Let's hope for transparency in 2025.
Happy New Year!
On New Year's Day, I was catching up on The Atlantic articles, and up popped How the Ivy League Broke America. Author David Brooks explores the 1930s' shift from elite acceptances based largely on wealth to those based on intelligence (“criteria centered on brainpower”) along with what happens later in those students' lives. Serious discussions like these are nothing new to unCommon families, who consider both branding and career outcomes. (As you might have guessed, there's no direct correlation.)While dominant in the media, elite colleges are rarely transparent about the real admissions criteria. Which brings us wrapping up 2024 and getting on with the business of 2025 . . .
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Early Decisions: What Happened, and Who Shared Data?
In December, some students opened early holiday gifts, while others were deferred or denied. Some colleges actually shared their data. Let's take a look.
For colleges going back to mandatory testing, lower applicant volumes and greater acceptance rates weren't a shock. Brown saw about 1,200 fewer applicants, resulting in a greater acceptance rate (18 percent). At Yale, where testing is mandatory but there are greater options for submission (i.e., SAT, ACT, AP, IB), the ED pool decreased by 14 percent, and just under 11 percent got in Restrictive Early Action.
In contrast, Duke, which kept testing optional, saw a record-breaking volume, up 8 percent. (Apps had soared by 30 percent from 2022 to 2023!) The Blue Devils continued to boast about their Carolinas Initiative, no help to out-of-staters vying for a spot.We thank Cornell, Harvard and Princeton for not reporting ED data.
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Early Action at Public Research Universities: Who's Deferral-Mad Now?
We've blogged about it in the past: Northeastern students just love the idea of attending those Southern public research universities. Now that some institutions have reported their information, we can confidently state that deferrals of great applicants continue at these popular fun spots.
At University of Georgia, about 31 percent of Early Applicants were admitted, with the top five intended majors of biology, finance, mechanical engineering, business and psychology. But that's an overall number with no out-of-state statistics.
Then there's Clemson, increasingly popular with NJ applicants, many of whom have never seen the campus but apply nonetheless. While we don't have admissions stats, we know Clemson's recent accolades include best college town in America (Travel & Leisure)! The university is praised for its people, charm and inclusivity.
There's more to come this month, with popular public research universities UT Austin, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida among those expected to announce results. In Texas, great students are guaranteed entrance to UT Austin. And others? According to an official cited in Inside Higher Ed, ‘if you want to be a Longhorn, you’re going to have to sweat.’' According to a news release, UT apps rose 24 percent this cycle, and the university touted new programs in civics and robotics. While my out-of-staters receive unCommon guidance on UT's fit-to-major admissions approach, complete with an extended resume, they are cautioned about the likelihood of acceptance, especially for STEM. Under Texas law, the out-of-state portion of the university is capped at 10 percent.
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Don't Look for the Union Label at Big Green
Remember the push by Dartmouth's basketball team to unionize? Unlike Starbucks, the players didn't get their way. As reported in Inside Higher Ed, the team dropped its bid, which, according to the president of the union representing the players "pushed the conversation on employment and collective bargaining in college sports forward and made history by being classified as employees."
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UVM Catamounts: Making Soccer History
Farther north, UVM had a first: a national soccer title by virtue of defeating Marshall 2-1 in overtime. The Catamounts' victory was the first by an American East team.As for admissions, I'm liking the multiple options available at UVM, which provides Early Action and two rounds of Early Decision, up from zero just a few years ago.
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As we look ahead to 2025, let's go back to The Atlantic article, which argues: "We want a meritocracy that will help each person identify, nurture, and pursue the ruling passion of their soul.” We're all hoping for progress in this New Year. If you need clarity, go unCommon to find out what's really going on!
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