I've been doing some research and was hoping someone could explain how the admission rate is calculated? Specifically, at schools like Tulane, how does the admit rate play into the overall selectivity of the college?
The admission rate, at its simplest, is calculated by dividing the number of students admitted by the number of applicants. For example, during the 2023-2024 application cycle, 27,936 students applied to Tulane, and 4,077 were admitted. 4,077 divided by 27,936 equals an acceptance rate of about 14.6%.
The lower the admit rate, the more selective a college is regarded as. Lower admit rates often correspond to a more competitive applicant pool and higher academic standards, although this isn't always the case.
Keep in mind the admit rate doesn't paint the entire picture of college selectivity. Ultimately, your own profile matters more for determining your chances of acceptance than the school's overall acceptance rate.
For example, the average accepted student at Tulane usually has a GPA around 3.7 and an SAT score between 1400-1490, or an ACT score between 31-33. While being around or above these markers doesn't guarantee anything, a student with that kind of profile may have a better than 14.6% chance of being admitted.
If you want to know how you personally stack up at Tulane, I'd check out CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable elements of your application, including GPA, course rigor, test scores (if you have them), and extracurriculars to give you personalized odds of acceptance at Tulane and hundreds of other colleges: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator
This tool will also give you suggestions on how to improve your chances, for example by raising your GPA slightly or earning a leadership position in one of your extracurriculars.
Or, if you want tips on how to strengthen the more intangible aspects of your application, I'd check out this blog post from CollegeVine, which breaks down how to tackle Tulane's school-specific supplemental essay(s): https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-tulane-university-essays/. Especially at selective schools like Tulane, the essays are a great opportunity to showcase what you have to offer beyond the numbers.
I hope this overview helps you better understand the selectivity of Tulane!
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