“Demographic Cliff” college admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are any colleges in the general top 100 actually
becoming (or will become) easier to get into ?

It's already easier to get into college now than it was 10-20 years ago at all uni/colleges except for the same 40-ish schools that everyone applies to (that are often called "top 20-25" but are more accurately a rotating group of 40-45 schools that cycle in and out of the T25).

So if you focus primarily on schools ranked 40-100, it's already easier. It's all about applying to some less known but equally solid schools and getting excited by them.

Look past the logos.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://hechingerreport.org/a-trend-colleges-might-not-want-applicants-to-notice-its-becoming-easier-to-get-in/


List of schools where admissions rates has INCREASED

Ooof what has happened to Catholic?

Also Lehigh is on there because it opened an entire new college during this period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As soon as every kid stops applying to 20 schools on common app, it will immediately become much much easier. But that wouldn’t happen.

Why?

Math.

[Anonymous]

AI devaluation of undergrad degrees is rapidly occurring. This is what will kill higher ed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are any colleges in the general top 100 actually
becoming (or will become) easier to get into ?

All colleges past T30.

+1. Demographic plus raise of AI will make more people rethink going to college. Outside of T30 there'll be plenty of open seats.

Because everyone wants to pay $90k+ to attend WashU and Emory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As soon as every kid stops applying to 20 schools on common app, it will immediately become much much easier. But that wouldn’t happen.

Why?

Math.

Not any math of which I'm familiar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are any colleges in the general top 100 actually
becoming (or will become) easier to get into ?

All colleges past T30.

+1. Demographic plus raise of AI will make more people rethink going to college. Outside of T30 there'll be plenty of open seats.

Because everyone wants to pay $90k+ to attend WashU and Emory.

As opposed to that similar amount to Michigan OOS? Personally, I'd take WashU.

[Anonymous]

Top schools are going to go from 6% acceptance to 7% acceptance or the like, so yes they will be “easier” to get into. But very much on the margin.

[Anonymous]

Stop focusing on the same 40 overhyped schools and the "demographic cliff" is already here ...

It's easier to get in college already than it was 10 years ago for all schools outside the usual 40-50 suspects.

Also, people are anxiety-applying to 15-20 schools now when 15 years ago they applied to 5-10. And some of those applications are unserious and they won't/don't go. Even if you get into 10 schools you like, a student can only attend 1 college. The other acceptances are just given back up to the wider pool. So it's not like the overall pool is getting larger at the same rate as number of applications to each school is increasing. They're just applying to more schools each, to have more choice or because they're scared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are any colleges in the general top 100 actually
becoming (or will become) easier to get into ?

All colleges past T30.

+1. Demographic plus raise of AI will make more people rethink going to college. Outside of T30 there'll be plenty of open seats.

Because everyone wants to pay $90k+ to attend WashU and Emory.

Get your merit scholarship and attend for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fordham, MI State both considerably easier

Fordham had an 11k increase in applications this year. How is it getting easier?

[Anonymous]

The top 1-40 schools posted the highest number of Applicants to date, higher than last year (significantly so). This 2007-2008 cohort is the peak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fordham, MI State both considerably easier

Fordham had an 11k increase in applications this year. How is it getting easier?

It’s not. They were all up significantly this year, over last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AI devaluation of undergrad degrees is rapidly occurring. This is what will kill higher ed.

AI? I’d need to see proof this is happening beyond the tech bros (who stand to financially benefit from you believing them) saying AI will replace everyone “one day.”

AI is a hot mess.

[Anonymous]

2022 data--given the link provided earlier--really isn't applicable right now, especially since last year (2025) had the highest number of students in the US applying to college ever. Also, big shift in where students are appplying, and big state schools that were previously safeties (think about UTK and Clemson, for example) have become much more popular and upped competitive entrance. For all colleges' hand-wringing of the sudden demographic cliff, it certainly doesn't seem like there's a huge difference between last year's admissions results and this one.