For the 2024–2025 cycle, Brown University reported an overall acceptance rate of 5.38%, in line with peers such as Dartmouth and Penn, which both reported around 5.4%. On its own, that figure doesn’t tell us much beyond the obvious: admission to schools at this level is brutally competitive. When you’re dealing with ultra‑selective institutions, surface-level stats only scratch the surface. To actually understand what’s happening, you have to look at patterns over time, shifts in applicant pools, and how different parts of the process interact with one another. And that’s exactly why we dig into this data every year, to help students approach the admissions process with smarter, more informed strategies.
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by The University of Michigan 2026
The University of Michigan is known as a “,” and is one of the best research universities in the world. They receive first-year applications annually. The overall acceptance rate for first-year applicants to The University of Michigan is , but that number is misleading because it includes both out-of-state applicants and in-state applicants, who receive preference in the admissions process. of the students in any new first-year class are residents of Michigan.
Stanford Admissions Statistics 2025
In the 2024–2025 application cycle, Stanford reported an admit rate of 3.61%. On its own, that figure sounds definitive – but it raises more questions than it answers. What factors actually drive it? And what information can we glean from the process by taking a deep dive into Stanford’s statistics? While schools like Stanford release select headline stats, understanding what’s happening beneath the surface requires a deeper look. Each year, we break down the data behind ultra-selective admissions so our students aren’t just guessing when they compete for spots at top colleges.
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by Williams College 2026
Williams is a highly-selective and equally highly-sought after small liberal arts college known for deep woods and even deeper thinkers. The acceptance rate for the was 8.5%. This continues a long-term downward trend in the Williams acceptance rate, which has dropped from about 14% to that 8.5% number over the past decade. The driver for this decline has been a huge increase in the number of applications submitted, while the number of students accepted has held fairly steady. Williams has, however, to expand housing capacity for first-years such that they can increase the size of the incoming class. As they make these small adjustments, applicants may well see shifts in the role the waitlist plays as Williams’ admissions team calibrates for new targets.
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by Vanderbilt 2026
Vanderbilt has soared in popularity in recent years, and the acceptance rate has plummeted in response. For the Class of 2029, they logged a record-low acceptance rate of . They attribute this to both a surge in applications and a rise in their yield rate. With more accepted students committing to Vanderbilt, they don’t need to accept as many students to fill the first-year class. If you are a waitlisted applicant, that isn’t the best news — but there are also actions you can take to make your chances of an eventual admission much stronger. First, though, let’s talk numbers.
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by New York University 2026
New York University, or NYU, has become one of the most popular universities in the world, receiving over 120,000 applications and accepting of applicants for the Class of 2029. The admissions team loves finding outstanding students within that massive application pool — and they don’t only define “outstanding” as academic. But most of even the exceptional applicants to NYU don’t get in. So, what makes the difference if you’ve been put on the waitlist?
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by Middlebury 2026
Middlebury is a highly-selective and equally highly-regarded liberal arts program with a low acceptance rate: for the Class of 2029 and 2029.5, which includes students who start in the second semester. The waitlist numbers for that class have not been released yet, but recent historical data does help us decode the situation with the Middlebury waitlist.
Northwestern Admissions Statistics 2025
During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, Northwestern University accepted only a sliver of the students who applied – 7.69%, landing firmly in the single-digit acceptance rate range. This number is often shocking to parents, who remember the ~40% acceptance rates in the 90s. But that top-line statistic doesn’t actually explain very much on its own, or how Northwestern became so competitive. While Northwestern does make some admissions information public, getting a meaningful understanding of what’s going on requires a more careful, layered analysis (and some math!). Thankfully, every year, we dig into the data to help our students see the bigger picture and approach the process with a clearer strategy and expectations.
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by the University of Chicago 2026
The University of Chicago is cut-throat, and not just as an academic environment. They hold their statistics close to the chest, and, as of this writing, have not released the acceptance rate for the Class of 2029. The Acceptance rate for the Class of 2028, however, was a measly . The university also offers nearly no visibility into the University of Chicago waitlist, as they don’t share the waitlist length, number of students accepted, or overall statistics in the Common Data Set, the report most universities use to share their waitlist outcomes.
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by Barnard 2026
Over a little more than a decade, Barnard has transformed from a lesser-known all-women’s backdoor into a Columbia University degree into a prestigious college in its own right with the low acceptance rate to match (). Throughout this transformation, the college has always offered an outstanding education and community steps from the Columbia gates — it’s just super competitive now.
University of Virginia (UVA) Admissions Statistics 2025
During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, the University of Virginia admitted only a relatively small share of its applicant pool, with an overall acceptance rate of 16.81%. That headline number, on its own, doesn’t actually tell you very much. How is it calculated? What pressures are shaping it year over year? UVA does make portions of its admissions data public, but getting real clarity requires a closer look beneath the surface. That kind of deeper analysis is exactly what we do each year to help students approach selective admissions with clear eyes and a smart, intentional strategy.
Expert Interview with Bill Latham, CEO of Meteor Education, the Top-Rated K-12 School Furniture Company
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What to do if You’re Waitlisted by Dartmouth 2026
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What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by Stanford 2026
Stanford University is exceptionally difficult to get into, even for truly outstanding applicants. There is no number of awards, GPA, test scores, or exceptional extracurriculars that make an applicant a shoo-in for Stanford. It’s a stretch for everyone. They delay the release of the most recent admissions statistics, but we do have numbers from 2024. For the Class of 2028, the acceptance rate was .
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by MIT 2026
MIT Admissions Statistics 2025
In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, MIT’s acceptance rate dipped to 4.55%. While not their lowest ever, it reflects a growing trend of this prestigious school’s acceptance rate trending ever downwards. But what does a 4.55% acceptance rate actually mean? MIT, like many schools, publishes raw admissions data in the Common Data Set (CDS), which is used by publishers such as U.S. News & World Report, the College Board, and Peterson’s to compile their rankings. Fortunately, it also provides us with a wealth of knowledge we can draw on to help our clients develop a data-driven strategy.
What to Do if You’re Waitlisted by Cornell 2026
Cornell is the technical Ivy. Yes, you can study literature at Cornell, but what draws people to the university is more often how they can combine a liberal arts-y education with the best education in the business in fields like mechanical engineering, hard sciences, and arenas no other Ivy League schools touch, like hospitality, labor organizing, and agriculture. The research opportunities at Cornell are exceptional, and the acceptance rate is tiny. Overall, the Cornell acceptance rate is . This is skewed, though, as some programs are more competitive to get into and others give preference to New York State applicants, pulling the acceptance rate upwards.
New York University (NYU) Admissions Statistics 2025
During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, New York University had a 9.23% acceptance rate – its lowest ever. However, this one data point doesn’t tell the whole story. How is that figure calculated? What’s actually driving it lower? And, importantly, what does this mean for YOU? While NYU releases some headline admissions data, understanding what’s really going on requires a closer look. We break down this kind of data every year to help our students approach competitive admissions with clarity and strategy.