New Admission Trend This Year- And How to prepare for it.

The pandemic put a halt in life as we knew for about two years. Beginning with students applying in the fall 2020, the substantial disruptions produced by COVID had a rippling effect on the college admission process. Following George Floyd’s death in late May 2020, the country was engulfed by intense movements to rectify racial inequity. Colleges and universities reacted in a variety of ways, including shifting recruitment and admissions goals.

A record high number of increased applications from prospective students isn’t limited to the Ivies. This surge in volume also has an impact on admissions decisions at colleges across the country, regardless of selectivity level. UNC Chapel Hill, for example, received just over 57,000 applications for the Class of 2026, a 6.5 percent increase over the previous year and a new institution record. Brown University also had a record candidate pool for the Class of 2026, with about 51,000 people applying, up 9% from the Class of 2025.  The total number of students applying for admission at NYU was 105,000, 5% increase; Boston University was 80,797 (up 6.7%); and UCLA – 149,700 (up 7%).

The number of institutions admitting less than 20% of its applicants has more than doubled since 2008. Recent trends show that it is not just the top universities that are regarded as highly selective schools, but the dwindling number of universities that used to accept 20% to 30% of applicants. Not that long ago, colleges and universities including Bates, BU, Emory, Northeastern, Notre Dame, NYU, Tufts, Wash U, and Wesleyan, among others, were in range for students who weren’t necessarily in the top of their class. This isn’t the case anymore.

Then, how can students best prepare for this new trend?

1. Don’t let the Common Application’s restrictions hold you back. Colleges seek detailed information about you, so don’t just rely on  the Common Application’s constraints. Take advantage of college supplemental essay questions to include a short extra essay or a remark about a special circumstance, expressing what makes you the unique individual you are, if you want to be known by the college of your dreams. One of the students I dealt with had won a national award for a community service initiative he had started.He went out of his way to include an additional award form that detailed the initiative that led to this accolade, as well as other honors he had received. He was eventually accepted to his first choice college. An additional contact can also help a college address any concerns they may have about you as a candidate. Another student, for example, was suspended for a rather small offense. Recognizing that the institutions to which he was applying would have interpreted the offense as far more serious than it was, he took the time to explain the circumstances and his minor role in the incident—and got accepted to his first choice college as well.

2. Choose your essay topic carefully. Don’t go with a cliched topic like your last-second game-winning goal or how easy it was for you to adjust to living in the US after immigrating. Instead, concentrate on yourself—your academic curiosity and strengths—and be sure to back them up with specific examples. Another student, for example, was accepted to her top school after writing about how much fun she had translating a tough Latin piece from the Aeneid. So, if you spend many hours a day studying to master a subject or if you undertake significant work/projects outside of school, mention it on your application; otherwise, no one will know.

3. Show your hidden leadership.  Your demonstrated leadership abilities should be highlighted. Are you in charge of the youth program at your church? Have you worked on a particular project for your journalism club? Have you ever worked at a summer camp as a counselor or a group leader? Do you work as a language tutor in a religious school? Make a detailed activity list that includes these accomplishments.

4. Appeal your interests in the particular school. Strong applicants are frequently rejected by universities because they do not believe the student is sufficiently engaged in or dedicated to their school. Utilize your essays to show them that you know in and out of the college through your reasons to attend the school. One outstanding engineering student I worked with, for example, took the time to explain why she chose Princeton’s engineering program over others, citing the fact that it incorporated six different academic departments (including Operations Research and Financial Engineering) and focused on both practice and theory.