<p>yeah that’s the thing that was already mentioned above, just because there is a large increase in applicants doesnt mean that it will actually increase difficulties in admittance. Sure, the acceptance rate will be much lower and it will be harder because there will be more competition, but keep in mind that most of these applicants, especially to a highly marketed university like Harvard, are sent straight to the rejection pile w/o second thought.</p>
<p>the admission staff isn’t getting any bigger and decisions come out the same time as before, so that just means more applicants will be mowed down and more time will be conserved for competitive ones like always</p>
<p>You make valid points. admissions officers are already familar with specific reject apps, and trust me, there’re getting better at spoting common errors. So be aware.</p>
<p>Actually, I think it was a hell of a lot easier to get into college a few years back. It’s not a proportional 50% harder to 50% more applicants, but there seems to be a statistically significant upward trend in standarized test scores, gpa and extra-curriculars. After all, each generation (or in this case, year) must surpass its predecessor. :P</p>
<p>Personally, I feel like my class, 2011, is the dumbest grade I’ve seen while at my school though.</p>
<p>I do wonder how much profit the Admisions committee generates from all of these applications, especially if the vast majority of the increase is Same Profile-Different Person and therefore is dismissed fairly quickly.</p>
<p>This is just crazy. 35,000! Really? I really hope that many of these applicants just because they had the luxury of being able to waste 70 dollars and hopefully have no chance of getting in.</p>
<p>I would be a sore loser if I hoped that a large proportion of the Harvard applicant pool were just people with no chance of getting in. Bring on the challenge!! If I worked hard enough (which I sadly didn’t :() and didn’t get in, at least I know that someone who was better than me got in. Which makes me sad anyways
what a pointless post</p>
<p>I wouldn’t necessarily give up. What this figure shows is that we need to avoid falling into the trap thousands of students find themselves in by repeating what has already been done. The goal is to show your best character in your app, and in so doing, you’ll show your uniqueness (which by the way you show everyday. You just have to show it in words this time).</p>
<p>Honestly, it’s so easy to become overly cynical about the admissions process. As far as outright and near-instant rejections piles go: I wonder how these numbers really affect that (I mean over many schools) which you look at schools who have good numbers of students who have sub-par SAT scores (by selective school / CC standards).</p>
<p>I think the worrying trend is the generally low acceptance rate => more applications generated => lower rates overall. And then the cycle continues. It’s far from being a single issue, but also I think a trap that many fall into, believing that we’re each the exception who really do being at top universities. (And I totally fall into this group, and in someways I feel bad, but w/e….). It’s also tough talking about stats because CC is a generally more qualified pool it seems. But I think the real issue is that everything cycles. Because of the overall increase in application numbers (which has been a plus for smaller, lesser known institutions) it means more problems for already competitive schools.) I think it’s all about balance and currently there’s a push against students applying to too many schools in order to balance spots. I mean, more students are looking to go further away for college, which would generally require more travel to weed out schools of interest. Unfortunately, the best times to visit campus are also generally the worst times for students to travel, and even travel in general can be prohibitive for many. </p>
<p>But anyway, I’m glad my application was sent in well before I read this. Stanford REA didn’t work out… oh well. What can I do. At least I’ve had one super promising interview. Best of luck to all of us!</p>
<p>^I agree: CCers seem to have above-average stats/a stronger overall profile. </p>
<p>Admissions will continue to become more selective. I wonder how long it’s going to take before admission rates is 1%-probably in my lifetime! </p>
<p>A pats on the back to everyone who applied this year (including myself hehe, since I’m an un-hooked international). We should congratulate ourselves because we were brave enough to apply! We worked hard during high school, did all the standardized tests, asked teachers for recs, and wrote all of the essays. Don’t let this all come to nothing. Don’t give up hope.</p>
