Understanding the Real Competition in College Admissions
In the last admissions cycle, Harvard, Yale, and UPenn each received over 50,000 applications. Given these staggering numbers, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the competition. But are you really competing against 50,000+ other students? Not necessarily.
“In reality, students are competing against a small fraction of the overall applicants, but this doesn’t mean that their odds of admission are higher or the competition is less intense,” says Christopher Rim, Founder and CEO of Command Education, a boutique college consulting firm. “Understanding how you stack up against the competition—and who the competition actually is—is critical for compiling an application that will catch admissions officers’ eyes.”
According to Rim, if you dream of attending an Ivy League or other top-tier school, this is who you’re really competing against in the College admissions process:
- Other Applicants with Top GPAs and Test Scores
First and foremost, students interested in applying to Ivy League and other top schools are competing against other qualified applicants—which is to say, students who score above the 25th percentile for GPA and standardized test scores. A large portion of the applicant pool at top schools is made up of students who fall below this threshold, and top schools use academic benchmarks (such as the academic index) to filter out applicants who would not thrive in their rigorous intellectual environment.
- Applicants with Similar Backgrounds and Interests
Ivy League admissions officers aim to build diverse classes composed of students with a variety of backgrounds, interests, and academic disciplines. Additionally, institutional priorities like legacy, donor relations, and athletics play a role in admissions decisions. Therefore, applicants are—to a certain extent—competing against other qualified candidates who share similar experiences, backgrounds, and academic interests. This doesn’t mean that students should apply to obscure majors in the hopes of higher admissions odds. “Admissions officers can detect inauthenticity from a mile away,” Rim says, “so applying to a major without any tangible experience in the field can render you a less competitive applicant, rather than a more competitive one.”
- Classmates Attending Your High School or Other Schools in Your Region
Finally, one of your most direct competitors in theCollege admissions process might be sitting next to you in class. Elite schools seek to diversify their incoming class with respect to both geographic region and the types of secondary institutions students matriculate from. Thus, admissions committees are often mindful of the number of applicants they admit from a given high school. “Horace Mann, Stuyvesant, Riverside STEM, or Phillips Exeter may send dozens of graduates to Ivy League schools each year, but dozens of equally qualified students from those schools apply and are rejected annually,” says Rim.
In order to build a compelling and strategic applicant profile, students should be mindful of who they’re up against in the competitive landscape of Ivy League admissions. Every admissions cycle, Command Education’s Senior Mentors equip students to excel in their unique interests, create a compelling personal narrative, and set themselves apart within their specific subset of College admissions applicant pool. If you’re ready to set your applicant profile apart from the rest, schedule your free consultation today!
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