How do you think about acceptance rate?

fiftyfifty1
Sun, 03 Nov 2024 22:21:55 +0000

On this thread, we’ve talked a lot about how high quality schools in “less desired” locations can have higher acceptance rates, making them good back-up schools if students are willing to be flexible about location (and if they actually prefer these “less desired” locations, even better.)

Another factor that also serves to raise admission rates is a school being single gender. For example, Wellesley, Smith and Mount Holyoke all have admission rates about 10 points higher than I think they “should.” So if a student is willing to be flexible on the gender composition of a school, they can identify some great schools that are more likely (and again, if they actually prefer a single gender college, even better.)

Likewise, weird curricula. If it gets weird enough (e.g. St. Johns) then you can still have a co-ed school in an East Coast setting and still have a relatively high admit rate.

And then there is a school like Reed that refused to play the USNWR rankings game and paid the price. Great education. Again an admit rate much higher than it “should” be.