Admission at Highly Selective Colleges

Providence Academy College Conversation

May 8, 2025

Sarah Hogan, Director of College Counseling & Alumni Engagement

Define “Highly Selective Colleges”

• Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):
• Colleges with admit rates under 50% where 75% of entering students scored 26 or higher on the ACT
• ~120 colleges

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Regional Distribution of HSCs

4

10

36

26

9

6

7

20

2

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ED v. EA v. RD. (what’s the difference?)

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Why has admission become more difficult at HSCs?

The Early Edge

Athletics and Legacy Reduce the Early Edge

Let’s further assume that 150 legacies applied ED and that 75 were admitted. The admit rate for non-athletes and non-legacies applying ED would then be 18.7%. Which is still better than the Regular Decision admit rate.

Admit Group Analysis

• HSC example: 1,939 admits

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• Assuming some overlap in the above categories, there were approximately 1,100 admission offers extended to U.S. applicants who were not athletes and whose parents attended college but not at this HSC

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How does the review process work?

Two common systems (maybe a third!)

• Territory Management (Traditional)
• First read by the assigned territory manager, reads all parts of the application and makes a recommendation (15-20 minutes)
• Based on first reader vote, file is routed to second reader or a “decision read”
• Second reader typically has additional information – mid-year grades, interview report, talent evaluation – to consider, since several weeks may have passed between read
• Candidacies that are still live after two reads are often discussed in committee
• Committee-Based Evaluation (Newer)
• Two admissions officers team up to read an application in tandem (6-8 minute read)
• Mitigates the large impact a solo first reader can have on a candidacy’s trajectory under the more traditional system
• AI

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How do PA students fare at HSCs?

Review of seven graduating classes and applications submitted to institutions in the U.S. News Top 30 National Universities and Top 30 Liberal Arts Colleges�

Application Success Rate:

• 498 total applications submitted to Top 30 National Universities and Top 30 Liberal Arts Colleges
• 158 acceptances
• 31.72 % application success rate to Top 30 institutions

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A Look at the Top 30

Student Success rate:�

186: number of students submitting to at least one Top 30 institution

89: number of students with at least one acceptance from a Top 30 institution

48% students successful in their aspiration for acceptance to a Top 30 institution

Limiting to students who graduated from PA with a 3.80 cumulative traditional GPA or higher:

85: number of students submitting to at least one Top 30 institution

64: number of students with at least one acceptance from a Top 30 college

75% of students with a 3.8+ GPA were successful in their aspiration for acceptance to a Top 30 institution

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Bonus: HSCs at Public Universities

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Advice to Students Applying to HSCs

• VISIT COLLEGES! All kinds of colleges - and especially more competitive institutions – hope to see evidence in applications which reveals the student’s deep understanding why they are well-matched to the institution and academic program. �
• SELECT APPROPRIATE COURSE RIGOR AT PA. Competitive colleges value the completion of honors/advanced courses and carefully consider the curriculum that applicants have chosen in light of the advanced course options that are available at each applicant’s school. Choosing courses with additional challenge helps to distinguish the truly strong applicants in pools comprised mainly of students who are very accomplished in traditional high school measures.�
• BALANCE ACADEMICS AND ACTIVITIES. Students applying to more highly selective programs need to pursue a rigorous academic schedule that still leaves time and energy for high impact activities or distinctive accomplishment in out-of-classroom endeavors.�
• GO BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. Reading or engaging with intellectual ‘content’ beyond the school curriculum will often help to set an application apart. The goal is not to ‘be what admission committees want’; it is to be yourself and to love what you love, only more intensely.�

Is there a Middle Ground?

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“The Middle” tends to be made up of colleges that:

• Are less familiar to you right now (ex. CTCL schools)
• Are located in a city or region you know less well
• Has not been attended by anyone you know
• Are, compared to ‘reach’ schools, more likely to offer admission and might offer a good academic scholarship and/or honors opportunity
• Might cost you less than your highest cost options and more than your most affordable options
• Meets some, not all, of your criteria…but, criteria can change
• A ‘leap of faith’ application that you will be glad you submitted later

Resources for Families

• List of HSCs from NCES/College Navigator
• Interview with Dartmouth Admission Dean
• Georgia Tech Admission Director Blog
• Article in The Atlantic
• NYT Bestselling Author Spoke to Independent School Heads (Dr. Flanders recommends Frank Bruni’s book)

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