Freshman Admission rates 2023 across conferences

[appdaze]

I'm going under the assumption these numbers are correct. It is Twitter after all.

[t4pizza]

So if I read that correctly, we let in 83.1% of our applicants. Not exactly the difficult admissions standards that many like to hype. Heck, we are behind coastal and I thought they were safety schools. Southern Miss should just be embarrassed by these numbers, 98.8% acceptance rate, makes me wonder who doesn't get into that school. It is clear by this chart that the current ACC is head and shoulders above all other P5 conferences including the mighty Big10 that likes to flaunt its academic superiority.

[biggie]

I assume we still have a good number of applicants but we have been increasing our freshman classes recently, so that may be why it is higher.

My daughter is a jr in HS and is looking around. I was shocked that Chapel Hill and App seem to have a large difference admission "requirements". CH wants 1350 on SAT and 4.0 unweighted GPA, my old self use to consider that Dook territory.

[app97]

I think that our current higher admission rates have more to do with the fact the more higher qualified applicants apply to App who can get accepted to higher level admissions schools (UNC, etc). That doesn't mean that they end up enrolling at App, it just means that more and more students who apply to App have stronger HS resumes (GPA, test scores, etc) than before....more current App applicants exceed the admission requirements than years ago.

From what I have observed historically, App and JMU are likely the 2 strongest undergrad academic schools in the Sun Belt, although we don't have as many grad programs, etc that some schools have. (USA has a school of medicine, but I've never known their undergrad academic standards to be anything special, similar to ECU and ETSU.) You also have to factor in graduation rate, freshman retention rate, etc. to get a more holistic feel for the quality of the school/education.

[Bigdaddyg1]

My two youngest are getting close to finishing. There are simply way too many colleges. Everything in life is a numbers thing. There are never enough high paying jobs for every college graduate. So much is just a racket.

[appchicago]

The UNC-CH number, especially, is a little inflated by the out-of-state enrollment caps at UNC System schools. It's the only school that consistently pushes its out-of-state salary cap--which ranges from 18-35% depending on the school--resulting in a wildly different acceptance rate for in-state (which is around 40-45%) vs. out-of-state (8-10%). There doesn't seem to be as big a divide between in-state and out-of-state acceptance rates at other system schools.

[BeauFoster]

This is one statistic. You have to look at the whole of the admissions process to fully understand academic standings. I’d be way more interested in seeing statistics for enrolled classes, such as GPA, SAT/ACT, etc.

Where’s Paul Harvey?

[BallantyneApp]

I assume we still have a good number of applicants but we have been increasing our freshman classes recently, so that may be why it is higher.

My daughter is a jr in HS and is looking around. I was shocked that Chapel Hill and App seem to have a large difference admission "requirements". CH wants 1350 on SAT and 4.0 unweighted GPA, my old self use to consider that Dook territory.

these are all scrubbed from the national center for education statistics

https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

FYI that 1350 is only in the 25th percentile for admitted students at UNC-Cheat, so no guarantee.

Hopefully your daughter is an athlete, because then as we know no requirements for admission and no need to attend any classes or do any work.

[spacemonkey]

I assume we still have a good number of applicants but we have been increasing our freshman classes recently, so that may be why it is higher.

My daughter is a jr in HS and is looking around. I was shocked that Chapel Hill and App seem to have a large difference admission "requirements". CH wants 1350 on SAT and 4.0 unweighted GPA, my old self use to consider that Dook territory.

1350 on SAT is not as hard as 1350 was when you took it. I would question the 4.0 unweighted GPA for in State applicants. I think a 3.6 and higher would get in with a descent SAT/ACT.

[brocktune90]

Acceptance rate is a nothing-burger that people think presents them as being a better or smarter place. Standardized tests like the SAT/ACT are not equitable and should not be used to predict potential success in college. I want my university to focus on the students that stand to benefit from a college education. That includes many first generation college students who may be good self-motivated students but don't have the family support. Why do schools tell high school students "you're not good enough" especially when these are young folks who may have had competing priorities, such as jobs or caring for family, or a simple and understandable lack of maturity.

What limits the number of student's that schools should admit? Number of faculty? Number of dorm rooms? These are hardly things to brag about.

[biggie]

I assume we still have a good number of applicants but we have been increasing our freshman classes recently, so that may be why it is higher.

My daughter is a jr in HS and is looking around. I was shocked that Chapel Hill and App seem to have a large difference admission "requirements". CH wants 1350 on SAT and 4.0 unweighted GPA, my old self use to consider that Dook territory.

these are all scrubbed from the national center for education statistics

https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

FYI that 1350 is only in the 25th percentile for admitted students at UNC-Cheat, so no guarantee.

Hopefully your daughter is an athlete, because then as we know no requirements for admission and no need to attend any classes or do any work.

Friends and money over sports for her. So she may actually have learn things.

App is her 2nd choice right now, so of course I wouldn't mind if that's what she has to do. Though being enrolled at the same school at the same time as my daughter may be weird to me.

[biggie]

I assume we still have a good number of applicants but we have been increasing our freshman classes recently, so that may be why it is higher.

My daughter is a jr in HS and is looking around. I was shocked that Chapel Hill and App seem to have a large difference admission "requirements". CH wants 1350 on SAT and 4.0 unweighted GPA, my old self use to consider that Dook territory.

1350 on SAT is not as hard as 1350 was when you took it. I would question the 4.0 unweighted GPA for in State applicants. I think a 3.6 and higher would get in with a descent SAT/ACT.

She currently is hoping for the reverse as she has the 4.0 unweighted (4.35 weighted) but her first SAT attempt wasn't as good as she hoped.

[biggie]

Neighbor/Friend's daughter that is a SR has heard back from all of the ones she applied for except Chapel Hill and Clemson, she was accepted to all the ones she applied so far (Including App, UNCC, WCU, Campbell, and like 8-10 others in NC). Will be interesting to see what CH says, don't think she will choose Clemson because the out of state costs.

Believe App is her favorite, but money (scholarship and final costs) may play into the decision.

[AppOrange]

I can tell you with certainty that the standards are not what they used to be, its all about the $ and getting a full enrollment. While my son had good grades, and wrestled in HS, he by no means would have gotten in to APP 10 years ago, but is a freshman this year. He has a buddy who had OK grades in HS, no extra curriculars got waitlisted for App till second semester, then over the course of of 3 weeks went was upgraded to waitlist first semester, then outright in first semester. NEITHER had good SAT's/ACT''s and were told they did not even have to submit them, so they didn't. Both in this fall. There are stories all over the county of University's not opening entire dorms to consolidate and save money because they don't have the interest. I think for the most part, a 4 year degree is being devalued and trades are making a comeback. Why not come out making 70K a year with no debt as opposed to 100k in the hole.

[spacemonkey]

My daughter was accepted to every unc system school...She accepted a full ride to ECU and never had to turn in an ACT or SAT. On top of that she got a second scholarship that they allow her to put in her checking account. She is making money to go to school. It amazes me what she has pulled off.

The point is not how lucky I am to have my daughter, it is that SAT and ACT are not as important as they used to be.

[hapapp]

Most schools are SAT/ACT optional now.

[hapapp]

Almost no one in the Sun Belt requires test scores. Most schools have moved to test optional. At App, 29% of enrolled students submitted ACT scores and 12% submitted SATs. So, 41% of students that enrolled in 2022 submitted test scores (though its possible some submitted both). By comparison at JMU only 26% submitted test scores. Ga Southern is one of the few in the conference that requires test scores. Their median SAT score was 1060, only Troy had a lower score (1045) and their students use ACT more than SAT. Both GS and Troy had the lowest ACT median scores at 20. For the record, only JMU had a higher SAT median (1240) than ours (1180). JMU also had the highest ACT median at 26, ours was 24, tied for second with ODU. But, in fairness, the comparisons are not absolute because there is a range of students reporting scores.

Another measure of student ability is the retention and graduation rates. At App, the retention rate from year 1 to year 2 is 83%, with a 74% graduate rate within 6 years. Only JMU has a higher retention rate (89%) and six-year grad rate (82%). Ga Southern's numbers are 72-54, Troy 75-48. App's and JMU's are by far the highest of any Sun Belt school. Excluding App and JMU, the 12 other SBC members had a six year grad rate of 51%. It would seem to me a better judge of student quality would be reflected in the retention and graduation rates. Unlike test scores, this is more of an apples to apples comparison.

[app97]

Almost no one in the Sun Belt requires test scores. Most schools have moved to test optional. At App, 29% of enrolled students submitted ACT scores and 12% submitted SATs. So, 41% of students that enrolled in 2022 submitted test scores (though its possible some submitted both). By comparison at JMU only 26% submitted test scores. Ga Southern is one of the few in the conference that requires test scores. Their median SAT score was 1060, only Troy had a lower score (1045) and their students use ACT more than SAT. Both GS and Troy had the lowest ACT median scores at 20. For the record, only JMU had a higher SAT median (1240) than ours (1180). JMU also had the highest ACT median at 26, ours was 24, tied for second with ODU. But, in fairness, the comparisons are not absolute because there is a range of students reporting scores.

Another measure of student ability is the retention and graduation rates. At App, the retention rate from year 1 to year 2 is 83%, with a 74% graduate rate within 6 years. Only JMU has a higher retention rate (89%) and six-year grad rate (82%). Ga Southern's numbers are 72-54, Troy 75-48. App's and JMU's are by far the highest of any Sun Belt school. Excluding App and JMU, the 12 other SBC members had a six year grad rate of 51%. It would seem to me a better judge of student quality would be reflected in the retention and graduation rates. Unlike test scores, this is more of an apples to apples comparison.

Precisely. This is what I was alluding to in a previous post, but thanks for digging up the numbers.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

There are never enough high paying jobs for every college graduate. So much is just a racket.

Getting a job should not be the goal of college. And certainly not a high-paying job as if it is is some raison d'être for college. College should be about becoming a more full person. Acquiring job skills is not a bad part of that but it should not be the end all of college either. And that is not to say that no jobs should require a college degree. Some fields clearly need a level of specialization and depth of knowledge.

[biggie]

There are never enough high paying jobs for every college graduate. So much is just a racket.

Getting a job should not be the goal of college. And certainly not a high-paying job as if it is is some raison d'être for college. College should be about becoming a more full person. Acquiring job skills is not a bad part of that but it should not be the end all of college either. And that is not to say that no jobs should require a college degree. Some fields clearly need a level of specialization and depth of knowledge.

That is the expectation of the majority who go to college though I believe. The bigger issue may come from those that get degrees that have a very small chance of a job that can pay back the loans that the degree creates. There are some degrees that seem to be only be good to grow as a person and personal interest, those probably shouldn't pursued by those look for a "high" paying job after the degree, but many do.

Agree that I grew more from just being on my own and the experience of college than I did from the classes during undergrad. But I did learn some from the classes in my major and it allowed me to get a job with it.