Violet Wei
By Violet Wei
Applying for college is a major undertaking. For some students, completing the Common App questions, activity list, personal statement, and the supplemental essays can take several months.
Recently, two trends in college applications have been observed. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of applications over the last year. For example, Common App, one of the largest college application platforms that has partnered with more than 900 schools, saw an average 14.4 percent increase in applications from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022. The University of California received 210,840 first-year applications, a 3.5 percent increase over the previous year. This brings us to the second trend: Increased competition among prestigious universities. For the class of 2026, Columbia University and Harvard University accepted less than 4 percent of their applicants. In addition, the number of UCLA applicants who graduated in the top 9 percent of their high school class increased by 32 percent.
As a result of the fierce competition, many students began applying to over ten colleges to help beat the odds. Nicole Grees, a college counselor at Moon Prep noted her medical students will usually apply to a total of 30-35 schools with a combination of BS/MD, Ivy League, and other colleges.
However, rather than focusing solely on applying to the ideal elite schools, it is critical to develop a balanced school list. A well-balanced list of reach, target, and safety schools provides students with more options, increases their chances of admission, and creates a backup plan for colleges to which they are most likely to be admitted, while also taking chances on a few dream schools.
Build a Balanced School List
The 5P strategy will help students build a balanced list that focuses on five factors: place, price, program, people, and philosophy. Do I want to live in this location? Can I afford the cost? Does the school provide programs that are relevant to my career goals? Do the people and the school share my values? What are the average student GPA and test scores? To begin, create an Excel or Google Doc spreadsheet and research the questions to get started. Once you have gathered and input the answers, categorize the schools into reach schools, target schools, and safety schools. Aim for 2-3 schools for each category to have a balanced school list.
1. Reach schools. The acceptance rate is typically lower than 25 percent. A reach school is one where your academic credentials fall below the school’s range for the average or the schools with an acceptance rate of below 10 percent, that is a reach for everyone.
2. Target schools. The acceptance rate is 25 percent or above. Your academic credentials fall well within (or even exceed) the college’s range.
3. Safety schools. The acceptance rate is at least 40 percent. Your academic credentials fall comfortably above the school’s range for the average.
Schools With No Supplemental Essays
The following schools do not require supplemental essays. Please keep in mind that if you are interested in their special programs such as honors, nursing programs, or scholarships, you may still be required to write essays. Having schools on your list that don’t require supplemental essays gives you more time and energy to apply to more schools and programs.
1. Albion College
2. Case Western University
3. Clemson University
4. Colby College
5. Connecticut College
6. Dillard University
7. DePaul University
8. DePauw University
9. Drexel University
10. Fairleigh Dickinson
11. Fordham University
12. Grinnell College
13. Kent State
14. Kenyon College
15. Middlebury College
16. Muhlenberg College
17. NJ Institute of Tech
18. Northeastern University
19. Ohio State University
20. Seton Hall University
21. Siena College
22. Skidmore College
23. Spelman College
24. Stevens Institute of Tech
25. Stony Brook University
26. SUNY Binghamton
27. SUNY Buffalo
28. University of Alabama
29. University of Arkansas
30. Univ Colorado-Denver
31. Univ of Connecticut
32. University of Dayton
33. University of Delaware
34. University of Denver
35. University of Iowa
36. University of Minnesota
37. Univ of Nebraska-Lincoln
38. Univ of New Hampshire
39. University of the Pacific
40. University of Pittsburgh
41. University of St. Thomas
42. University of Vermont
43. Wesleyan University
Violet Wei is a College Counselor and Outreach Coordinator.
Website: MoonPrep.com
Contact: Violet@moonprep.com
