Let's quibble over semantics: what do we really mean by "highly selective" (Ex: Pitzer v Williams)?

usualhopeful
Tue, 26 Apr 2016 01:20:58 +0000

@ThankYouforHelp - Your school’s average GPA for Pitzer is very unusual. I believe the average overall is a 3.9. Also, acceptance rate for one particular school is often meaningless - last year, acceptance rates from my school were 100% at Harvard, 50% at Stanford, 33% at Tufts, 50% at UNew Hampshire, etc. Obviously this does not mean UNew Hampshire is more selective than Harvard, it just means applicants from my school self selected in applying to Harvard and Stanford.

And as you point out, we can’t compare apples and oranges. Let’s compare Pitzer and Williams for what they consider important:

Pitzer
Very important:
-Academic GPA
-Application Essay
-Character/Personal Qualities
-Rigor of secondary school record

Important:
-Extracurricular Activities
-Recommendations
-Talent/Ability
-Volunteer Work

Williams
Very important:
-Academic GPA
-Class Rank
-Recommendations
-Rigor of secondary school record
-Standardized Test Scores
-Talent/Ability

Important:
-Alumni Relation
-Application Essay
-Character/Personal Qualities
-Extracurricular Activities
-First generation college student
-Racial/Ethnic Status