Schools you didn't realize that are very selective

[ucbalumnus]

@MomOnALaptop

Whereas the LACs he applied to (including Beloit, go turtles!) were less selective on paper but more of a reach because he’d need enough merit aid to actually consider them.

Yes, if a merit scholarship is needed for affordability, then reach/match/safety should be based on the scholarship, not just admission. Admission without enough scholarship in this case is the same as rejection.

@MomOnALaptop

If you really want a “selective” school – on paper – Liberty claims 21 percent and is listed on big future as “most selective.” I can’t figure out how they tweak that data, because it used to be around 90 percent and then suddenly, bam, “most selective,” while the student stats are still really low.

That would be an example of admission rate alone being misleading on how selective a school is. A school with a low admission rate from a weak applicant pool, with a resulting weak admit cohort, may appear more selective than it actually is if one just looks at admission rate.