<p>-population growth
-more prestige driven, low acceptance rate drives lower acceptance rates
-increased financial aid availability, many top schools used to be much less affordable. as a result, more schools near the top also boosted their financial aid.
-college admissions is getting more random and as it gets more competitive, you don’t know where you can get in, for the top schools, and as a result, students have to apply to more schools, to be “certain” they can end up at a top school. </p>
<p>I don’t really think today’s applicants are any smarter/more capable than the applicants in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Too many people today spend money/time on prep for everything. I probably wouldn’t have gotta into many of the schools today, compared to when I applied 6 years ago, but I don’t think that’s fair, because even compared to a few years ago, kids today are more focused on the “getting in” part versus the idea that college is an opportunity for education, and not just a prestigious affiliation.</p>