Higher Selectivity in College Admissions

Higher Selectivity in College Admissions March 23, 2013 Mark Twain had an applicable quote with respect to how its getting harder and harder to get into college. That would be: Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Theres a post on TIME by Dan Edmonds entitled College Admissions: The Myth of Higher Selectivity in which he dispels a myth weve been dispelling for years with respect to higher selectivity in college admissions. So whats the myth? The myth is that just because admission rates are dropping at various highly selective schools, that doesnt mean theyre getting more difficult to get into. Edmonds also astutely points out that the admission rates at various highly selective colleges actually went up this year (i.e., rose from an admission rate of 10% to 12%). Just because admission rates drop, that doesnt mean its harder to get into the school this year as compared to last year. What if the school did a way better job of encouraging applicants (even unqualified applicants) to apply just to boost their stats? A C student with 2,000 SATs applying to Harvard doesnt make it more difficult for the A student with 2,360 SATs to get in. But Harvard denying that C student helps the universitys adm issions stats. Writes Edmonds on TIME, What many parents and students don’t realize is that increasing numbers of applications isn’t necessarily a sign that it’s harder to get into a selective school; rather, it’s a sign of changes in behavior among high school seniors. More and more people who aren’t necessarily qualified are applying to top schools, inflating the application numbers while not seriously impacting admissions. In fact, it has arguably become easier to get into a selective school, though it may be harder to get into a particular selective school. Well said. Nothing frustrates us more than when parents and students complain that its getting harder and harder to get into a highly selective college. Oh please. It was equally as hard for the student who applied in 2000 as for the student who is applying this year. Theres an old saying: Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Dont let the statistics fool you too. While youre here, check out our compiled Ivy League Statistics.