CLASS OF 2018 - ADMISSION STATS – SAMPLE OF SELECTIVE COLLEGES: TOTAL APPLIED, ACCEPTED, ADMIT RATE

College – Total Applications – Total Accepted – Admit Rate

Stanford – 42,167 – 2,138 – 5.07

Harvard – 34,295 – 2,023 – 5.9

Yale – 30,932 – 1,935 – 6.26

Columbia – 32,967 – 2,291 – 6.94

Princeton – 26,641 – 1,939 – 7.28

MIT – 18,357 – 1,419 – 7.7

Brown – 30,432 – 2,619 – 8.6

Penn – 35,868 – 3,551 – 9.9

Dartmouth – 19,296 – 2,220 – 11.5

Cornell – 43,041 – 6,025 - 14

ADMIT RATES AT HIGHLY SELECTIVE COLLEGES FOR CLASS OF 2018

If it's the end of March or beginning of April, one thing is sure - many colleges are sending decision letters or e-mails to applicants, signifying accept, reject, or wait-list.

With most colleges in the nation experiencing increased applications in recent years, it has been getting more and more difficult - statistically, at least - to get admitted.  Highly selective schools in particular have been receiving so many applications for a fixed number of openings that admit rates have sunken to record lows. Stanford applications, for example, jumped nearly nine percent this year, to a total of 42,167.  Of those, the college accepted 2,138.

Here are the admit rates (percentages) from some of the highly selective colleges for the Class of 2018:

Stanford:  5.07
Harvard:  5.9
Yale:  6.26
Columbia:  6.94
Princeton:  7.28
MIT:  7.7
Brown:  8.6
Penn:  9.9
Dartmouth:  11.5
Cornell:  14.0