Takeaways from the Last Year

The 2021 admission cycle was unlike any other. A group of educational consultants recently compiled the list below of takeaways that will inevitably shape the next few years. Current juniors should keep these take-aways in mind while finalizing their own college lists.

Completely unpredictable and unexpected outcomes. Students with exceptional credentials were turned away or waitlisted. Other students with lesser credentials were accepted at highly selective colleges.

Balanced list. More so than in past years, every student needs to have a balanced list of colleges and every school on the list should be one a student would be excited to attend. A balanced list consists of colleges that fit realistically into the student’s academic success and personal interest profile. Some (2-3) can be more selective (reach) schools, but students should avoid too many unrealistic schools that will very likely disappoint over 90% of their very strong applicant pool. Most colleges on the list should be ‘possible’ schools, where grades, scores and interests really ‘fit’ and where a student can thrive and be happy. Students should include a significant number of ‘likely’ institutions, whose acceptances will boost confidence, and may even offer the financial incentive of ‘merit’ aid.

Test optional/ test blind. With so many students applying without test scores (a trend expected to continue for at least one more year), colleges were forced to put more emphasis on other parts of the application. The test-optional policies also led to a great increase in the number of applications to highly selective colleges. For example, applications to UCLA increased 25% to 160,000 applications.

Personal stories. Students who were most successful in the process tended to share highly personal stories in their personal statements. Essays that featured stories about how the student made a difference in some way were particularly valued.

Falling acceptance rates at the most selective colleges. With the great increase in applications, the acceptance rate at the most selective colleges reached new lows. Harvard accepted about 3% of applicants, while Columbia, Princeton and MIT limited their acceptances to about 4%. This again points to the need for a balanced list; among all colleges, the average acceptance rate is 57%.

Out-sized waitlists. Most applicants to highly selective colleges are now sitting on one or more waitlists – dragging out the college selection process through June or later.