Columbia Selectivity

<p>Considering the fact that Columbia will adopt the common app next year, how much lower might the acceptance rate be for the class of 2015? This year about 25 k applied. What do you guys think will happen?</p>

<p>Im not really sure. I think there can be two arguments.
One that the numbers will increase significantly because a lot more people who just have a vague sort of interest in columbia will apply, since it will be so much easier using common app recommendation, forms and stuff…so its easier for them to apply without being that interested, when previously they wouldnt have bothered because they would have to go through a whole different app. </p>

<p>The other argument is that the number wont increase that much because the people that apply are a self selecting group who would have applied even if columbia still had their own app.
Most schools that switch to common app generally see a noticeable increase in applicants.
[Acceptance</a> rate falls with CommonApplication - The Chicago Maroon](<a href=“Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon”>Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon)</p>

<p>I tend to agree with the first argument but i guess it will fall somewhere in between. I really want to see what happens</p>

<p>I agree with the first argument. I think that a bunch of people who haven’t got a chance or haven’t got a huge interest in Columbia will suddenly apply just for the hell of it. Columbia is doing it so that its already ridiculous acceptance rate can be HYP level and lower.</p>

<p>It’s going to be unbelievable for RD. Columbia already fills something like half its class ED, and now they’re going to have to deal with a lot more applications in the RD process.</p>

<p>I definitely think switching to Common App will drive down the acceptance rate. For this admissions cycle, CU already had the fifth lowest rate, only behind Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton. Columbia College, at 8.3%, was even lower than the overall rate of ~9%. Plus, in this previous cycle of record applications, CU only had an increase of 500 apps compared to some other schools who surged this year, notably UChicago, Brown, Duke, Princeton, etc. Most likely not the only reason, but CU’s keeping its own app this year definitely contributed to capping the number of applicants. Also, even something as simple as reducing the required SAT II’s to 2 instead of 3, Princeton’s application numbers rose ~30% if I recall correctly.</p>

<p>I can’t imagine how tough it will be to get in these school 5 years down the road.</p>

<p>my guess is that apps will be 28000 with acceptance rate at 8%, we could have apps go to 30,000 with acceptance rate at 7.3-7.5 but that’s unlikely. It’ll also be easier to apply though.</p>