

Wisconsin is the most shocking of all, with a 40% acceptance rate, despite a distinguished history.

If you put any of these “A-“ publics up against privates such as Vanderbilt or Washu, they are academically competitive but the acceptance rate for the ladder two are much lower.

A lot of the UT acceptance rate is due to the auto-admit law. The auto-admit kids apply and get in by law but then don't get their desired major/college so they go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are artificially high for DMV ppl because in state rates are much higher than oos (most of us).

Unless you live in Virginia where the opposite is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do know OOS students apply tons of state schools. None of my three kids wanted to go instate and private is expensive.

Each applied around 10 OOS schools. And all three went to one. So they turned down 90 percent of OOS schools accepted.

Pretty common. Penn and Pitt are very cheap with Merit Aid so way have to admit OOS full pay. I bet they have to way over admit full pay OOS. Two kids applied both Penn and Pitt and both offered zero aid after acceptance.

JMU all three applied as a safety for OOS and all three said no. Does not make them bad.

Is this English? I have no idea what you are trying to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are artificially high for DMV ppl because in state rates are much higher than oos (most of us).

Unless you live in Virginia where the opposite is true.

Nope. For class of 2029
In state 23%
OOS 12.5%
https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2025/03/?m=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone noticed that some of the best (but not “very best”) public universities still have high acceptance rates in 2025?

Two of the most shocking are Illinois and Washington, some of the best research stem schools with global brands, but the acceptance rate is 40%.

UT Austin’s acceptance rate is 30%, and had many great departments across the board, most of which match or surpass UVa/UNC

Wisconsin is the most shocking of all, with a 40% acceptance rate, despite a distinguished history.

If you put any of these “A-“ publics up against privates such as Vanderbilt or Washu, they are academically competitive but the acceptance rate for the ladder two are much lower.

Not relevant for impacted majors. I know in-state kids at Rice, MIT, Princeton who were denied their major at UT McCombs or engineering. And, of course not impressive to the DCUM crowd, Emory, Rhodes, Tulane, and Vanderbilt.

On the other hand, it seems pretty easy to transfer into UT as a sophomore. Know a handful of kids outside of the auto admit who are in at UT from community college, Clemson, DePaul as a sophomore this year. Can't speak to major or school.

How did Rhodes get snuck in here? Even Tulane is a stretch.

What are you nattering on about with "snuck in"? It's an alphabetical listing of schools that auto admit kids I know who weren't admitted to their major at UT are attending. I could have added Emory and St. Andrews. Top 5%, solid SATs, decent ECs. No, not in the Ivy or MIT band but kids declining UT college of liberal arts for these other choices. Anyway, would love to know your perspective on Rhodes. I have a Harvard JD colleague with a Rhodes undergrad. My daughter's pediatrician attended Rhodes. When my kids were applying we took a hard look. Not perfect, finances a bit iffy, but good outcomes.

Glad that Rhodes has great outcomes, but Its no where near Emory is selectivity and stature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone noticed that some of the best (but not “very best”) public universities still have high acceptance rates in 2025?

Two of the most shocking are Illinois and Washington, some of the best research stem schools with global brands, but the acceptance rate is 40%.

UT Austin’s acceptance rate is 30%, and had many great departments across the board, most of which match or surpass UVa/UNC

Wisconsin is the most shocking of all, with a 40% acceptance rate, despite a distinguished history.

If you put any of these “A-“ publics up against privates such as Vanderbilt or Washu, they are academically competitive but the acceptance rate for the ladder two are much lower.

All of these schools (except Wisconsin) are in economically desirable locations and will continue to grow. Wisconsin is in the worst positions relative to its peers: a ton of state flagships have caught up with it and there’s been no real progresses to the school for 50 years.

Central Illinois is economically desirable? Take Wisconsin (Madison) two hours from Chicago and Milwaukee (which is great and growing) any day.

[Anonymous]

This is a no brainer. You don’t want to hang out with the riff-raff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[mI have a Harvard JD colleague with a Rhodes undergrad.

How many Rhodes graduates in the school’s history have attended Harvard Law School?

There is a Rhodes grad on the Supreme Court, so they must be doing something right.

One graduate is probative evidence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone noticed that some of the best (but not “very best”) public universities still have high acceptance rates in 2025?

Two of the most shocking are Illinois and Washington, some of the best research stem schools with global brands, but the acceptance rate is 40%.

UT Austin’s acceptance rate is 30%, and had many great departments across the board, most of which match or surpass UVa/UNC

Wisconsin is the most shocking of all, with a 40% acceptance rate, despite a distinguished history.

If you put any of these “A-“ publics up against privates such as Vanderbilt or Washu, they are academically competitive but the acceptance rate for the ladder two are much lower.

Not relevant for impacted majors. I know in-state kids at Rice, MIT, Princeton who were denied their major at UT McCombs or engineering. And, of course not impressive to the DCUM crowd, Emory, Rhodes, Tulane, and Vanderbilt.

On the other hand, it seems pretty easy to transfer into UT as a sophomore. Know a handful of kids outside of the auto admit who are in at UT from community college, Clemson, DePaul as a sophomore this year. Can't speak to major or school.

Two of those schools are not like the others.

More like three of these schools are not like the last.