Northeastern was profiled in Selingo’s book as a school who actively tried to increase its rankings.

Chicago has also played that game by trying to increase number of applications and selectivity rate.

The data on Northeastern is just astounding: 14k applicants and a 70% acceptance rate in 2001 to 64k applicants and 20% acceptance rate in 2020. Also Tulane, almost 11k applicants and 60% admit rate in 2001 to almost 43k applicants and 11% admit rate in 2020.

On a smaller scale is Colby: 3900 applicants and 33% acceptance rate in 2001 and 13k and 10% in 2020. Similar schools like Bowdoin, Bates, Hamilton, Middlebury, Wesleyan also increased applicant pools but not nearly as much (1.5-2x vs Colby's 3x.)

The popularity of urbanish schools over the last 10 years is dramatic. Schools like WashU, Chicago, CWRU, Emory, Tufts - medium sized, so more "manageable" than flagships, but not tiny, close or in a city - it seems to be a sweet spot for a lot of kids; much more so than 20-30+ years ago.

Also Duke has relatively low yield

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless I'm misreading the data, its very interesting that some of these "elite" schools have less than half of the people admitted actually accept and go to the school.

Because many of the most accomplished students apply to 10 or more of the most selective colleges and are admitted to more than one and sometimes all of them. If admitted to 10 of 10, that's nine highly selective schools who have their yield lowered by the same kid.

Surprised how low Columbia's yield is

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless I'm misreading the data, its very interesting that some of these "elite" schools have less than half of the people admitted actually accept and go to the school.

Because many of the most accomplished students apply to 10 or more of the most selective colleges and are admitted to more than one and sometimes all of them. If admitted to 10 of 10, that's nine highly selective schools who have their yield lowered by the same kid.

That’s why ED was invented

Very cool website...thanks for sharing.

Anonymous wrote:Unless I'm misreading the data, its very interesting that some of these "elite" schools have less than half of the people admitted actually accept and go to the school.

Because many of the most accomplished students apply to 10 or more of the most selective colleges and are admitted to more than one and sometimes all of them. If admitted to 10 of 10, that's nine highly selective schools who have their yield lowered by the same kid.