Top Colleges Where “B” Students Are Accepted

High school students facing the college application process typically stress about the record low admission statistics at many of the most prestigious universities.  While institutions including Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Stanford, Brown, University of Chicago, and Yale all have acceptance rates at or below 5%, there are a multitude of universities offering academically vigorous programs in particular majors.  At these schools, “B” students are more than welcome. 

High school students passionate about pursuing a major in Engineering may find MIT, and even Georgia Tech, beyond their reach. But there are other “Top 5” schools in the U.S. for specific engineering specialties, according to statistics by U.S. News & World Report’s Best College guide. 

 

The University of Delaware, with an overall acceptance rate of 74%, is ranked 5^th in the country for Chemical Engineering. Virginia Tech, with an acceptance rate of 57%, is ranked 3^rd in the country for Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach, with an acceptance rate of 65%, is ranked 4^th in the country for Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering. 

 

Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana), with an acceptance rate of 53%, is ranked first in the country for Biological/Agricultural Engineering, second for Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, third for Aerospace/Aeronautical/ Astronautical Engineering, and fourth for Civil Engineering.  This provides the ideal environment for college bound students who have not yet identified the specific field of engineering for their major and future career.

 

Another school with several “Top 5” recognitions in various fields of engineering is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with an acceptance rate of 45%.  Its highly ranked specialties include Civil, Computer, Electrical, Biological/Agricultural, Mechanical, and Materials Engineering.

 

This same strategy holds true for specialties in Business, as well as in many other fields.  The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University – Bloomington ranked in the Top 5 for several majors: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Management, and Marketing. The University’s overall acceptance rate is 82%.

 

The “Top 2” universities for Supply Chain Management/Logistics are Michigan State and Arizona State, with acceptance rates, respectively, of 88% and 90%.

Acceptance rate statistics are based on data from Niche.com and reflect the overall admission rate for the university. Statistics may vary for specific colleges and majors within each school.

 

The best strategy for students to identify their ideal college is to determine the field they would like to pursue and then research the schools that offer the strongest program in that major. On their applications, students should let each college know why it’s the “best-fit” institution for their career goals.  Colleges favor students who are excited to attend and demonstrate that they will likely enroll, if accepted.   

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT^® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362

Hometown Effect on College Acceptance Rates

Colleges can no longer consider a student’s race as part of their admissions criteria, due to last year’s Supreme Court ruling.  But one bit of information that they can, and do, carefully take note of is a student’s zip code. Colleges seek to build a diverse student body, and the zip code of applicants provides an overview of their socioeconomic and, often, cultural background.     

Both public and private institutions seek a well-rounded incoming class. Public colleges, in most states, are required to favor in-state applicants as their tuition is supported by tax revenue.  Therefore, it’s often much more difficult for out-of-state students to gain acceptance, and when they do, they pay a much higher tuition.  At the esteemed University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, for example, state law rules that 82% of the student body must be comprised of in-state students; only 18% can be non-residents. Those out-of-state residents who attended the University this past academic year were billed $39,338 (not including room and board), greatly exceeding the $8,998 bill sent to in-state students.

Colleges That Attract Central New Jersey Students

New Jersey has long been known for its “brain drain,” as more than half of its college bound students typically head out-of-state for their higher education.  But just where do they go? 

There are certain colleges that are long-standing favorites, according to data of recent graduates from Montgomery, Princeton, Hillsborough, and Bridgewater-Raritan high schools.  All of these schools had graduates headed to Massachusetts to attend Northeastern University and University of Massachusetts – Amherst and moving to New York to settle in at Syracuse University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and New York University (NYU).

 

Students from each of these central NJ high schools headed south to attend the University of Maryland – College Park and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, American, George Washington, and Georgetown universities in Washington D.C., Virginia Tech in Virginia, and Georgia Tech and Emory universities in Georgia.

The Easier to Win College Scholarships

Students seeking college athletic scholarships often focus on NCAA sports, such as football, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, cross country, track and field, golf, and even fencing.   But there are scholarships out there, garnering less competition, for many sports offered as a club or intramural activity on campuses.  

College bound students passionate about archery can compete for scholarships at the Junior Olympic Archery Development National Target Championships. Scholarship money is likewise offered each year by the International Surfing Association and The Surfer’s Environmental Alliance.  Students dedicated to boxing can seek scholarships from The Eastern Collegiate Boxing Association and the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing.  Students passionate about bowling can seek scholarships from schools competitive in this sport, including Vanderbilt University and New Jersey City University.

How to Populate Your College Dashboard

The “Dashboard” is at the start of the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges throughout the U.S.  High school students list the colleges they wish to apply to, and then answer the questions and write the essays required by each of these schools.

But how should students go about choosing the colleges to list on their dashboard?  One way is to utilize College Board’s “Big Future” search tool.  It’s a database with information on more than 4,000 two and four year colleges in the U.S.  As students identify the specific criteria that are important to them, such as preferred major, geographic location, school size, availability of on-campus housing, etc., the list of appropriate colleges starts to shrink.

 

For example, if a student clicks on “Type” and chooses “4 year college,” the options narrow down to 2,425 schools.  By clicking “Location” and filling in the desire to be withing 200 miles of the zip code 08502, for example, the list further narrows down to 401 options.  Identifying a desired major in Business and Management reduces the list to 290 options. Choosing a “most selective” or very selective” option leaves only 13 colleges. Without leaving their computer, students can vastly narrow down the list of colleges worthy of further investigation.

How Students Can Graduate College Debt Free

Just as gaining acceptance to a great college requires advance planning, so too does paying for it.  Students are awarded a college degree upon earning a set number of credits – typically reached by taking four or five courses a semester for four years.  

One strategy to minimize the cost of college is to enter with credits.  This is frequently attained by taking Advance Placement (AP) courses while in high school.  These courses offer an end of year exam, graded on a scale of “1” to “5.” Most colleges will award college credit for each exam in which a student scored a “5” or “4” – and sometimes even a “3.” Students who successfully complete eight AP courses during their high school years can often start their college years as sophomores – reducing costs by 25%.

 

To lower the cost of attendance, students can apply to colleges one tier below the level to which they would likely be accepted.  When applicants present GPA and SAT scores higher than the average, colleges often offer impressive scholarship awards.

Enhance Future College Apps with Productive Summer

Summer is around the corner, freeing students from the academic constraints that dictate their schedule throughout the rest of the year.  While some rest and rejuvenation time is important, students should maximize the opportunities the season offers to engage in activities that will ultimately enhance their college applications.

Students may have already scheduled some of their upcoming summer activities: part time job, pre-college program, volunteer service trip.  Likely, however, there is more time at their disposal that can be utilized to pursue an area of passion that may help identify their future college major.

 

Students with an interest in writing can self-publish a book, at no cost, through Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). They can pen a book on any topic, design their own cover, write their bio, and have it printed and offered for sale (at a price they choose) on Amazon’s site around the world. Author copies are typically offered at less than $5.00 per copy.  Becoming a published author is an impressive use of one’s summer vacation!

The Colleges Offering “Over-the-Top” Amenities

College life, at a vast majority of schools, has become increasingly luxurious over the years as students seek, and are granted, an array of amenities. At most schools, a rotating buffet of food to meet a variety of culinary and dietary preferences is offered daily. To help students keep healthy and stay in shape, state-of-the art fitness centers grace most campuses.  Libraries, with different floors for different purposes (quite study, group meetings, etc.) are open for up to 24 hours a day. Medical facilities, for when students fall ill, often provide care that supersedes what students are accustomed to getting at home.  

Then, there are the more specialized amenities – some academic and some social -- to which specific students are drawn.

 

Students majoring in nuclear engineering would do well to choose a school with its own nuclear reactor right on campus. This opportunity is presented to students at MIT, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, RPI, University of Maryland, University of Florida, and more.

 

Students engaged in the world of finance might be impressed by “trading floors” hosted by Bentley University, Babson College, Ithaca College, St. Joseph’s University, and a multitude of other business schools.

Billions in Merit Awards Available to Students

Students and their parents, who are looking towards a college education in the near future, need to look beyond the “sticker price” when identifying best fit colleges.  There are a multitude of opportunities to greatly reduce college costs, even for families who do not qualify for need-based aid. 

The average published 2023-24 sticker price for tuition and fees at private four-year institutions is $42,540. At public four-year out-of-state colleges and universities it is $29,150, and at public four-year in-state schools it is $11,260. These statistics are reported in College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid,” and do not include room and board, which can more than double the cost of tuition at some institutions. 

 

Merit scholarships can greatly reduce these costs, allowing students to attend their dream school without incurring life-altering debt.  For some students, their hobby or talent is the key to success.  More than $3.6 billion in athletic scholarships are awarded each year to more than 180,000 student athletes, according to the NCAA. Other students receive merit scholarships for their talents in music, dance, community service, golf caddying, chess playing, video gaming, and even bird watching. The best way for students to access these funds is to make a list of all their activities and then search on free scholarship websites for relevant grants.

Academic Boost of Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

High school students immersed in Advanced Placement (AP) courses often wonder if the academic rigor of these courses will serve them well.  The answer is a resounding “yes.” These are college level courses that offer students the opportunity to secure college credit while still in high school.  There are currently 39 AP courses offered in a multitude of subjects including Art History, English Literature, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish Language and Culture, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and U.S. Government and Politics.  Among the most popular AP courses are English Language and Composition, U.S. History, Psychology, and Calculus. 

According to recent statistics by College Board, the company that writes the curriculum and exams for AP courses, nearly 1.2 million students in the Class of 2023 took more than 4.1 million AP exams in public high schools nationwide.  New Jersey came in third place as the state with the highest percentage of students (28.6%) taking and succeeding in AP courses by earning a minimum score of 3 out of 5 on the end of year exam.  New Jersey was surpassed only by Massachusetts with a 31.3% successful participation rate, and New York with a 28.9% rate.

Montgomery High School's Top Ranking Average SAT Score

New Jersey students find the bar is set high regarding SAT scores.  While the national average SAT score was 1,028 (out of a possible 1600) among last year’s test-takers, according to College Board, many local school districts reported significantly higher results.

 

At High Technology High School in Monmouth County, students’ SAT scores averaged 1,532 – more than 500 points above the national average. It was one of ten magnet or technical schools which reported the highest SAT scores in New Jersey. This is likely due to the fact that they have a selective admissions process that allows a limited number of students to attend.

 

Among general admission high schools, the top three rankings regarding SAT scores went to Millburn High School (1,375), West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North (1,370), and Montgomery High School (1,338). Rounding out the Top 10 were Tenafly High School (1,318), West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South (1,316), John P. Stevens High School in Edison (1,313), Princeton High School (1,298), Ridge High School (1,289), Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest (1,285), and Ridgewood High School (1,283).

Final Days for “Test Optional” at Colleges

Harvard University has succumbed to peer pressure. It has joined fellow Ivy League institutions Yale, Brown, and Dartmouth in announcing a return to the long-standing tradition of requiring standardized test scores of students seeking admission. 

 

All applicants to the Class of 2029, who will be filing their applications in the fall and winter of this year, need to submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered for admission, barring unusual circumstances.  This may leave some students, who were planning to apply “test optional,” scrambling to prepare for, and take, an all-important SAT or ACT exam in the coming months. 

 

The last SAT administrations of 2024 will take place on August 24^th, October 5^th, November 2^nd, and December 7^th.   The ACT will be offered on July 13^th, September 14^th, October 26^th, and December 14^th.  

 

Other colleges and universities, popular with New Jersey students, that require test scores include Georgetown University, Purdue University, Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, University of Florida, Florida State, Caltech, MIT, and the U.S. Naval, Air Force, and Military academies.

Volunteer Work Importance for College Applications

It’s no secret that the college application process has grown increasingly demanding in recent years. While expecting high GPA’s and SAT scores from their applicants, colleges are seeking so much more.

 

Admission officers are scrutinizing college applications to determine how potential students would be an asset to their campus.  What talents and skills would they bring? How would they help make the campus a more impressive and vibrant community?

 

Successful applicants highlight their volunteer work, demonstrating a commitment to one or more activities over a lengthy period of time.  Ideally, students should become involved in volunteer work that coincides with their interests, as colleges are impressed with students who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to a cause or organization that is important to them.

The Private Colleges Charging Over $90,000 A Year

While inflation is impacting the cost of many goods and services, an industry that has particularly been impacted is higher education.  As colleges post their “estimated cost of attendance” for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year, a number of private universities have listed annual fees exceeding $90,000 for tuition, housing, and typical college expenses, such as books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.  These schools include Yale University, NYU, Boston University, Tufts, Wellesley.

To add insult to injury, the newly reformed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which is used to determine need-based aid, no longer takes into account if a family has more than one child in college simultaneously.  

 

What are parents and students to do?

Prevent Getting Scammed by College Scholarships

College scholarship scams have become increasingly more common these days. Scholarships that are collectively worth billions of dollars are available to college bound students, but the key is to decipher which are for real and which are scams. 

Legitimate scholarships will never ask for a student’s bank account or social security number. They will never charge an application fee or a processing fee to apply.  They will never guarantee that a student will be awarded a scholarship, simply for applying.  

 

Legitimate scholarship applications will require some effort. Typically, an essay is required, often a letter of recommendation, and sometimes an interview. There needs to be some criteria on which “winners” are chosen. A “red flag” should go up when a student wins a scholarship for which he/she never applied.

Over 50% Of Students Are Leaving New Jersey for College

New Jersey is full of high school students with an impressive GPA, high SAT scores, and affluent parents willing to pay for even the most expensive colleges.  This has made New Jersey students quite attractive to top colleges in nearby states and has resulted in what is referred to as a “brain drain” for the Garden State.  

More than fifty percent of New Jersey’s college bound students exit the state for their higher education, according to statsamerica.org. In fact, New Jersey is ranked 6^th in the country as a leading exporter of students pursuing a college degree. 

 

Where do migrating students go? Typically, not very far.  New Jersey is the #1 feeder to many colleges in nearby states comprising a sizeable portion of their student body: Lehigh University (26%), Villanova University (25%), University of Delaware (23%), University of Maryland (10%), Loyola University of Maryland (26%), American University (11%).

When To Start Your College Search Process

The college application process starts the day a student steps foot into high school.  When students approach senior year and fill out their Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges, they are asked for their G.P.A. (the average of all their high school grades) and for details on all the activities that they engaged in starting with their freshman year. 

When college applications are reviewed, admission officers consider an applicant’s choice of courses and the rigor of one’s curriculum.  Thus, it greatly benefits students to choose a sequence of courses that will reflect their future college plans.  If it’s likely that they will be applying to college as engineering, business, or architecture majors, they should plan on getting through calculus while in high school.  This may mean doubling up on Geometry and Algebra II during their sophomore year or taking one of these courses during the summer.  If future career plans will likely be science related, students should plan a sequence of courses that will ultimately include AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and electives such as Organic Chemistry.

12 Student Part Time Jobs with College Tuition Assistance

High school students seeking a part time job may want to take a key criterion into consideration. There are businesses, including many fast-food chains, that offer tuition reimbursement to their employees. Working such a job would not only provide spending (or saving) money, but might also reduce the cost of attending college.  Many of these businesses are a part of “chains,” providing opportunities for students to continue working at college as well as at home during summer and holiday breaks. 

Chick-fil-A offers tuition discounts of up to 30% at more than 100 participating colleges to eligible employees.  Since this popular chain has more than 2,600 locations, there will likely be a Chick-fil-A near one’s home and college, providing the opportunity for year-round employment.  The company also offers a Leadership Scholarship of up to $2,500 per year for four years to selected employees.

 

Another popular eating destination with the high school crowd, Chipotle, offers annual tuition rebates of up to $5,250 to eligible employees. With more than 3,200 locations, this chain also provides the likelihood of securing employment both at college and at home.

College Majors That Lead to “Underemployment”

“About half of America’s new college graduates are working in high school-level jobs like food service and retail,” according to a recent report in Business Insider.  That’s certainly not what students are envisioning as they eagerly check their emails at this time of year to find out if they’ve been accepted to the college of their dreams.

The bleak report was based on data regarding the careers of 60 million people in the U.S., including close to 11 million people with a bachelor’s degree. Statistics showed that people working college-level jobs earn 88% more than those with only a high school education. However, those who are “underemployed” (engaged in a job that doesn’t fully utilize their education) earn about 25% more than those who ended their formal education with a high school diploma.    

 

The key to avoid the likelihood of being underemployed is to choose a college major wisely.  “Fields requiring quantitative reasoning, such as engineering, finance and accounting, and computer science, had the lowest five-year underemployment rates,” according to Business Insider. Health-related majors, such as nursing, also had low underemployment rates.

College Advisor’s Plan for Effective College Tours

Students thinking ahead to their college experience should start visiting prospective schools early in their high school years.  Touring colleges, in person, serves two very important purposes.  First of all, students absorb the ambiance of the college community while gaining information to determine if their academic goals would be met.  Secondly, they show “demonstrated interest” – a key quality in increasing one’s chances of gaining admission.   

Colleges know that most students apply to a multitude of schools. In deciding who to accept, admission officers gauge demonstrated interest to try to determine which students would most likely enroll, if given the opportunity. 

 

Colleges are ranked, in part, on their “yield” – the percent of accepted students who enroll. So, students who visit the campus and write personalized essays proclaiming their interest in the college, often have a distinct advantage.

Yale, Brown & Dartmouth Join Growing List of Colleges Requiring SAT

Yale University, Brown University, and Dartmouth College all recently announced that, going forward, they will require standardized test scores of all applicants. These Ivy League institutions are joining a growing number of colleges that are turning away from the “test optional” policy adopted during Covid to keep their application numbers high.

 

Other colleges and universities, popular with New Jersey students, that require test scores include Georgetown University, Purdue University, Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, University of Florida, Florida State, MIT, and the U.S. Naval, Air Force, and Military academies.

 

Colleges that are currently “test optional” are heavily utilizing submitted SAT scores in the admissions process and the allotment of scholarship funds. Students without SAT scores are required, prior to the start of freshman year, to take placement tests at the college they will be attending. If they do not score high enough on any of these tests (typically required in English and Math), they are placed in “remedial” courses which require full tuition but award no college credits.

Getting Accepted To College Amidst Dropping Acceptance Rates

“You’re not imagining it – it feels damn near impossible to get into top colleges right now.”  That’s the headline of a recent article in Business Insider, highlighting the record high number of applications being received by elite schools, and the dropping acceptance rates. 

There’s no sign of this trend easing up. In fact, there’s a “surprisingly large increase in the number of students applying to college for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year,” according to Forbes, which reported a 41% increase in applicants utilizing The Common App since the 2019-20 school year – the last one not affected by Covid. 

 

Typically, as colleges receive a rising number of applications, their acceptance rate plummets. And this is not just at the Ivy League schools which host single digit acceptance rates. Harvard’s acceptance rate, for example, was less than 4% for the past two years. 

 

Popular universities, including New York University (NYU), Northeastern, and Babson, have “skyrocketed in popularity” in recent years, according to Business Insider.  NYU announced a record low acceptance rate of 8% for the Class of 2027. By comparison, NYU’s acceptance rate was 35% in 2014.

The Passion Project College Admissions Advantage

The cover page of a recent New York Times special supplement stated, “There are few challenges facing students more daunting than applying and paying for college.” Let’s focus on the “applying” aspect for now. 

More than 50 colleges and universities, some of them favorites with New Jersey students, have acceptance rates below 15%, according to U.S. News & World Report.  The eight Ivy League schools, as well as Duke, Northeastern, Swarthmore, Barnard, and more, have one digit acceptance rates starting as low as 3%.

 

Students know that an impressive GPA and SAT scores, and often a multitude of AP courses with a high score on year-end exams, is only the starting point for a chance of being accepted to many of these revered institutions. The next step is to stand out from the crowd, typically through an impressive “passion project.”

Top Summer of 2024 High School Students’ Activities

While it may be snowing, or at least cold these days, students with college in their future would do well to be making their summer plans.   Time off from the restraints of the school year give students the opportunity to stand out from their peers and create experiences that will prepare them for higher education and impress college admissions officers. 

One of the most important decisions that college-bound students need to make regards their choice of major.  This is the key criteria in identifying best fit colleges, and students can easily gain insight through their summer activities.  There are a multitude of pre-college summer programs offered at colleges throughout the country, including many close to home.  

 

High school students interested in business may want to consider attending The Rutgers Business School Summer which costs $2,200 for a one-week program, including housing, meals, and field trips.  Students are introduced to various business disciplines: Marketing, Management, Accounting, Finance, and Supply Chain Management. Registration has already opened for this program which typically sells out by late February.

The Top Ranked Colleges Based on Major

All eight Ivy League colleges and universities, as well as 20 other prestigious institutions, have a one-digit acceptance rate, according to U.S. News & World Report.  That’s enough to fill college bound students – and their parents – with trepidation.   

But the key to identifying one’s ideal college is not directly correlated with acceptance rate. The best strategy is to pinpoint one’s choice of major, and then research the colleges and universities with the strongest programs in that field.

 

Consider, for example, the popular field of business. Many of the top schools are extremely competitive: University of Pennsylvania, MIT, University of California-Berkeley, University of Michigan, University of Texas-Austin.  Other universities, also ranked among the Top 25 Business Programs in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report, have a much more encouraging acceptance rate.  Indiana University-Bloomington, Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Michigan State, Purdue, Penn State, and the University of Maryland, have acceptance rates, respectively, of 82%, 53%, 49%, 45%, 88%, 53%, 55%, and 44%.

Complete New FAFSA for All Need-Based & Some Merit Aid

The newly designed FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is now available online and must be filed for consideration for federal grants and student loans, as well as for many scholarships, for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Parents of college bound students fill out the FAFSA once, listing all the schools to which their child is applying. They then file a new FAFSA each year that their child is in college to be considered for ongoing financial aid.

 

This year’s FAFSA has been launched later than its typical October 1^st release date to allow time for changes to be implemented.  The FAFSA is a relatively easy form to fill out, as it lets parents link to their previously filed tax returns to answer the financial questions. It has now been streamlined to just 36 questions instead of 108.  Some families, with lower household incomes and uncomplicated tax situations, may see as few as 18 questions.

 

Once parents have submitted the FAFSA online, they’re given an SAI (Student Aid Index) letting them know exactly what the federal government thinks they can afford to contribute for the upcoming year to their child’s college education. Colleges use this figure, once students are accepted, to make up their financial aid package, typically offering a combination of loans, grants (which do not get paid back) and work study opportunities.