How to Understand College Acceptance Rates

When students and families begin the college admissions process, one of the first numbers they look for is a school’s acceptance rate. 

At first glance, this percentage can seem like a reflection of your chances of getting into a particular college. For example, if a college has a 10% acceptance rate, does that mean you have a 10% chance of being admitted? Not exactly. 

The acceptance rate is a piece of the puzzle, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Different factors can influence acceptance rates, which can create a misleading impression of your chances of admission. That’s why we want to help you understand the factors that impact college acceptance rates.

This guide will break down what goes into a college’s acceptance rate and how to understand what that number really means.

Deadlines: Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Regular Decision

One major factor that can influence a college's acceptance rate is the type of deadline a student chooses. Many colleges offer multiple options: Early Decision (ED), Early Action (EA), and/or Regular Decision (RD). Each of these pathways can have different acceptance rates, often dramatically so.

Early Decision (ED): This is a binding application deadline, meaning that if you’re admitted, you must attend the school. ED applicants often see higher acceptance rates than those who apply Regular Decision because colleges know these students are committed to enroll. As a reminder, not all colleges offer an Early Decision deadline.

Early Action (EA): Unlike ED, Early Action is not binding. Students apply early and receive their admissions decision sooner, but they are not required to attend if admitted. The acceptance rate for EA is often slightly higher than RD but lower than ED, depending on the school. As a reminder not all colleges offer an Early Action deadline.

Regular Decision (RD): This is the most common application cycle (though fall deadlines are becoming more and more popular each year). RD applicants can end up facing more competition since this is often—but not always—the largest pool of applicants for a college. 

Some colleges are very transparent and report the acceptance rate breakdown across deadline types, but many colleges do not make this information publicly available. This can make it difficult for families to see how individual deadlines impact an overall acceptance rate. 

One of our favorite resources to understand how deadlines and acceptance rates comes from Big J Educational Consulting. They provide charts for many colleges that report this data, and they update them each year! 

Deadlines Part 2: Percentage of Class Filled Through Early Deadlines

Another important element to consider is how much of a college’s incoming class is filled through fall deadlines like Early Decision or Early Action. Many schools, especially highly selective ones, fill a large portion of their freshman class during the early rounds. 

Some schools may admit as much as 50-60% of their incoming class through Early Decision, leaving fewer spots available for Regular Decision applicants.

This impacts the overall acceptance rate because the more seats that are filled early, the fewer seats are left for later deadlines. This can make other deadlines, like Regular Decison, all the more competitive. For example, if a college admits 50% of its class through ED, the acceptance rate for RD applicants will be much lower, as more students are competing for far fewer spots. 

Understanding how a school uses its early rounds can help you better interpret what the acceptance rate really means for your chances.

Residency: In-State vs. Out-of-State at Public Universities

For public universities, residency plays a significant role in acceptance rates. Public institutions typically prioritize in-state students, offering them lower tuition and higher acceptance rates. Out-of-state students, on the other hand, often face more competition for fewer available spots.

For example, a public university might have an overall acceptance rate of 30%, but when broken down by residency, in-state students might have a 40% acceptance rate while out-of-state applicants see rates closer to 15%. 

Some states also have a requirement that a certain percentage of their incoming class consist of in-state students. For example, for North Carolina public institutions, state law requires that at least 82% of each year's admitted class are residents of North Carolina.

If you’re applying to a public university as an out-of-state student, it’s important to recognize that your actual chances may be different than the overall acceptance rate suggests.

Impacted Majors: Acceptance Rates by Major

It’s also important to recognize that not all majors have the same acceptance rate in the admissions process if a college admits by major. When colleges consider a student’s intended major as part of the admissions process, some majors are “impacted,” meaning they have more applicants than available spots. Impacted majors often have significantly lower acceptance rates than less popular programs.

For example, engineering, computer science, business, and nursing are commonly impacted majors at many universities. If you’re applying to one of these fields, you may face steeper competition than students applying to other programs, even at the same college. The overall acceptance rate might be 50%, but if you’re applying to an impacted major, your chances could be closer to 30%.

Researching how competitive your intended major is at a specific school can give you a more accurate picture of your chances of admission. It’s also worth considering other potential majors if you’re open to multiple academic interests.

Institutional Priorities

Colleges often have specific institutional priorities (IP), or unique goals for admissions, that can influence their admissions decisions in ways that aren’t immediately obvious from the acceptance rate. Admissions offices may prioritize certain groups of students, such as:

• Legacy applicants

• Recruited athletes

• Underrepresented groups (such as first-generation college students or students from underrepresented regions)

• Students applying to particular majors or programs that have been named institutional priorities

These students may have higher acceptance rates, which can affect the overall rate for other applicants. 

Most colleges, unfortunately, do not make all of their institutional priorities public knowledge. It’s one of the factors of admission students cannot control. However, referencing a college’s Common Data Set (Google College Name + Common Data Set) and reviewing the chart found in section C7 can help you understand what factors are considered in a college’s admissions decision.

Below, you can see some of the institutional priorities considered by Georgia Tech. While this is not a complete representation of the college’s IPs, you can see that the college does consider talent/ability, first-generation status, and residency in the admissions process but does not consider legacy status.

Chart C7 from Georgia Tech’s Common Data Set 2023-2024

Action Steps

Now that you know the factors influencing acceptance rates, how can you use this information to improve your college admissions strategy? Here’s what you can do:

Research Your Schools: Look beyond the overall acceptance rate. Check for information on Early Decision vs. Regular Decision rates, residency breakdowns, and how your intended major is impacted at each college. Understanding these details can help you apply strategically and make sure you have a balanced college list.

Understand The Numbers: Pay attention to how much of the class is admitted through ED or EA. If a school fills half of its class early, consider whether you’re a good candidate for early deadlines, especially if that’s your top choice.

Learn What You Can About Institutional Priorities: Try to understand a college’s specific priorities. If you’re a legacy student or an athlete, your chances might be higher, but if you’re applying as an out-of-state applicant to a state school, know that your chances might be lower.

Ask Questions: If you’re unsure about how certain factors may influence your application, don’t hesitate to reach out to admissions offices for clarification. Many colleges are transparent about their admissions process and are happy to provide information on how different variables impact acceptance rates.

What is a Reach School?

If you’ve started thinking about your college list, chances are you’ve come across the term “reach school.” But what does it actually mean? And should you have reach schools on your college list?

Understanding what it means for a college to be a “reach” is an important step in creating a balanced college list. It’s also important to understand why a specific college might be a reach. Let’s dive into what makes colleges a reach for some (or all!) students and how you can determine if a college is a reach for you.

A reach school is essentially a college or university where your chances of admission are slim. This doesn’t mean you have no chance at all (although it can feel like it when you see single-digit acceptance rates!), but rather that your acceptance is less likely based on certain criteria that we’ll discuss later. 

Reach schools are typically more selective, with lower acceptance rates and higher academic standards, but there are other reasons that might make a college a reach even if it doesn’t appear that way at first glance.

Including a few reach schools in your college list can be exciting, as these are often “dream schools,” but an unbalanced college list with too many reach schools can lead to disappointment. It's important to balance your college list with target and likely schools where you have a medium to high chance of admission to set yourself up for a successful application process.

HOW TO DETERMINE IF A COLLEGE IS A REACH

Grades and Test Scores

Probably the most common way to determine if a college is a reach school is to compare your academic credentials with the college’s admitted student profile. If your GPA and standardized test scores fall below the 25th percentile of the college’s recent admits, it’s likely a reach. 

Colleges often publish these statistics on their admissions pages or in their Common Data Set, and we recommend looking for a middle 50% range rather than just an average GPA or test score. 

Remember, in college admissions, very little outweighs strong grades. While strong essays and extracurriculars can sometimes help in holistic admissions, falling below these academic benchmarks generally means the school as a reach.

Acceptance Rates

Colleges with extremely low acceptance rates, typically under 20%, are considered reach schools for nearly all applicants. Some of our industry colleagues call these schools “highly rejective” instead of “highly selective.”  

These institutions receive thousands of applications from highly qualified students, making admission incredibly competitive. Schools like Stanford, Harvard, and MIT fall into this category. 

This is about math and not about you or your application. There are around 20,000 high schools in the United States. That’s 20,000 valedictorians (with another 20,000 saluditorians). By comparison, Harvard admits around 2,000 students with a <5% acceptance rate. They cannot possibly admit every qualified student—even if they wanted to!

If a college has an acceptance rate this low, it's a reach regardless of how strong your application may be.

Impacted Majors

Applying to a heavily impacted or competitive major can also make a school a reach. This is mainly the case for schools that admit by major. For example, in North Carolina, NC State University admits by major, and some are much more competitive than others; UNC Chapel Hill does not admit by major.

Certain programs—such as engineering, business, computer science, and nursing—often have much lower acceptance rates than the college overall. Research the selectivity of the major you’re interested in, as it can significantly influence your chances of admission.

Early Decision vs Regular Decision

Acceptance rates can vary significantly between Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) or Regular Decision (RD) applicants. Some colleges admit a higher percentage of their ED applicants, as these students are committed to attending if accepted. 

Additionally, every ED admit is a seat that is no longer open for EA or RD applicants. Some colleges fill around half of their incoming class with ED applicants, so the much larger EA/RD application pools are vying for a smaller number of open seats. 

Here’s a chart that shows ED data for a handful of competitive colleges:

Acceptance rates for the Class of 2026

If you’re considering a reach school, applying ED might increase your chances. However, ED is binding, so you must be certain that the school is your top choice and that you can afford to attend.

Out-of-State Residency

For public universities, your residency status can also affect your chances of admission. Many state schools prioritize in-state students and have lower acceptance rates for out-of-state applicants. 

This can work in your favor if you are applying to a public university in your state of residence. For example, in North Carolina, 82% of incoming students must be in-state residents. College acceptance is much more difficult for an out-of-state applicant than a student living in North Carolina. 

But for students applying to public universities in a different state, the opposite can be true. This doesn't mean you shouldn't apply, but be aware that out-of-state status can make a school more of a reach.

Colleges often publish the percentage of in-state vs out-of-state students somewhere on their admissions website. While this isn’t always the case, colleges with very high percentages of in-state students may be a reach for students from another state.

Additional Factors

Several other factors can tip the scales when determining if a school is a reach. Look up a college’s Common Data Set to see what admission factors are important to each institution. Extracurricular activities, essays, demonstrated interest, and interviews can play significant roles. Additionally, legacy status can influence your application at colleges that consider it; being related to an alumnus can improve your chances at some institutions.

HOW TO RESEARCH AND EVALUATE SCHOOLS

Gathering accurate data is key to assessing whether a school is a reach. There’s a lot of information out there, so make sure you are collecting up-to-date data from official sources.

Use resources like the college’s official website and the Common Data Set to find statistics on GPA, test scores, and acceptance rates. Visiting campuses and attending information sessions can also provide valuable insights. And don’t forget that admissions officers do more than evaluate applications! They are there to help you engage with the college and answer your thoughtful questions.

As you build your college list, make sure you factor in balance. Your list should include likely and target schools as well to ensure you have options come decision time. 

Identifying and understanding reach schools is a critical part of building your college list. While it’s exciting to dream big and apply to selective institutions if they are the right fit for you, it’s equally important to be realistic and strategic.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to find a college where you can thrive academically and personally. Approach the process with an open mind and a balanced perspective, and you’ll be well on your way to success!

IS YOUR COLLEGE LIST UNBALANCED?

Building A Balanced College List

April was a transition month for students at Advantage College Planning.

Seniors have their college decisions. And while some have been writing Letters of Continued Interest in hopes of coming off of waitlists, many others have attended admitted student days, made their college choice, and put down enrollment deposits. We’re so excited and proud of what our seniors have accomplished this year!

Juniors are looking ahead and preparing to step up to the plate. Most of our juniors are busy researching colleges and focusing on fit—not name and rankings—to determine their next steps. College lists are a work in progress right now. The goal is that by the time application work begins in earnest, rising seniors will have a balanced college list made up of well-researched schools that fit them academically, socially, and financially.

But what do we mean when we say a “balanced” college list?

We’re talking about selectivity, and given admissions trends over the past few years, a balanced list is more important than ever. 

We divide colleges into three (and a half) categories when it comes to selectivity: Likely, Target, and Reach. Let’s take a closer look at each category and discuss our best tips for building a balanced college list.

LIKELY

Likely schools should be the foundation of every college list. These are colleges where the student applying has a high chance of being admitted based on the college’s acceptance rate and the applicant’s academic profile. 

Every student should apply to a few Likely colleges that they can get excited about and see themselves attending. 

Here are a few tips about Likely colleges:

• Likely colleges may come with some extra opportunities like merit scholarships or admission to honors colleges. 

• Don’t overlook Likely schools in the college planning process. Include Likelies on your college tours to learn what makes them unique college experiences!

• We recommend applying to at least one in-state public Likely college for financial fit as well. 

• Parents: What is “Likely” has changed over the years! Just because a school was less selective several years ago (or even recently…) doesn’t mean it’s a Likely school for your student.

Lastly, you may have heard the expression “Safety School” before. I want you to forget that phrase ever existed. Why? Because when someone is talking about a “Safety School,” they usually don’t mean it in a positive way. They mean it in a backup, last-resort way. That’s not what we’re doing here. 

It’s important that Likely colleges are just as strong a fit for a student as any other college on their list. Likely colleges are great places to get an education. Students need to like their Likelies and parents need to support them as much as the rest of the college list!

TARGET

A Target school is a college where a student’s chance of admission is around 50% based on the college’s acceptance rate and the student’s academic profile. The student, academically, falls somewhere in the middle 50% of what the college generally admits. 

Because students fall in that middle 50%, it’s easy for students to confuse Likelies and Targets. But Target schools will sometimes admit applicants with a profile similar to the student’s. And sometimes they won’t. 

Here are some tips about Target schools:

• Keep a close eye on changing acceptance rates from year to year. With changing factors like test-optional policies and a rise in applications at many colleges, what may have been a Likely or Target when a student started list building can change by the time they apply to college. For example:

  • Auburn University had a 155% increase in Early Action applications this year. Their overall acceptance rate for the 2020-2021 cycle was around 81%. We’re still waiting for the final numbers to shake out for the overall acceptance rate for 2021-2022, but the early action acceptance rate was only 24%!

• Some schools may appear like Target schools based on their acceptance rate but are actually Likely or Reach schools in disguise. Here are two types of schools to look out for:

  • Public Universities - Most public universities admit in-state students at a different rate than out-of-state students, and that may give students a slight advantage or disadvantage in the admissions process. For example, at UNC Chapel Hill, 82% of seats in the incoming class are reserved for students from North Carolina. So for UNC’s Class of 2025, the overall acceptance rate was 19.2%, but the difference between in-state and out-of-state was huge. North Carolina applicants were admitted at a rate of 42.2% while out-of-state students were admitted at a rate of 10.5%. 

  • Colleges with Early Decision - If a college has an Early Decision admissions deadline, those numbers can skew its overall acceptance rate and make a school look less selective than it is for students who are applying Regular Decision. Colleges often have a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision because they know those students will attend if admitted (read more about the different types of application deadline types here), and some colleges can fill half of their class or more from Early Decision. Here are a few examples from the Class of 2024:

    • American University -  Early Decision acceptance rate: 83.5%, Regular Decision acceptance rate: 36.4%, Percentage of class filled from ED: 51%

    • Davidson College - Early Decision acceptance rate: 46.9%, Regular Decision acceptance rate: 16.5%, Percentage of class filled from ED: 59%

    • Washington & Lee University - Early Decision acceptance rate: 52.6%, Regular Decision acceptance rate: 21.3%, Percentage of class filled from ED: 59%

REACH 

A Reach school is a college where a student’s chance of admission is low. The college generally admits students with a higher academic profile than the applicant. The college might also have a lower acceptance rate. A combination of the two is often common for reach schools. 

If a college list runs into trouble, it’s usually because of reach schools. When students aren’t thinking about building a balanced college list, they tend to add too many Reaches, and the list becomes unbalanced. And when students aren’t thinking about fit, they tend to add more and more Reach schools based on name or ranking regardless of whether or not they would be happy attending college there.

Just like Likely and Target schools should be a good fit for students, so should Reach schools. Students should consider whether the Reaches on their list are an academic, social, and financial fit for them. 

Here are some tips for Reach colleges:

• Don’t let Reach schools take over the college list. Apply to a few that are a good fit, but this should not be the majority of the college list!

  • Often, I hear from students that they are comfortable applying to mostly Reaches with one or two Likely or Targets thrown in for “safety” (remember how I feel about that concept?). If that’s you or your student, think for a minute about the spring of senior year. What will it feel like to open up “no” after “no” (which is, realistically, the most probable result from a Reach school)? Even if there are a few acceptances sprinkled in there, that’s a lot of rejection for a teenager to face at the end of a successful high school career. I don’t recommend it.

• Financially, families should recognize that even if a student is admitted, they will likely not receive any merit-based scholarships (and many highly selective don’t actually award scholarships based on merit).

• Students should LOVE their Reach schools and be excited about learning more about them, researching them, writing about them, etc… If any of these things feel like a drag or you think of an answer to the “Why Us?” essay, ask yourself why you’re applying and if it’s for the right reasons.

WILDCARD

At the beginning of this blog post, I said there were three and a half categories when it came to college selectivity. That’s because some colleges are a reach for everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your GPA is, what your test scores are, or what you wrote your essay about. It’s still a reach. I call these Wildcards.

For me, it’s any college with less than a 20% acceptance rate. When colleges are this selective, admission is unpredictable.

Along with the Reach tips above, here are some additional tips for Wildcard colleges:

• Fit is always important. But perhaps the most important when applying to a Wildcard. These colleges have no shortage of applications, so they can really be picky and admit exactly the type of student who’s going to be a great fit for their campus community. Apply to Wildcards where you are truly a good fit and can demonstrate that you understand what makes the college unique.

  • Can you fake it til you make it? Probably not. These admissions representatives read thousands of applications each year. They can spot a genuine fit for their campus.

• Applying to more Wildcards will not increase your chances of being accepted. That’s not how math works. You do not have a higher probability of being accepted by one Ivy League college if you apply to all of them. Find your fit. Find the colleges you truly love.

• Your admissions decision at a highly selective college says very little about you, in the end. Let that be liberating! They receive and reject hundreds of applications each year with perfect GPAs and test scores. It’s not about “not being good enough.” It’s about not having enough dorm rooms. Many of them would admit many more students if they could. So much is out of your control with a Wildcard school. Know that you put your best self forward, trust that the process is playing out as it should, and love the colleges who love you back!

BUILDING THE LIST

On average, students apply to a range of 6-12 colleges. 

Students with fewer Reach and Wildcard schools may be more comfortable at the lower end of that range. If a student is applying to more highly selective schools, they should make sure to have plenty of Likely and Target schools as their foundation.

We work with rising seniors in all phases of college list building, from discussing college fit to building suggested college lists to ensuring a student’s self-made list is balanced and realistic. To get support with building a balanced college list, reach out for a free consultation!