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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

If I based my view of Rhodes on their one of the nine, I'd be forced to think worse of it. Rhodes is a great school. Sends tons of kids to top law and med schools. But, it isn't Vandy and it is at least a notch below Tulane and a notch and a half below Emory.

[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?

Likely many. It doesn’t matter where you get your undergrad. It’s all about your LSAT, GPA, and life/work experience. In fact, coming from Tennessee would boost your chances because they get fewer applications from TN than others.

[Anonymous]

Austin is in Texas and once Wisconsin tried to revive the 1849 abortion ban, it removed from a lot of people's lists. A- publics that score F for women will have high acceptance rates because more women than men go to college, and they want to avoid school in repressive states.

[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.

The peer group at Wisconsin versus Vandy/WashU is not even close to similar. Professors who have taught at both will be quick to tell you they have to water down material for schools with significantly weaker median students.
There is a reason law schools have undergrad-tier factors in their GPA algorithm: all undergrads are not the same rigor or education. All T10/15ish are highly similar but come on Wisconsin?? That is like saying the average student at VT is similar to ivy kids. Worlds apart.

[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?

Likely many. It doesn’t matter where you get your undergrad. It’s all about your LSAT, GPA, and life/work experience. In fact, coming from Tennessee would boost your chances because they get fewer applications from TN than others.

Literally it does. They have a tier system. I have been on Law admission committees and spouse has been on med school committees. We went to T5-6ish school for each

[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?

Likely many. It doesn’t matter where you get your undergrad. It’s all about your LSAT, GPA, and life/work experience. In fact, coming from Tennessee would boost your chances because they get fewer applications from TN than others.

"Likely many" compared to where?

[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.

The peer group at Wisconsin versus Vandy/WashU is not even close to similar. Professors who have taught at both will be quick to tell you they have to water down material for schools with significantly weaker median students.
There is a reason law schools have undergrad-tier factors in their GPA algorithm: all undergrads are not the same rigor or education. All T10/15ish are highly similar but come on Wisconsin?? That is like saying the average student at VT is similar to ivy kids. Worlds apart.

Yes, because we went in a time machine and it's the 90's.

[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.

The peer group at Wisconsin versus Vandy/WashU is not even close to similar. Professors who have taught at both will be quick to tell you they have to water down material for schools with significantly weaker median students.
There is a reason law schools have undergrad-tier factors in their GPA algorithm: all undergrads are not the same rigor or education. All T10/15ish are highly similar but come on Wisconsin?? That is like saying the average student at VT is similar to ivy kids. Worlds apart.

Yes, because we went in a time machine and it's the 90's.

My sister went to Wisconsin in the 90s and she's a moron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have high acceptance rates because they are required by law to take certain in state students. For example, in 2026 - by law - UT Austin will be required to admit any Texas resident in a Texas high school in the top 5% of their class. By law, 75% of UT students must be admitted this way.

I thought this had been around for a while. They admit the top 10% into the Texas state schools. Other states have similar programs.

[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.

The peer group at Wisconsin versus Vandy/WashU is not even close to similar. Professors who have taught at both will be quick to tell you they have to water down material for schools with significantly weaker median students.
There is a reason law schools have undergrad-tier factors in their GPA algorithm: all undergrads are not the same rigor or education. All T10/15ish are highly similar but come on Wisconsin?? That is like saying the average student at VT is similar to ivy kids. Worlds apart.

Anecdotal bullshit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have high acceptance rates because they are required by law to take certain in state students. For example, in 2026 - by law - UT Austin will be required to admit any Texas resident in a Texas high school in the top 5% of their class. By law, 75% of UT students must be admitted this way.

I thought this had been around for a while. They admit the top 10% into the Texas state schools. Other states have similar programs.

You are right - this has been in place since 1997 or so. It can go lower than 10%, but it is a well-known "rule" in Texas.

Next challenge: being in that Top 10. My friend's daughter graduated with a 5.2 gpa and was nowhere near the Top 10 in her class.

[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?

Likely many. It doesn’t matter where you get your undergrad. It’s all about your LSAT, GPA, and life/work experience. In fact, coming from Tennessee would boost your chances because they get fewer applications from TN than others.

My Rhodes classmate went to Harvard Law (no, sorry, not Amy). Rhodes, in fact, has really high graduate level (MD, MBA and JD) acceptances to their first choice (80%). It's always been very high.

[Anonymous]

Source: Trust Me Bro.

[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.

wrong

[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.

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.

wrong

Madison is doing just fine. Why would someone knock it?

And Wisconsin is a great school. Who cares if a peer has "caught up" with it? It just means there are more great schools.