It seems as though college admissions has become increasingly more competitive over the last several years. Many colleges, especially the most selective ones, have reported record numbers of applications year after year. But since most of these schools have not increased the size of their freshman class, more applications have resulted in more denials and higher selectivity.
We can see evidence of these trends by looking at data from the Common Application, which is now accepted by over 1,000 colleges. Last spring, Forbes reported that as of March 1, 2024, more than 1.3 million individual applicants had applied to colleges with the Common App – an increase of over 70,000 applicants compared to the previous year.
Additionally, the total number of applications submitted through March 1 of last year was up by 7% over the previous year, from over 7 million in the 2022-23 application cycle to over 7.5 million in 2023-24. Finally, the average number of applications submitted per applicant increased by 1%, from 5.66 to 5.74.
Forbes also pointed out that the 2023-24 numbers were in line with a sustained year-over-year increase in applications since the 2019-20 application cycle. Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, the number of students applying with the Common App grew by 285,000 or 28%!
While the 2024-25 application cycle is not yet over, preliminary data indicate continued growth in applications. According to Jeff Selingo, bestselling author of three books on admissions and higher education, as of December 1, “The number of applications filed with colleges that aren’t new to the Common App [was] up 8% so far this cycle.” In addition, the average number of applications submitted per student at that point in the cycle was also up.
What are the reasons behind these increases in applicants and in average number of applications submitted? There are a few major ones, as described below.
The proliferation of test-optional policies. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, far more colleges became test-optional. The aforementioned Forbes article stated that in 2019-20, 55% of colleges on the Common App required students to submit test scores. In 2020-21, only 5% required scores. In 2023-24, 4% of Common App member institutions required scores.
As a result of these changes, fewer students submitted scores. In 2019-20, 76% of students applying with the Common App included test scores in their application, whereas in 2023-24, only 45% of applicants did so. Students who previously would have been discouraged from applying to certain schools because of their scores became more likely to apply, which explains the explosion in applications to many colleges.
More colleges have joined the Common App. When Common App launched in 1975, it had only 15 member institutions. Today, over 1,000 colleges accept the Common App! For many students, the only application they need to complete is the Common App, which makes applying to multiple colleges much easier.
Common App allows students to apply to up to 20 colleges. Although all Common App colleges have their own “college questions” and many have supplemental essays, the fact that students can complete one main application and submit it to up to 20 schools undoubtedly has encouraged some students to apply to more colleges. Furthermore, nothing prevents a student from creating additional Common App accounts if they want to apply to more than 20 colleges.
Between the overall increases in applications and reports of huge increases in applications to many of the most selective colleges, it may seem impossible to get into such colleges. Interestingly, however, Common App numbers indicate that these colleges are not as popular as one might think. Both last spring and in December, Common App reported that there was a larger increase in applications to public colleges vs. private ones, and the smallest growth in applications was to colleges with acceptance rates of under 25%.
In considering all of this data, the most important thing for students to do is to create a balanced college list. That means applying to colleges with a wide range of acceptance rates, rather than having a list that is solely or mostly composed of schools that are highly selective. While it’s ok to apply to some reaches, also applying to colleges where you have a greater chance of admission will make it more likely that, come spring of your senior year, you will have several options to choose from.
