Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.

Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.

It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.

If multitudes (50000)of B /C students apply to a university for say 1000 seats , the acceptance rate would be 2%. Sound selective ,no? …..No!

There are lot more B/C students in the country (IQ ~ 95- 105) and their applying in droves gives an illusion of exclusivity and yet nothing could be further from the truth…..

[Anonymous]

Is vandy that selective or is 50% of its students TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.

Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.

It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.

If multitudes (50000)of B /C students apply to a university for say 1000 seats , the acceptance rate would be 2%. Sound selective ,no? …..No!

There are lot more B/C students in the country (IQ ~ 95- 105) and their applying in droves gives an illusion of exclusivity and yet nothing could be further from the truth…..

+100 times. This makes the perception of selectivity a thousand times more pronounced.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. There's a lot of self selection going on. The population applying to Ivies only slightly overlaps the one applying to, say, Mississippi State or Washington State. Acceptance rate is an oversimplification at best and misleading at worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. There's a lot of self selection going on. The population applying to Ivies only slightly overlaps the one applying to, say, Mississippi State or Washington State. Acceptance rate is an oversimplification at best and misleading at worst.

If 10 people apply to a college, but only ONE gets accepted, the college is selective.

You can parse all of the nuances ( but..but TO! But....but ED!), but bottom line is that again very small amount of those who WANT admission actually gets accepted.

Also, there isn't necessarily a direct correlation between acceptance rate and "prestige."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rank of 90 is good for such a new program. Gatech's Neuroscience program is ranked 305, and its been around for a while now.

Dude had to dig down into Neuroscience to go at Tech. As if anyone gives a sh*t. lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rank of 90 is good for such a new program. Gatech's Neuroscience program is ranked 305, and its been around for a while now.

Dude had to dig down into Neuroscience to go at Tech. As if anyone gives a sh*t. lol

Agreed. This poster is trying to hard.

[Anonymous]

Kenyon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.

Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.

It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.

If multitudes (50000)of B /C students apply to a university for say 1000 seats , the acceptance rate would be 2%. Sound selective ,no? …..No!

There are lot more B/C students in the country (IQ ~ 95- 105) and their applying in droves gives an illusion of exclusivity and yet nothing could be further from the truth…..

Half the class are TO.
Why do they prefer B/C students over A students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rank of 90 is good for such a new program. Gatech's Neuroscience program is ranked 305, and its been around for a while now.

Dude had to dig down into Neuroscience to go at Tech. As if anyone gives a sh*t. lol

Congrats on your second tier school, 3rd best in the state of Georgia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth and Pomona seem like Don't Bother Applying schools. Of course they are both small, but I think they are both impossible for unhooked students that don't go to feeder schools.

Agree that Vanderbilt is tough. So is Rice - a top stats only school. Also USC. And some OOS publics like Texas, UNC, and Georgia Tech.

My unhooked son got into both of those RD. He’s at a different Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth and Pomona seem like Don't Bother Applying schools. Of course they are both small, but I think they are both impossible for unhooked students that don't go to feeder schools.

Agree that Vanderbilt is tough. So is Rice - a top stats only school. Also USC. And some OOS publics like Texas, UNC, and Georgia Tech.

My unhooked son got into both of those RD. He’s at a different Ivy.

That is impressive. Dartmouth and Pomona are tough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. There's a lot of self selection going on. The population applying to Ivies only slightly overlaps the one applying to, say, Mississippi State or Washington State. Acceptance rate is an oversimplification at best and misleading at worst.

If 10 people apply to a college, but only ONE gets accepted, the college is selective.

You can parse all of the nuances ( but..but TO! But....but ED!), but bottom line is that again very small amount of those who WANT admission actually gets accepted.

Also, there isn't necessarily a direct correlation between acceptance rate and "prestige."

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The single digit acceptance rate LACs (WASP, Bowdoin, Colby, Barnard) are extremely picky.

It depends on what high school you're coming from. Colby is a guarantee for a 3.4+ from many privates like the DMV Big3. I was just looking at Scoir data. They have gone down to a 3.2, completely unhooked in recent years from my kid's school.

You are really a miserable human.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rank of 90 is good for such a new program. Gatech's Neuroscience program is ranked 305, and its been around for a while now.

Dude had to dig down into Neuroscience to go at Tech. As if anyone gives a sh*t. lol

Congrats on your second tier school, 3rd best in the state of Georgia.

lol Huh?

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-tech-tops-list-best-college-georgia-emory-uga-follow

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges/s/georgia/

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1js3k6p/20250326_the_new_ivies_2025_20_great_colleges/