Research (surprisingly) shows that the majority of colleges accept the majority of applicants

Research (surprisingly) shows that the majority of colleges accept the majority of applicantsResearch (surprisingly) shows that the majority of colleges accept the majority of applicantsIf youre not shooting for the Ivies or a handful of selective schools, college students neednt worry too much the fact is, says Pew Research Center, the majority of U.S. colleges accept most (about two-thirds or more) of students who apply.The hyper-selective schools are few Out of 1,364 four-year colleges and universities, Pew examined for the year 2017, the most recent year for which data was available, 17 of those admitted fewer than 10% of applicants. Those included familiar names like Stanford (4.7%), Harvard (5.2%), and Yale (6.9%).Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAn additional 29 schools admitted between 10% and 20% of applicants, bastions like Georgetown (15.7%), the University of Souther n California (16%), and the University of California, Berkeley (17.1%).Those competitive schools accepting 20% or less, however, amount to only 3.4% of all the colleges and universities in Pews analysis.More than half (53.3%) of the schools in Pews 1,364-school sample admitted two-thirds or more of those who applied in 2017, including St. Johns University (67.7%), Virginia Tech (70.1%), and George Mason University (81.3%).Explaining admissions ratesPew noted that admissions rates have fallen in recent years. At 45% of the schools they examined, admission rates were at least 10% lower in 2017 than in 2002. However, that doesnt necessarily mean that colleges are being more stringent about who they let in. Rates have fallen because prospective students are applying to more schools than they used to, and colleges have yet to find a spot for all of them.In absolute numbers, according to Pew, schools are making more admission offers than before, but not enough to keep pace with the soarin g number of applications.To put it a different way, in 2017 there were about 6.8 applications per student who eventually ended up enrolled somewhere.So chill out, moms and dads. There are plenty out good schools out there accepting students, so theres so need to bribe your way in.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people