Curious as to the criteria for being a Hot school. For example, I saw a post here claiming Pitt was hot a few years back, while UMD and Delaware seem to have taken their place. When I compare admission stats of those schools, including from College Confidential forums, Pitt by far seems more difficult to get into, or to reach the top tier for merit aid. I know for a fact that Pitt’s standards this year are far higher than they were just 3 years ago, when my oldest applied.
To me, if admission is getting more difficult, that means more demand and a hotter school.