My daughter with an SAT of 2270 wanted to attend an ivy so applied to six of them and was rejected at all six on black Thursday last week but got into Tufts which we are all thrilled about.
I did a little Post Mortum analysis with some broad assumptions so give or take on the numbers it I think outlines the difficulty for the white academically gifted to get in to one of these schools.
Harvard -2023 applicants in 2018
A recruited Ivy League athlete must have the academic credentials to survive the stringent and highly selective admissions process at each institution. Coaches have little sway in the admissions process, although they do provide a list of potential athletes to admissions officials. Across the league, about 13 percent of each university’s incoming class is composed of athletes chosen from coaches’ lists.
13 percent =262
Highlights of Harvard’s Class of 2017
The admitted students of the Class of 2017 were ethnically diverse – 19.9% Asian-American, 11.5% African-American, 11.5% Hispanic, 2.2% Native American and 0.5% Native Hawaiian.
20% of the admitted students represented 81 different countries and are considered international students, U.S. dual citizens, or U.S. permanent residents.
Harvard’s legacy admissions rate hovers around 30%. Its overall rate was 5.8% this year.
athletic=13 percent =262
19.9% Asian-American=402.57
11.5% African-American=232
11.5% Hispanic=232
2.2% Native American= 44.5
20% International=404.6
legacy 5.8 =117.33
Total = 1695.004
2023-1695= 328 slots available for white non athletes
Male50%/Female50% split = 164 at Harvard with similar ratios at other schools
MY white-bread non athletic daughter was competing for 164 openings
Asians are over represented -
White population in the US is about 72% according to wikipedia so minorities are over represented by 16% vs the USA white population & although not counted there would be some number from the 81 Countries international enrolment.
probably some overlap on the athletics/ racial numbers this is just a ball park.
Assume in this ball park that 72% of the applications were from USA whites or 26,000 with half being female that would make 13,000 white women vying for just 164 openings.
In a population of 13,000 you will have a number compelling stories - Family wiped out in a car accident, homeless, cured cancer etc.
an off the cuff guess at may daughters ivy chances were a fraction of a %
I am thrilled with Tufts but after looking at the numbers applying to the Ivies was was not worth the time and effort no matter what the qualification.
I would like to note at the top tier of her school there were scores of 2350, 2280, 2270, 2220, 2180, 2150 - none got into an ivy.
The two that did from her school were less academically able, one with a SAT in the 1900 range and the other in the 2000 range. one was of Asian/Indian descent the other Mexican. both got into one ivy each and wait-listed at another. The kicker here is that they both live in million dollar houses and culturally I would they say that they are as white as my daughter.
I think this is a good thing I have never been big on the ivies and this dilutes their pool taking some of the luster off their reputations and forcing the high achievers down market. Which will just enrich other schools.
From my own perspective I do not have a problem if a black came out a hellhole inner city school with an SAT score of 1900 they deserve the opportunity and I would be happy to have my daughter step aside, there are plenty of great schools out there.
I do think they are a little overdone on this diversity thing and wish I had done this research beforehand and saved the application fees.
re: I do think they are a little overdone on this diversity thing and wish I had done this research beforehand and saved the application fees.
I was think about that as I was reading your post. If you don’t mind saying, how much did you have to spend applying to the 6 ivy league schools?
Yours is an excellent analysis. My only comment would be that applicants to Harvard probably also skew relatively heavily towards Asian, compared to a percentage of the US population.
But your point still holds - your (and my) daughter are still competing for 164 spots from perhaps 10-13,000 white/female/non-athlete applicants.
Very tough odds.