2020 College Admissions Statistics

By Joshua Cheng, Staff Reporter

Regardless of the panic around COVID-19, colleges sent out acceptance letters throughout the entire month of March. As seniors enter the last few months of their high school career, many of them are faced with the task of choosing where they will continue their education after high school.

According to Top Tier Admissions, approximately 54,000 students applied to the University of Southern California, with only 8,900 students being admitted.

John Hopkins University also released its admission statistics, with 27,000 applicants and only 2,500 admits, leaving the admission rate at 9.37%.

Many other top tier colleges followed with similar admission rates, with MIT at 7.8% and Pomona College at 9.1%.

Getting into these top tier universities is very difficult, competition is at its highest, and many students have to have little to no discrepancies on their application to even be considered.

“I can’t believe I got into John Hopkins,” senior Bryttney Valadez said. “It took a lot of hard work, dedication, and support from my friends and family for me to get where I am today.”

Many universities and colleges seem to have decreasing acceptance rates as the years progress. This is primarily due to the fact that more students are applying to college.

With the societal idea that a college degree results in higher pay, happiness, and stability, it is a no-brainer that young high school students will strive for a higher level of education.

It is arguable that race and ethnicity have a factor in the admissions process. Most colleges strive for a diverse campus, meaning they are trying to include as many different ethnicities, backgrounds, and people as possible.

According to the University of California Office of the President (UCOP), approximately 6,900 African Americans, 35,000 Asian Americans, 43,178 Chicanos/Latinos and 23,800 Caucasians applied to the 9 UC schools for the Fall 2020 year. The total applicants for all 9 universities was 113,000. Chicanos and Latinos made up the largest percentage of applicants at 38%, followed by Asian Americans at 31%, Caucasians at 21% and African Americans at 6%.

With so many applicants and only a limited amount of spaces, not everyone who applies will get in. That is why it is advised for seniors to apply to more than one college in order to be safe. Statistics for those who are admitted to these universities will be released soon as the weeks progress.