How much do admission rates vary by year?

Do admission rates for colleges fluctuate significantly from year to year? And if so, do these changes play a major role in the overall competitiveness of the application process or should I still aim my stats aligning with the previous averages?

Admission rates can vary from year to year, but the fluctuations are generally not drastic. There may be small changes in the percentage of accepted students due to factors like application volume, the size of the incoming class, and the overall quality of the applicant pool.

While these changes can impact the competitiveness of the application process to some extent, they typically don't change dramatically enough to warrant a complete reassessment of your target colleges. That said, it is helpful to stay informed of any significant shifts and be prepared for the possibility of slightly higher or lower admission rates as compared to previous years.

Your best strategy is to build a balanced list of colleges that takes into account a range of acceptance rates and academic profiles. Rather than focusing solely on the exact admission rates, look for colleges that match your interests, academic profile, and extracurricular activities. It is essential to have a mix of reach, match, and safety schools in your list. A reach school is one where your stats are slightly below the typical admission profile, a match school is one where your stats align well with the average admitted student, and a safety school is one where your stats are noticeably higher than the average admitted student.

So, while it's important to be aware of fluctuations in admission rates, you should still aim for your stats to align with the previous averages, as they still provide a valuable benchmark for gauging your admission chances. Additionally, remember that many colleges have a holistic admissions process, meaning they look at more than just your stats, so don't forget to focus on building a strong application in terms of essays, recommendations, and extracurricular activities.