In keeping with recent tradition, Harvard’s acceptance rate of 5.8% of its 33,531 applicants is the lowest reported the Ivy League. Yale came in second place admitting  6.7% of its record-high 29,610 applicants, followed by Columbia at 6.9%, Princeton at 7.3%, Brown at 9.2%, Dartmouth at 10.05% and University of Pennsylvania at 12.1% of 31,280 applications. Cornell received a record 40,006 applications and accepted 15.2% of them — down from 16.2% last year.

Stanford beat out Harvard with a record-setting low acceptance rate of 5.7% (38,828 applicants) while MIT admitted 8.2% of its nearly 19,000 applicants. The University of Chicago accepted less than 9% of the record 30,369 applications it received.

PARTY SCHOOLS

1. West Virginia University, Morgantown

2. University of Iowa, Iowa City

3. Ohio University, Athens

4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5. University of Georgia, Athens

6. University of Florida, Gainesville

7. University of California-Santa Barbara

8. Florida State University, Tallahassee

9. Miami University of Ohio, Oxford

10. Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

11. Penn State University, University Park, PA

12. DePauw University, Greencastle, IN

13. University of Wisconsin-Madison

14. University of Mississippi

15. University of Texas-Austin

16. University of Maryland, College Park

17. University of South Carolina, Columbia

18. James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA

19. University of Maine, Orono

20. University of Tennessee, Knoxville

STONE-COLD SOBER SCHOOLS

1. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

2. Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL

3. U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD

4. U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT

5. Grove City College, Grove City, PA

6. U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY

7. City University of New York-Brooklyn College

8. Wesleyan College, Macon, GA

9. Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA

10. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI

11. City University of New York-City College

12. City University of New York-Queens-Hunter College, Flushing, NY

13. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, MA

14. Agnes Scott College, Atlanta-Decatur, GA

15. Simmons College, Boston, MA

16. U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO

17. Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA

18. Becker College, Worcester, MA

19. Cooper Union for the Advancement of New York

20. California State University-Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

The Ivy League — coined in the early 1930’s by a New York sports reporter describing eight schools with a common interest in academics and athletics—is made up of Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale.

Ivy League schools have retained their strong academic reputations and remain among the most selective in terms of college admission.  There are many other highly competitive colleges and universities such as: MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Williams, Amherst and others.

The majority of students attending highly selective colleges were in the top ten to twenty-five percent of their graduating class, challenged themselves academically, were active in extracurricular activities, demonstrated self-motivation and leadership, scored well on the SAT and/or ACT and showed themselves to be passionate about learning and one or two activities. In short, they were qualified and interesting candidates who stood out in the crowd!  Read the InLikeMe commentary: Getting Accepted: Factors Colleges Look For in Applicants.

A generation ago, it was pretty straightforward to predict which students would be admitted to the top schools, since most of the highly-selective colleges accepted 30% or more of the applicants.

The most competitive schools have seen a persistent rise in applications and these colleges no longer have room for many of the qualified and interesting candidates.    In recent years Harvard College, for example, offered admission to less than 10% of the high school seniors who applied.  Most of those rejected were academically qualified and many had very impressive achievements.

Experts will tell you that that getting in these days is a combination of good luck and standing out in a compelling way. See the InLikeMe commentary: Strategic Positioning – Creating Your “Wow Factor”, “Dazzle” or “Hook” .

Intense competition for admission to selective colleges and universities has fueled the college prep industry made up of consultants (e.g. independent educational counselors & consultants, admissions advisors, private college counselors), essay services and test prep companies.

While these services providers cannot guarantee admission to the school of your dreams, they may be able to help you improve your chances and present yourself and your selling points in the best possible light.   See the InLikeMe Commentary: Private College Admissions Counselors: Do I Need One?

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Opinion of a College Admissions Consultant….

College rankings can be interesting to look at and a helpful starting point.  Keep in mind that rankings are comprised of a combination of objective and subjective criteria.  Each ranking system (e.g. US News, Forbes, Princeton Review, Kiplinger) is different and relies on its own data and methodology.  What is highly weighted in one ranking may not even be included in another.

For students focused on particular fields of study, learning about departmental reputations can be more helpful than relying on institutional rankings.   Many schools that are not at the top of the overall college rankings have outstanding programs in specific areas.

While rankings sell magazines, a ranking cannot tell you is whether or not that college is the right fit for you.   Think of college rankings as a tool in your college admissions toolbox.

Few families can afford the sticker price, and most of these schools offer “need-based” financial aid.  Need-based aid refers to the difference between the cost of attending the institution, and the amount of money that the school’s financial aid formula determines that the family “can” afford.

Aid comes in many forms — scholarships (grants), loans and work-study awards.

 Schools use varying aid formulas to determine “need”.  Only a few dozen institutions offer “need-blind” admission.  Most others fall into the category of “need aware” and coordinate admissions desirability with student aid.

When it comes to awarding grants and scholarships, many “need-aware” colleges and universities are most generous with the applicants they consider most desirable  — athletes, scholars, underrepresented minority students, gifted musicians and others with talents and backgrounds that are of interest to the school.

Most Expensive Colleges & Universities: 2011-2012

(Tuition Plus Room & Board)

Highest Tuition 2011-2012*

Visit Campus Grotto Top 100 Most Expensive Colleges* for additional details and a more comprehensive list.

Visit  The Chronicle of Higher Education for the Top 100 List which includes tuition, room, board and fees.

Experts will tell you, however, not to rely on college rankings. At least, don’t let them be your sole criteria for deciding where to apply to college. College and university rankings are just one tool to use along with directories, brochures and web sites to help you get find and research colleges. 

In addition to U.S. News & World Report, Peterson’s, Kaplan, Princeton Review, there are other providers of different types of rankings and ratings – some of them objective (e.g. Kiplinger’s), many of them subjective (e.g. College Prowler). Some rate schools on specific criteria. Some are written by students. Before accepting information at face value, check out the source and the methodology. Also keep in mind which factors are important to you. For example, if you don’t care about really specific topics such as the weather, the abundance of parties, how beautiful campus is or the geek factor, then discount that part of the assessment. 

The College Board site (www.collegeboard.com) is an objective resource with lots of information and statistics for every college. While, it does not contain subjective appraisals or student input, it’s an excellent resource to reality check some of the lesser-known guides.

For links to various college and university rating and rankings, check out the InLikeMe Web Link: College Ratings, Rankings and Reviews.

InLikeMe’s Ultimate College-Bound Resource List (http://www.inlikeme.com/resources) contains hundreds of valuable resources.

You’ll find a sampling below:

1. College Matchmaker: Looking for the right fit? Tell “College Matchmaker” (from The College Board) what you’re looking for, and it will recommend some colleges and universities that meet your needs: http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/advhome.jsp
2. College Majors: Before searching for colleges by the majors they offer, take the time to learn about some of the over 600 majors and careers profiled here: http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers/profiles/index.html
3. Exploring Careers: Check out the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Career Guide to link your favorite subject in school to a possible career: http://www.bls.gov/k12/
4. College Navigator: This comprehensive site from the U.S. Department of Education includes an excellent college search engine and side-by-side comparison tools: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
5. Student Opinions, Editorials & Ratings: Check out College Prowler to get the “inside scoop”: http://collegeprowler.com
6. Student Reviews & Candid Video Interviews: Check out Unigo to find out what students have to say about 250+ colleges and universities: http://www.unigo.com
7. Campus Tours: YOUniversityTV.com features entertaining and informative video tours of college campuses from Florida to California to Hawaii. http://www.YOUniversityTV.com
8. Best College Values: Kiplinger’s ranks the top values in Public Colleges and Universities. You can use various criteria to search and sort: http://www.kiplinger.com/money/collegevalues/
9. Accredited Institutions and Programs: The U.S. Government provides a database of Accredited Institutions and Programs. http://www.ED.gov
10. U.S. News – The World’s Best Colleges: Features “top” schools and provides helpful information about selecting and paying for college: http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/worlds-best-colleges

Reach - Match - Safety

Selecting colleges and universities that appeal to you in all three categories is a sound combination strategy to manage your risk and maintain your upside. Reach schools are usually your top choice colleges, and those most difficult to get into. Match (or target) schools are those where you have a reasonable (typically better than 50-50) chance of admission. Safety schools are those where you typically are somewhat overqualified, where you will almost certainly gain admission.
 

When categorizing your list of colleges, it’s important to look candidly at your admissions profile and the selectivity of the college. If the school’s admissions rate is under 30%, it’s probably not a true safety school for many applicants — even those with well above average scores and other strong factors. A number of the most selective schools turn down more students with perfect SAT scores than they admit.

Some students, especially those seeking admission to the most selective colleges, should consider adding additional gradations: high reach, low reach, likely, high safety, etc. A high reach might be a school where the candidate is in the 25th SAT and GPA percentiles and doesn’t have any really special activities or “hook”. If your qualifications put you in the “average pile”, maybe it’s prudent to consider the college as more of a semi-reach. In today’s competitive environment, to keep your expectations realistic, some counselors suggest you don’t use the term safety – since admissions is hardly ever a sure thing — but name the category “probable” instead.

Insiders advise you to beware of the “super stretch” – it’s important to know the difference between a legitimate reach school that is a bit of a stretch, and a school where it is just about impossible for you to get in. They also advise you to make sure you like your safety (or probable) and match schools. Select them carefully as you may end up there. A final bit of advice is to try to manage your emotions vis-à-vis the reach colleges. You may have your heart set on attending but the admissions officers may decide otherwise – make sure you have good back up options. At the same time, don’t be afraid to reach for the top and don’t be shy about applying to a few additional schools – just in case.

Use these college search engines to find a wide range of information such as: admission statistics, graduation rates, course offerings, application forms and filing dates. You can even tour the campus and find students ratings and opinions.

1. College Navigator (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator) is a free consumer information resource provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The site has tools and search options that make it quick and easy to gather and compare data about most U.S. colleges and universities. The College Navigator site also has useful links to Federal government sites for financial aid and career planning.
2. College Insight (http://college-insight.org) provides easy-to-use college profiles that include information about affordability, student debt, and diversity.
3. Unigo (http://www.unigo.com) provides “insider” reviews, videos and photos by actual students attending the college. You’ll also find institution-specific stats and rankings as well as forums that focus on specific topics and colleges. Unigo’s partnership with The Wall Street Journal provides additional content focused on getting accepted, choosing schools and paying for college.
4. U-CAN Network (http://www.ucan-network.org) The University and College Accountability Network provides charts and concise information in a common format on more than 700 private institutions courtesy of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Institutional profiles include admissions and enrollment stats, student demographics, graduation rates, popular majors, faculty information, class size, tuition and fee trends, price of attendance, financial aid, campus housing, student life, and campus safety.
5. College Portraits (http://www.collegeportraits.org) College Portrait of Undergraduate Education is similar to U-CAN, but focuses on public colleges and universities.
6. College Results Online (http://www.collegeresults.org) provides interactive tools to query graduation rates at four-year colleges and universities. In addition to providing college-specific graduation rates and other data (e.g. cost, financial aid), the comparison tool provides analogous information for similar colleges.
7. Kiplinger’s Best College Values (http://www.kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values) ranks U.S. colleges and universities in three separate lists: public, private universities, and liberal arts colleges. Users can query, view and sort the schools on each list by various financial and quality measures.
8. U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges) Beyond its rankings, this site offers a plethora of college data and guidance. In addition to ranking national universities and liberal arts colleges, you’ll find an assortment of interesting lists including: A+ Options for B Students, Learning Communities, Up-and-Coming Colleges, Internships-Co-ops, Study Abroad, Best Undergrad Teaching and Writing Programs.
9. FairTest (http://www.fairtest.org) The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, a nonprofit advocacy organization provides a list of more than 800 four-year colleges and universities that do not use the SAT I or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor degree candidates.
10. College Board (http://www.collegeboard.com) provides search and “College MatchMaker” tools to query its database of more than 3500 schools. The site also contains useful student aid and entrance exam information.
11. Zinch (http://www.zinch.com) is a fairly new admissions portal that helps colleges and students connect. Students create profiles on the site and “shout out” to colleges of interest hoping to begin a dialogue. Colleges also have the ability to search through these profiles to reach out to students. More than 800 colleges and universities participate, including a number of Ivy League schools.
12. Cappex (http://www.cappex.com) has a user-friendly search tool that provides easy-to-absorb college profiles with information about specific programs and majors. Cappex also has college matchmaking and scholarship resources for registered users.
13. Common Data Set – Google “Common Data Set and Name of Institution” (e.g. Common Data Set Vanderbilt”) The Common Data Set refers that the source data that colleges and universities provide annually, in a standardized format, for use in college guides and other venues. Analyzing the data can provide insight about admissions, merit aid and other areas of interest.
14. College Confidential (http://www.collegeconfidential.com), the popular college admissions site and discussion forum is a source of school-specific gossip (whether reliable or not) and information.
15. College Prowler          (Student Opinions & Reviews)
16. Campus Tours            (College Campus Tours)
    

In addition to on-line tools, there are many excellent guidebooks and college directories.

An InLikeMe favorite is The College Finder: Choose the School That’s Right for You! a unique resource for finding out about college majors, costs, athletics, religion, quality, and much more.  The College Finder  is a book with hundreds of lists, which can help identify colleges where students will get in and fit in.   List topics include:  best schools in specific fields such as pre-med and business, hidden gems, great food, low-cost colleges with excellent education and study abroad opportunities.

Here are two other InLikeMe favorites:

The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013, 29E  provides an insider’s look at more than 300 popular colleges and universities.

The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, 2012: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 38th Edition

Finding both objective and subjective information about colleges doesn’t have to be difficult or overly time-consuming. You just need to know where to look.

Here are fifteen resources (fourteen websites and one guide book) where students and parents can quickly get up to speed about individual colleges, affordability and admissions policies:

1. College Navigator (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator) is a free consumer information resource provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The site has tools and search options that make it quick and easy to gather and compare data about most U.S. colleges and universities. The College Navigator site also has useful links to Federal government sites for financial aid and career planning.
2. College Insight (http://college-insight.org) provides easy-to-use college profiles that include information about affordability, student debt, and diversity.
3. Unigo (http://www.unigo.com) provides “insider” reviews, videos and photos by actual students attending the college. You’ll also find institution-specific stats and rankings as well as forums that focus on specific topics and colleges. Unigo’s partnership with The Wall Street Journal provides additional content focused on getting accepted, choosing schools and paying for college.
4. U-CAN Network (http://www.ucan-network.org) The University and College Accountability Network provides charts and concise information in a common format on more than 700 private institutions courtesy of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Institutional profiles include admissions and enrollment stats, student demographics, graduation rates, popular majors, faculty information, class size, tuition and fee trends, price of attendance, financial aid, campus housing, student life, and campus safety.
5. College Portraits (http://www.collegeportraits.org) College Portrait of Undergraduate Education is similar to U-CAN, but focuses on public colleges and universities.
6. College Results Online (http://www.collegeresults.org) provides interactive tools to query graduation rates at four-year colleges and universities. In addition to providing college-specific graduation rates and other data (e.g. cost, financial aid), the comparison tool provides analogous information for similar colleges.
7. Kiplinger’s Best College Values (http://www.kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values) ranks U.S. colleges and universities in three separate lists: public, private universities, and liberal arts colleges. Users can query, view and sort the schools on each list by various financial and quality measures.
8. U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges) Beyond its rankings, this site offers a plethora of college data and guidance. In addition to ranking national universities and liberal arts colleges, you’ll find an assortment of interesting lists including: A+ Options for B Students, Learning Communities, Up-and-Coming Colleges, Internships-Co-ops, Study Abroad, Best Undergrad Teaching and Writing Programs.
9. FairTest (http://www.fairtest.org) The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, a nonprofit advocacy organization provides a list of more than 800 four-year colleges and universities that do not use the SAT I or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor degree candidates.
10. College Board (http://www.collegeboard.com) provides search and “College MatchMaker” tools to query its database of more than 3500 schools. The site also contains useful student aid and entrance exam information.
11. Zinch (http://www.zinch.com) is a fairly new admissions portal that helps colleges and students connect. Students create profiles on the site and “shout out” to colleges of interest hoping to begin a dialogue. Colleges also have the ability to search through these profiles to reach out to students. More than 800 colleges and universities participate, including a number of Ivy League schools.
12. Cappex (http://www.cappex.com) has a user-friendly search tool that provides easy-to-absorb college profiles with information about specific programs and majors. Cappex also has college matchmaking and scholarship resources for registered users.
13. Common Data Set – Google “Common Data Set and Name of Institution” (e.g. Common Data Set Vanderbilt”) The Common Data Set refers that the source data that colleges and universities provide annually, in a standardized format, for use in college guides and other venues. Analyzing the data can provide insight about admissions, merit aid and other areas of interest.
14. College Confidential (http://www.collegeconfidential.com), the popular college admissions site and discussion forum is a source of school-specific gossip (whether reliable or not) and information.
15. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013, 29E  provides an insider’s look at more than 300 popular colleges and universities.

Written by: Lynn Radlauer Lubell, Publisher of InLikeMe.com and Founder of Admission By Design (lynn@admissionbydesign.com), an Educational Consultancy based in Boca Raton, Florida.