It is almost impossible to get into Stanford. That may be frustrating if Stanford is your dream school. Stanford accepts so few applicants that they stopped publishing their acceptance rate after it dipped below 4.7%. Their application doesn’t make trying your luck easy, either. With 11 questions, it’s a bit of a beast. But if you are genuinely passionate about Stanford and have the scores and grades to match, we’re here to help. 

Stanford is thought of as the best schools in the world. It’s so good that they decided that publishing their astonishingly low acceptance rate isn’t even worth it. The last acceptance rate that we have was for the Class of 2022, and it was a measly 4.7%. We feel confident in saying that it hasn’t gone up since. Are we saying this to try to discourage you from applying? No. But we do want you to be fully aware that you are vying to be one of four-in-a-hundred. 

Brown University is located in Providence, RI. It’s a member of the Ivy League and has an undergraduate population of about 6,750. There are also numerous graduate schools, including a medical school. Brown has robust research opportunities, tends to foster a culture that values extroverts and those with immense school spirit, and is known for its open curriculum. It’s competitive--their acceptance rate last year was 7%. Students do not have to take any “core” classes and are asked to define their academic pursuits by their “concentration.” Students who seek flexibility, are self-determined, and are great at time management thrive there. The lack of structure isn’t for everyone, but those who love it, really, really love it. Their supplement is comprised of three short answer prompts. We break them each down below in an effort to demystify the supplement to one of the most sought-after undergraduate institutions in the country. 

USC is a large school in Los Angeles, California with a rapidly declining acceptance rate. Our students (and students all over the world) love USC for its school spirit and excellent programs. Last year, it had an 11% acceptance rate. Fight on.

USC is a research university in Los Angeles, California. Last year, 66,000 people applied. For TKG clients, USC is one of our most applied to schools. It’s also the school that we receive the most emails about from blog readers. The acceptance rate for the class of 2023 was 11%.

Pomona College is a super small college near Los Angeles, CA. It’s a part of the Claremont Colleges, which consists of Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College (CMC), Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College. All of these schools are in Claremont, CA and share a somewhat collective campus spanning 1 square mile. These five undergraduate colleges are joined by two graduate institutions as well. Pomona is quite selective. They did not release their acceptance rate this year, but last year’s was 6.9% and we imagine that it was even lower. While they don’t have a totally open curriculum, their core requirements are flexible and can be satisfied across a broad range of departments so you can still take courses aligned with your interests. Let’s dive into their supplement.

Brandeis is a medium-sized research university with a focus on the liberal arts less than 10 miles from the heart of Boston. If you’re looking for an excellent education on a close-knit campus with access to a major city, it may be a perfect fit. The medium-sized undergraduate student body (~3,600) is small enough to quickly feel at home. At the same time, having a train station on campus (yes, on campus!) means that the amenities Boston has in spades are never more than 30 minutes away. In addition to a reputation for rigorous academics, Brandeis is known for a strong history of social justice work on campus. From the student takeover of Ford Hall in 1969 to the myriad student clubs focused on furthering social good initiatives, Brandeis expects students to be informed and active global citizens. Last year, the acceptance rate was 31%.

Barnard is an all women’s college in New York City. Just over 2,600 undergraduate students attend the school, and the We’re big fans of the school and their supplement, but it’s worth noting that Barnard’s acceptance rate has hugely decreased over the past few years. Five years ago the acceptance rate was 23.8%.

Wellesley is a private women’s liberal arts college located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Students can cross-register courses at Babson College, Brandeis University, Olin College of Engineering, and MIT. Wellesley received over 6,000 applications last year, and the acceptance rate for the class of 2023 was 20%.

Emory University is a private college located in Atlanta, GA. While the school is not the best for those looking for a large, spirited athletic environment (there’s actually no football team), Emory is known for its rigorous academics, led by notable faculty who have included U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Deborah Lipstadt. Though its nested in the heart of the South, some say the school, with its vibrant Greek Life, is a little slice of the Northeast.

Colorado College has an acceptance rate of 15 percent. A private liberal arts college nestled in Colorado Springs. Its signifier is the Block Plan, a system by which students take classes for 3.5 weeks intensively, one at a time, followed by a four-day break in which everyone can take advantage of the incredible setting.  The school really wants to know that you’ll fit into the community. In fact, that’s the whole purpose of the essay.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public research university. Roughly 30,000 undergraduate students attend the school and campus is set on 936 acres. It’s a Big Ten school and Badger pride runs deep. The acceptance rate hovers around 51%.

is located in Winston-Salem, NC and has an undergraduate population of around 5,100 students. It’s a southern, small-ish, bordering on medium but not quite medium-sized school, that identifies as a collegiate university with a liberal arts curriculum. It’s test-optional, which could be appealing for some applicants, but it’s still quite competitive. Their acceptance rate has hovered around 30% for the last couple of years, though dipped a bit below last year. It’s academically rigorous and boasts a number of quite unique majors and minors that appeal to the student who has a true understanding of exactly what they want to do. For example, their sports medicine program, Elementary Education program, Business and Enterprise Management program, which is rare for a liberal arts school, and their Cultural Heritage & Preservation Studies program.

Vassar is a small liberal arts school in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school is liberal, diverse, and students are encouraged to study multiple disciplines. For the class of 2023, just over 2,000 students were admitted. The acceptance rate was 23.4%.

NYU is a private university in New York City. 84,000 students applied last year, 17,000 of which were international students. The acceptance rate for the class of 2023 was 16%.

is a small, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, PA. There are around 1,600 undergraduate students. So, when we say “small” we really mean it. It’s a true liberal arts college, in that it has strong roots in the arts and humanities as well as has a strong engineering program and many degree options for those oriented more towards math and science. It’s a part of the Tri-College Consortium with Bryn Mawr and Haverford, and students have the ability to take classes cross-registered with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It’s competitive and academically rigorous, with an acceptance rate of around 8.7% for the . Over 11,400 applied and 995 were accepted. It’s no joke.

The University of Michigan is a public research university in Ann Arbor, MI. There are about 30,000 undergraduate students enrolled at the Ann Arbor campus and the school has over 1,600 student organizations. The most recently reported acceptance rate was 23.5%.  

Lehigh University is a small-scale university in the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While Bethlehem isn’t the most lively of spots, Lehigh has gained a reputation as a good school with a great social life. Study abroad is big at Lehigh; 43% of the class of 2016 studied abroad, and the opportunities are geographically and academically diverse. We also have first-hand testimony that Lehigh’s on-campus food blows most similarly-sized schools out of the water by offering many options across a variety of student restaurants and dining halls.

This year, a lot of colleges are using a document upload function for their writing supplements instead of a text box with a word count feature at the bottom.

Two things: