By Emma Rubin
What makes an applicant competitive to the most selective schools in the country? Traditionally, a strong GPA and standardized test score laid the foundation for other considerations, including essay strength, extracurricular participation, and interview success.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, more schools—even highly selective ones—dropped the requirement to submit ACT or SAT scores. For the 2022-23 application season, only 2 in 5 (43%) applicants included test scores.
But test-optional admissions policies are now being reversed. Dartmouth College, Yale University, and Brown University are among the colleges bringing back required standardized test scores for the upcoming application season.
Keep reading to discover the most selective colleges in the U.S.
#25. Barnard College
– New York City
– Acceptance rate: 8.8% (12,009 applicants, 1,056 admitted, 697 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 3,442
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 30% (Median score: 1505)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 20% (Median score: 33)
#24. Rice University
– Houston
– Acceptance rate: 8.7% (31,443 applicants, 2,730 admitted, 1,203 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 4,494
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 53% (Median score: 1540)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 23% (Median score: 35)
#23. University of California-Los Angeles
– Los Angeles
– Acceptance rate: 8.6% (149,801 applicants, 12,845 admitted, 6,462 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 32,423
#22. Williams College
– Williamstown, Massachusetts
– Acceptance rate: 8.5% (15,321 applicants, 1,302 admitted, 577 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 2,169
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 41% (Median score: 1530)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 21% (Median score: 35)
#21. Colby College
– Waterville, Maine
– Acceptance rate: 7.6% (16,890 applicants, 1,286 admitted, 673 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 2,299
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 42% (Median score: 1490)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 23% (Median score: 34)
#20. Cornell University
– Ithaca, New York
– Acceptance rate: 7.5% (69,195 applicants, 5,168 admitted, 3,491 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 15,735
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 37% (Median score: 1530)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 14% (Median score: 34)
#19. Amherst College
– Amherst, Massachusetts
– Acceptance rate: 7.3% (14,864 applicants, 1,079 admitted, 467 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 1,898
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 40% (Median score: 1510)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 21% (Median score: 34)
#18. Johns Hopkins University
– Baltimore
– Acceptance rate: 7.3% (37,844 applicants, 2,745 admitted, 1,406 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 6,044
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 44% (Median score: 1550)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 15% (Median score: 35)
#17. Northwestern University
– Evanston, Illinois
– Acceptance rate: 7.2% (51,261 applicants, 3,695 admitted, 2,038 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 8,993
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 47% (Median score: 1530)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 31% (Median score: 34)
#16. Pomona College
– Claremont, California
– Acceptance rate: 7.0% (10,666 applicants, 749 admitted, 413 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 1,716
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 35% (Median score: 1520)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 18% (Median score: 34)
#15. Swarthmore College
– Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
– Acceptance rate: 6.9% (14,707 applicants, 1,019 admitted, 433 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 1,625
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 42% (Median score: 1520)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 19% (Median score: 33)
#14. Northeastern University
– Boston
– Acceptance rate: 6.8% (91,000 applicants, 6,191 admitted, 2,519 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 16,302
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 33% (Median score: 1500)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 11% (Median score: 34)
#13. Vanderbilt University
– Nashville, Tennessee
– Acceptance rate: 6.7% (46,377 applicants, 3,093 admitted, 1,619 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 7,151
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 29% (Median score: 1530)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 32% (Median score: 35)
#12. University of Pennsylvania
– Philadelphia
– Acceptance rate: 6.5% (54,588 applicants, 3,549 admitted, 2,409 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 11,250
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 48% (Median score: 1540)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 23% (Median score: 35)
#11. Dartmouth College
– Hanover, New Hampshire
– Acceptance rate: 6.4% (28,336 applicants, 1,808 admitted, 1,124 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 4,458
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 42% (Median score: 1550)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 24% (Median score: 34)
#10. Duke University
– Durham, North Carolina
– Acceptance rate: 6.3% (50,016 applicants, 3,174 admitted, 1,745 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 6,640
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 49% (Median score: 1550)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 37% (Median score: 35)
#9. Princeton University
– Princeton, New Jersey
– Acceptance rate: 5.7% (38,019 applicants, 2,167 admitted, 1,499 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 5,604
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 59% (Median score: 1540)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 25% (Median score: 35)
#8. University of Chicago
– Chicago
– Acceptance rate: 5.4% (37,522 applicants, 2,039 admitted, 1,729 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 7,595
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 52% (Median score: 1540)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 32% (Median score: 34)
#7. Brown University
– Providence, Rhode Island
– Acceptance rate: 5.1% (50,649 applicants, 2,562 admitted, 1,717 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 7,639
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 54% (Median score: 1540)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 27% (Median score: 35)
#6. Yale University
– New Haven, Connecticut
– Acceptance rate: 4.6% (50,060 applicants, 2,289 admitted, 1,554 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 6,645
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 59% (Median score: 1540)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 29% (Median score: 35)
#5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
– Cambridge, Massachusetts
– Acceptance rate: 4.0% (33,767 applicants, 1,337 admitted, 1,136 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 4,657
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 78% (Median score: 1560)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 32% (Median score: 35)
#4. Columbia University in the City of New York
– New York City
– Acceptance rate: 3.9% (60,879 applicants, 2,404 admitted, 1,540 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 8,902
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 44% (Median score: 1530)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 23% (Median score: 35)
#3. Stanford University
– Stanford, California
– Acceptance rate: 3.7% (56,378 applicants, 2,075 admitted, 1,736 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 8,049
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 49% (Median score: 1550)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 23% (Median score: 35)
#2. Harvard University
– Cambridge, Massachusetts
– Acceptance rate: 3.2% (61,221 applicants, 1,984 admitted, 1,646 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 9,368
– Share of applicants submitting SAT scores: 55% (Median score: 1550)
– Share of applicants submitting ACT scores: 28% (Median score: 35)
#1. California Institute of Technology
– Pasadena, California
– Acceptance rate: 2.7% (16,626 applicants, 448 admitted, 224 enrolled)
– Total enrollment: 982
Story editing by Nicole Caldwell. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
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Previously Published on hub.stacker
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