Universities Weblog

Here's a shocker from USA Today: Getting into top colleges is difficult. It seems good students are clamoring for admission to the Ivies and other elite institutions. And it's getting more and more competitive. Go figure.

Anyway, sample this bit:

Every college admissions cycle has its own set of dynamics, and this year is no exception. Many selective private colleges are reporting a boom in applications and, as a result, expect to admit a lower proportion of high school seniors than last year.

"Because application numbers are up, the admission rate will be down," says Nancy Meislahn, dean of admission and financial aid at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn.

The boom began to take shape last fall, when some colleges experienced double-digit increases in applications for early admission. Colleges offering binding early decision, which commits a student to attend the college, and non-binding early action both report an increase.

The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia had a 21% jump. "I was taken aback by the increase," admissions dean Lee Stetson says. Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., had a 29% increase; the University of Denver, 14%; and Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., 12%.And read the rest here.

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