Is College of the Holy Cross considered an elite school?

Maybe a better question to ask is: does it really matter? What has your experience been? Have your classes been small? Have they been challenging? Do your professors know you? Do they have a real interest in who you are and what you are hoping to accomplish? Did your Monserrat allow you to explore something new and make lasting friendships? I’m going to guess the answer to most of these questions is yes. Isn’t that why YOU chose HC? Let everyone else worry about rankings.

(smb63097): The admissions stats reflect and simultaneously create a school’s reputation.

HC Class of 2021 stats include a 40% admission rate, a ‘test score optional’ ACT average of 29 for enrolled students, and 61% of enrolled students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school senior class.

BC, Class of 2021 stats include a 32% admission rate, an actual ACT average of 32 for enrolled students, and 80% of enrolled students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school senior class.

(Note: These Class of 2021 stats are from the schools’ own websites and other available data so numbers may vary slightly.)

Comparing stats from a university with 14,400 total enrollment (9,300 undergrad) with a LAC with 3,051 students does not speak to either school’s reputation. Both are excellent in their respective categories. 56% of HC students have ACT composite scores of 30 and above. They’re no slouches! HC selects out for smart, engaged, caring and diverse students- not stat drones. And that’s a very, very good thing. Kiplinger’s thinks so too- HC #25 and BC#43.

BC and HC always had significant differences. But they did not always have these significant differences in admissions stats. smb6307’s question noted the current differing reputations.

Villanova is another admissions overlap East Coast Catholic school that (of course) has differences with HC but once had lesser admissions statistics.

HC Class of 2021 stats include a 40% admission rate, a ‘test score optional’ ACT average of 29 for enrolled students, and 61% of enrolled students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school senior class.

Villanova, Class of 2021 stats include a 36% admission rate, an actual ACT average of 31.5 (30-33) for enrolled students, and 65% of enrolled students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school senior class.