Class of 2016 Regular Decision Results!

smartalic34
Sat, 24 Mar 2012 23:37:09 +0000

Just a few thoughts… first of all, the US News rankings are relative. The difference between the #5 and the #50 LAC is big, but #6 vs. #12?

newest US News data:
“#6” Carleton:
SAT 25-75th %ile = 1950-2250
ACT 25-75th%ile = 29-33
31% acceptance rate

"#12" Wesleyan:
SAT 25-75th %ile = 1945-2230
ACT 25-75th %ile = 30-33
21% acceptance rate

Wesleyan is 5 and 20 points lower on the SAT range, 1 point higher on ACT, and is 10% more selective. splitting hairs here, really… the acceptance rates are so low, that it is most definitely a crapshoot. remember, these schools (LACs) are building a class, not just selecting the best applicants. if they have already accepted four people from minnesota who play french horn, the fifth one isn’t gonna get in. once you have stats in range, it’s simply a matter of whether admissions thinks you fit into their master plan to have a diverse and academically strong class. nothing against you or your skills.

as for waitlisting, Wesleyan overenrolled last year but a lot (about 60-70) so I am sure they are going to be more cautious this year. they are still aiming for a class size of 745, but I think they’d rather undershoot a bit this year and admit a few off the waitlist then have a class of 800+ again. I don’t think it’s a matter of gaming the system in this specific instance.

Congrats to all those accepted and good luck to those waitlisted