<p>With the Common App nowadays and so many methods of applying to numerous schools, some applicants seem to be applying to many colleges, regardless of their qualifications. Of course, there is the select pool that is qualified and matches the profile of the college in question, but at the same time, there are other applicants that simply apply without consideration to past statistics. </p>
<p>With such a surge in applications, do you think this has an impact on the admissions rate of more selective, top-notch schools? </p>
<p>Does this theory of unqualified students applying to very selective schools "over-inflate" the number of applications and simply lead to a lower admissions rate? </p>
<p>And finally, if so holds true, how misleading and inaccurate are these apparent admissions rates?</p>
<p>Well, on the Common App, just adding a school to your list (even if you don’t send anything in) counts as an application for statistical purposes. And of course being on the Common App causes many schools to get far more applicants, as the process is easier.</p>
<p>Other top schools, such as Georgetown and MIT, have opted not to go the Common App route. They prefer for their applicants to care enough about the school to go through the full process to apply. Estimates have it that both schools would see a dramatic rise in applicants and fall in admission percentages if they were to switch, just as others have, but they have chosen not to.</p>
<p>Well, the thing is, schools like that to happen on purpose. That can be seen by the amount of mail students get from top colleges telling them to apply even though that student doesn’t have a real chance of being admitted… they give false hope for what seems like the sole purpose of further reducing their acceptance rate.</p>
<p>So to a certain extent, I’m sure there’s some inflation, but that also means that though more unqualified students are applying, more perfectly qualified students will be applying, as well. Admission rates are sketchy… yield rates of accepted applicants are a much better sign of how a school is regarded by high-level potential students.</p>
<p>All of what I’ve said is gathered from my brain after reading all sorts of various articles and opinions and such, so while I’m not 100% on its accuracy, I’m fairly confident in the reliability of the overall themes here.</p>
<p>The Common App increases the number of both qualified and unqualified applicants.</p>
<p>While some of the decrease in admissions rates can be attributed to the increase in unqualified applicants, for whom it is now significantly easier to attempt schools that are more of a reach (as the application is already mostly completed through the Common App), that is not to say that admissions to the top-notch schools is not more competitive.</p>
<p>Since the Common App makes students applying to one top-notch school more likely to apply to a second (or a third, or a fourth, and so on), it increases the number of qualified applicants at all of the top-notch schools, and thus increases the competitiveness of admissions.</p>
<p>Most of the top-notch schools have supplemental essays, so I’d imagine that qualified applicants are more likely to add a school because of the Common App than those who believe they have only a minuscule chance of getting in (as the essays make it not worth the effort to try with such a low chance of success), whereas qualified applicants have a decent chance and are thus going to be more willing to write the supplemental essay (and probably have already written an essay on a similar topic that they can quickly adapt instead of beginning from scratch).</p>
<p>I doubt the admissions rate decreases are very misleading, if at all. It is definitely true that admissions has become more competitive, especially at top-notch schools.</p>
<p>"With such a surge in applications, do you think this has an impact on the admissions rate of more selective, top-notch schools?</p>
<p>Does this theory of unqualified students applying to very selective schools “over-inflate” the number of applications and simply lead to a lower admissions rate?</p>
<p>And finally, if so holds true, how misleading and inaccurate are these apparent admissions rates?"</p>
<p>I don’t even understand your dilemma. Regardless of the quality of the additional applications, it seems you fail to understand what “admissions rate” comprises. It’s the number of acceptances divided by number of applications. Since a school’s slots are finite, whenever more apps come in (from zero chancers or legions of new found uber kinder) the admissions rate decreases.</p>
<p>Are you, by chance, asking if top schools are becoming more selective? That’s an entirely different question than wondering if the admissions rates are decreasing. There’s no question whatsoever that top schools rates have plummeted.</p>
<p>It won’t necessarily inflate admissions rate, as colleges will adjust according to projected yield, but if people on average apply (and get accepted) to more colleges, then average yield will drop.</p>
<p>T26E4:
No, my general question is not about being more selective.
I agree with you that the admissions rates are undoubtedly decreasing, but does that decrease reflect the actual competitiveness of the application pool?</p>
<p>Maybe an example will clear it up. At College X, the set number of slots available are 50 per year. In year 1, 100 qualified applicants apply, therefore with 50 spots, the admissions rate will be 50%. However, in year 2, 100 qualified (with stats equal to that of year 1) and 100 unqualified applicants apply, hence with the same number of spots, the admissions rate will drop to 25%. </p>
<p>My “dilemma” to you (the entire CC community as a whole) is whether the 25% admissions rate is unreliable and misleading because the 100 unqualified applicants can almost automatically be eliminated, yet they are still counted in the admissions rate. </p>
<p>(Please remember, the example is solely for example purposes and I understand that it is unaccurate.)</p>
<p>I just wanted to see everyone’s opinion on this, because personally, for me, as I chose the schools to applied to, a decisive factor as to whether I would have a chance of being admitted (hence whether I should bother applying) was the admissions rate. The low admissions rate of some schools was at times discouraging to me. I would think I would not have a chance of being the 7% who were to be admitted. I am sure many other students have the same feeling.</p>
<p>I see where you’re coming from. My advice would be to apply to one or two reach schools if you truly see yourself happy attending them. But the key is also to apply (early action if possible) to a good mix of colleges that you’d love to attend.</p>
<p>I interview for my Ivy alma mater and can attest to the increased quality and quantity of applicants in recent years. With the common app, there has also been an upswing in “let me just try” applications. But ultimately, with more marketing, pressures like USNWR rankings, international applicants and the utility of the Common App – the top tier schools are swimming in many more well qualified applicants now more than ever.</p>