<p>
</p>
<p>Based on acceptance rate alone, you make a valid point. (Wake is 38% and Elon is 42%)</p>
<p>However, in general, Wake students have higher SAT scores, GPAs, and they face a tougher admissions process. For example, my son’s SAT of 1330 (R&M) puts him in the middle of the pack at Wake. At Elon, he’s at or above the 75% range. Further, “only” 33% of the Elon student body come from the top ten percent of their senior class. At Wake, 64% of the student body were in the top ten percent. </p>
<p>Selectivity is not purely based on acceptance rate. It’s a combination of factors that reflect the caliber of students that apply and get in. </p>
<p>As for your opinion that “all those other schools are way way way easier to get into,” I think you’d have a different opinion if you looked beyond acceptance rate. When you consider their average SATs, GPAs, class rank, etc., I think you’ll see that the student accepted at Elon would have longer odds at the other schools on my son’s list.</p>