Congratulations, Class of 2024: A Look at Current College Trends

I'm proud of the hard work and commitment my seniors put into their applications this year and am thrilled to share that my Class of 2024 was admitted to the following schools: 

American University 
Arizona State University
Boston University
Cal Poly Humboldt
Cal Ply SLO
Cal State East Bay
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Colorado State University
Elon University
Franklin University Switzerland 
Gonzaga University
Harvard University
Indiana University, Bloomington 
Iowa State University
Marist College
Michigan State University
Muhlenberg College
NYU
Ohio State University
Oregon State University (Honors College)
Penn State University (University Park)
Pepperdine University
Purdue University (Honors College)
San Diego State University
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Syracuse University
Texas Christian University (TCU)
Texas Tech University
Tulane University
University of Alabama
University College London (UK)
UC Berkeley (Regent Scholar Engineering)
UC Davis
UCLA 
UC Irvine 
UC Riverside
UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
University of Arizona
University of Bristol (UK)
University of British Columbia
University of Chicago
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Connecticut 
University of Denver
University of Edinburgh 
University of Hawaii
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Manchester (UK)
University of Maryland
University of Miami
University of Michigan 
University of Mississippi 
University of Oregon (Honors College)
University of Puget Sound
University of Reno Nevada (Honors College)
University of South Carolina
USC
University of Toronto
University of Utah
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Washington State University
Western Washington University (Honors College)

This year's results yielded similar patterns to last year's. Students with notable talents, whether they were recruited athletes or showcased their artistic abilities through optional arts supplements in music, dance, or visual arts, tended to fare better with the more selective colleges. And students whose application stories shone through, where their academic rigor, summer activities, research experiences, community service, and leadership roles all followed a coherent and compelling narrative, had better results compared to those with disjointed extracurricular profiles. This emphasizes how important it is for the application to reflect the student’s genuine passions.

One notable trend this year was the continued reliance on waitlists by the UCs and selective Cal State campuses. Many of my students are waitlisted at numerous UC campuses. Last year many students came off those waitlists, so I am hopeful we will see the same results in the coming weeks and months. 

I also saw some perplexing results. Most notable is a highly accomplished student who was accepted to Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA and others, yet DENIED at Cal Poly Slo. 

It’s important for CA students and families to remember that all UC campuses except Merced are selective, and they are considered the most selective for students that come from high achieving high schools. For example, University High School in Irvine is filled with high achieving students who max out AP courses, score 5s on all AP exams, are national merit finalists, and more. In Uni's class of 2023, 249 students applied to UC Berkeley with an average GPA of 4.01, and just 29 were admitted. 289 applied to UCLA with an average GPA of 3.97, and just 26 were admitted. 291 applied to UCSD with an average GPA of 3.94, and 53 were admitted. 

While students can do things like take dual enrollment courses, earn 5s on AP exams, and max out AP and honors classes to make themselves more competitive, there are no guarantees, no matter how accomplished a student is. So my message remains the same. Apply to a balanced list of colleges. In fact, I require my students to apply to at least two favorable schools and two target schools. 

When assessing admission chances, it's helpful to consider the admit rate in a variety of contexts. For private colleges, look at the overall admit rate. For public out-of-state colleges, focus on their out-of-state admit rate. Public universities typically have different admission standards and admit rates for in-state and out-of-state applicants. The out-of-state admit rate can give you a better idea of your chances as a non-resident applicant. Try to research the program or major specific admit rates. You can often find this information on the college's website or by contacting the admissions office.

Also, pay attention to each university’s standardized test policy. If the college is test optional, look at the percentage of students admitted with test scores. If more than 50% of accepted students submitted test scores, not having one lowers your chances. Also, if the school requires tests, or you plan to submit a score to a test-optional college, having a score in the 75 percentile or above will increase your chance and vice-versa. 

While this is not an exhaustive list by any means, by considering these and similar factors, you can gain insights into the level of competition and the likelihood of admission at different colleges.