Elite Colleges Are Often the Exception to the Rule

When reading an article on the college admissions process, it’s always important to keep in mind that highly selective colleges are often the exception to the rule, not the rule. After all, at most of the 900+ universities across America, the vast majority of applicants earn admission. That is not the case at our nation’s highly selective universities. So that which is the case at most American universities is often not the case at schools like the eight Ivy League institutions, Stanford, MIT, Northwestern, Duke, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, and other elite institutions. And, yes, that applies to last year’s application figures during the heart of the pandemic.

As Abigail Johnson Hess reports for CNBC in a piece entitled “College applications rebounded by 22% this year—here’s why,” “When the coronavirus pandemic first disrupted college campuses during the 2019-2020 school year, college applications decreased and experts raised concerns that low-income and first-generation students were the most likely to miss out on a college education. Now, applications are rebounding…Most recent estimates from Common App suggest college applications are increasing. As of November 16, 2021, the number of college applicants had increased 13%, and total applications submitted have increased 22%, compared to the previous year.”

But remember, at MIT, as an example, applications soared 66%. At every single highly selective university, applications rose last year — often to unprecedented levels. So for those folks who keep abreast of the elite college admissions process, they might be scratching their heads when they read how college applications rebounded from last year by 22%. After all, how could applications rebound from record levels? But of course…that which is true at most American universities is not true at America’s elite universities. The elite universities are so often the exception to the rule, not the rule.