If you graduated college in the 90s/00s which schools shocked you with their change in status/competiveness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HS class of 1987. In VA, W&M was a harder admit than UVA among my classmates from a public Central VA school.

That year, JMU was more competitive than VA Tech but that has now changed.

Mary Washington was much more selective than now.

Christopher Newport was a commuter school and one step above a community college.

Hardly anyone went OOS.

For my HS class of 89 at an average HS in NJ we had a decent number of kids go OOS. Almost everyone who was the top 10-15% of the class attended a top 20 college. 15+/300 attended Ivy. It was much easier to get in back then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke is far superior to Vandy.

I absolutely agree.

But when it comes to admissions, it seems that Duke and Vandy are now equally hard to get into. Which seems wrong to me. But it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke is far superior to Vandy.

How does this address the question asked in OP?

Me: Stanford is far superior to UC Berkley. Also doesn’t speak to the topic at hand.

[Anonymous]

Michigan.

I graduated college in early 2000s

I had a 3.8, 2 AP classes, 32 ACT, was on one varsity sport (not captain). That’s it. I was in-state, but still. No way would I get in today.

[Anonymous]

More selective:
Maryland
Chicago
Northeastern
BU
USC
Northwestern
Vandy

Decline:
Wesleyan
Oberlin

[Anonymous]

When I was doing my research as a high school student, I had this giant book of colleges (not Fiske, it had many more schools included) and they had lists of schools at the front by "selectivity", major, etc. and I literally looked up and read the descriptions for all the "most selective" colleges. I can tell you right now that Emory, Vanderbilt, and Northeastern were not on that list, and I'm not sure ANY public schools were. Possibly Berkeley.

After I graduated college (late 90's), I moved to Boston and Northeastern was such an afterthought as a school. It came (well) after Harvard, MIT, Tufts, BC and BU--it was like a step up from UMass Boston. My roommate's boyfriend was a graduate and let's just say he was not the academic type. All these years later, my friend's very bright daughter who has 2 parents that are Ivy league graduates, felt lucky to be accepted there.

[Anonymous]

All of them

[Anonymous]

More selective: SEC schools, Indiana, The Ohio State. Privates-Vandy, Holy Cross, Wake, Notre Dame, USC.

[Anonymous]

Vandy
Northeastern
U of Florida


Northeastern was literally a commuter school as late as the 90s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Spoiled Children (USC)

I mean, has it really changed that much status-wise? Seems that many/most still perceive it as, well, ^that.

I suppose it's become more "competitive" on paper, but I think there's some system-gaming going on there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SAT was different in the 80s. Harder. You rarely heard people hitting 1400+ SAT.

I remember 1200-1300 was a solid SAT score in the 80s (put you in play anywhere). So the score report doesn't mean much...BUT--yes it is much more selective everywhere due to common app, number of applicants (not as many people went onto 4-year colleges), holistic approach and test optional.

^ the test was very different. The dumbed parts of it down over time.

Not as many test preppers. We were middle class, at a good HS and my parents just bought a Barron's guide for me to self study--which even that was 'a lot' compared to most (early mid80s)

We were working-class in a mediocre high school. But one phenomenal teacher did a few weeks of free SAT prep for anyone who wanted to come. It made a difference for me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To PP above - correct - Vandy not a target likely for anyone, regardless of stats

Sad but true. Quick thoughts on comparable targets for kids who are reaching for Duke and Vandy? Maybe Wake?

Yes, Wake, Davidson, UF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Michigan.

I graduated college in early 2000s

I had a 3.8, 2 AP classes, 32 ACT, was on one varsity sport (not captain). That’s it. I was in-state, but still. No way would I get in today.

Similar story, but UVA. Had a 3.75, 1390 SAT, had a number of ECs. But 100% not get into UVA with that profile now.

[Anonymous]

College park

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oberlin used to be the top LAC in the midwest. I was shocked to see the change.

Compared to the perception of Oberlin I had in the 1990s, it has indeed seemed to fall off dramatically.

+1 probably has fallen the most of any school