Skip to main content
What are your chances of acceptance?
Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Loading…
UCLA
Loading…
+ add school
Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

What are the most popular colleges that high schoolers are applying to these days?

Hey everyone, currently feeling a bit overwhelmed with the whole college application process and I'd love to get a sense of where my peers are applying. Can anyone tell me what the trend is currently? What are the most popular or frequently applied-to schools now? I want to gauge and compare it to my list for a more realistic perspective. Thanks a lot!

a year ago

When looking at popular colleges, it generally tends to vary depending on what a student is looking for in terms of location, major, environment, and other factors. However, there are several universities that consistently attract a large number of high school applicants. Ranked both for their academic offerings, location, and reputation, these include:

1. Ivy League Schools: Every year, a huge number of students apply to schools like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Columbia. These schools offer strong programs across many disciplines, but be aware that they also have extremely low acceptance rates due to the sheer volume of applications they receive.

2. Stanford University: Known for its competitive engineering and computer science departments, Stanford also receives a large number of applications each year.

3. University of California Schools: Particularly, UCLA and UC Berkeley attract a lot of applicants because of their extensive range of majors, robust research opportunities, and desirable California location.

4. Schools like New York University, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Michigan are particularly popular because of their strong programs, exciting campus life, and prime locations.

5. Colleges offering unique programs like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (STEM focus) and Savannah College of Art and Design (arts focus) also draw in a significant number of applications.

Remember, while these trends give an idea of what is typical, it's crucial to find a school that fits your individual interests, career goals, and academic proficiencies. Popularity should only be one factor among many when considering where to apply to college.

a year ago

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.