Boris Berenberg

Boris is a repeat founder who bought Dewey Smart to give students the support he wishes he'd had. A bright kid who never fit the traditional academic mold. After working at Zenefits, Uber, and Atlassian, he built and sold companies. Most recently he founded Atlas Authority, which was acquired by Modus Create in 2022. He brings an operator's rigor to one question: How do we match every student with the right mentor and the right plan to reach their potential?

Articles by Boris

• NYU Admits 9.06% of First-Year Applicants and 38.65% of Transfers. West Virginia Runs the Other Way.

  Across 27 schools where both rates come from the same filing, transferring is easier at 22. At the six that admit half or more of first-year applicants, it is easier at only two.

• At Harvey Mudd, 0 of 439 Waitlisted Students Were Admitted. At Santa Clara, 263 of 268 Were.

  Across 49 schools that publish Section C2 counts, the median admitted 9.12% of applicants who accepted a waitlist place. The spread runs from 0.00% to 98.13%.

• We Opened the Common Data Sets of Nine of the Most-Searched Colleges. Seven Report No Residency Breakdown at All.

  At seven of the nine most-searched schools we checked, the Common Data Set's residency table is blank. The field is optional — but it means no residency breakdown exists to find.

• West Virginia's Common Data Set Reports Two Different Acceptance Rates for the Same Class

  WVU's 2024-25 filing gives two answers for Fall 2024 admits, 7.87 points apart. Eight schools in our data have a Section C1 that disagrees with itself.

• We Checked the Early Decision Section of 23 Schools' Common Data Sets. Thirteen Were Wrong.

  At 13 of 23 schools we checked, the Common Data Set's Early Decision section carries last year's cohort label and figures that disagree with that year's own filing.

• New Hampshire's Acceptance Rate Barely Splits by Residency. Its Yield Splits Three to One

  UNH admitted out-of-state applicants at 89.95% and New Hampshire residents at 86.61% for Fall 2025. The stable gap is yield: 26.40% in-state against 8.26% out-of-state.

• UIC's Acceptance Rate Doesn't Split on the State Line. It Splits on Citizenship

  UIC admitted in-state and out-of-state applicants within 0.17 points of each other in Fall 2024, while international applicants were admitted at 51.22%.

• UNT's Acceptance Rate Barely Moves on Residency. It Moves on International

  UNT admitted 72.89% of Texas applicants and 68.46% of out-of-state applicants for Fall 2025. Its international rate was 40.70%, and that group enrolled at the highest rate of the three.

• WVU Admits Out-of-State Applicants at a Higher Rate Than West Virginians. Yield Builds the Class

  For Fall 2024, WVU admitted 80.69% of out-of-state applicants and 73.80% of West Virginians. The composition of the class comes from who enrolls, not who is admitted.

• The University at Buffalo Admits 70.48% of Out-of-State Applicants. 5.66% of Them Enroll

  UB admitted 70.48% of out-of-state applicants for Fall 2025, but only 5.66% of those admits enrolled, against 15.67% in-state. Its 4% out-of-state class is a yield outcome, not a cap.

• Davidson Admits North Carolina Applicants at a Lower Rate Than Out-of-State Ones

  Davidson's Fall 2025 counts work out to 12.62% overall — but 16.69% for North Carolina residents, 20.42% for out-of-state applicants, and 2.38% for international ones.

• NC State Admits In-State at 46.23% and Out-of-State at 34.36%. The Yield Gap Is Bigger

  NC State's 39.54% headline splits into 46.23% in-state and 34.36% out-of-state, but the 4.46x yield gap does more to make the class 84.44% North Carolina residents.

• George Washington's Acceptance Rate Splits Backwards by Residency. The DC Pool Is 482 Applicants

  GW admitted 47.13% of first-year applicants for Fall 2025 — 49.17% of out-of-state applicants, and 31.95% of the 482 District of Columbia residents who applied.

• At 35 of 59 Schools, Out-of-State Applicants Are Admitted at a Higher Rate. That Isn't an Advantage.

  Across 59 schools with published residency data, out-of-state applicants are admitted at a higher rate than residents at 35 of them. The reason is yield, not preference.

• The Published Acceptance Rate Isn't Built for International Applicants

  At 57 schools we checked, published acceptance rates blend domestic and international applicants into one number. For 45 of them, that number overstates the international applicant's odds.

• Why James Madison's Acceptance Rate Runs Backwards, Too

  JMU admits out-of-state applicants at a higher rate than Virginians, but in-state yield runs nearly 3x higher — Virginians still take 71.5% of every class.

• Oberlin's Acceptance Rate Splits Three Ways, and Yield Doesn't Explain the Gap

  Oberlin admitted 45.41% of out-of-state applicants and 11.11% of international applicants for Fall 2025. Yield was nearly identical for both groups.

• Texas Tech Admitted 72.65% in Fall 2024 — Top 10% Texans Don't Need the Odds

  Texas Tech's headline rate is 72.65%, but Texas law automatically admits top 10% in-state students — with no capacity cap like UT Austin's.

• Kansas's Acceptance Rate Barely Notices Residency. Its Yield Does

  KU admitted 94.09% of Kansans and 91.69% of nonresidents for Fall 2025 — but 41.62% of admitted Kansans enrolled, against 15.21% of admitted nonresidents.

• Haverford Admits Domestic Applicants at Over 22% — International Applicants at Under 4%

  Haverford admitted 22.21% of domestic applicants for Fall 2025 but only 3.81% of international applicants — a gap residency alone doesn't produce.

• Wellesley Admits Domestic Applicants at Over 21% — International Applicants at Under 4%

  Wellesley admitted 21.42% of domestic applicants for Fall 2025 but only 3.42% of international applicants — though admitted internationals yield far higher.

• Vassar Admits Domestic Applicants at Nearly 29% — International Applicants at Just 5%

  Vassar admitted 28.90% of domestic applicants for Fall 2025 but only 4.99% of international applicants — a gap the college's own data doesn't explain.

• Arkansas's Acceptance Rate Doesn't Punish Out-of-State Applicants. Enrollment Does

  Arkansas admits out-of-state applicants at nearly the same rate as in-state applicants, but in-state admits enroll at roughly double the out-of-state rate.

• Ole Miss's Out-of-State Admit Advantage Is Disappearing

  Ole Miss admitted out-of-state applicants at a higher rate than in-state ones in 2024. By 2025 the two nearly converged, with in-state now slightly ahead.

• Iowa State's Acceptance Rate Looks Open. Enrollment Tells a Different Story

  Iowa State admits in-state and out-of-state applicants at nearly the same rate, but in-state admits enroll at roughly three times the rate of out-of-state admits.

• University of Rhode Island's Acceptance Rate Hides a Filing Problem, Not a Residency Penalty

  URI admits in-state and out-of-state applicants at nearly the same rate, but in-state students enroll at more than three times the rate of out-of-state admits.

• George Mason's Acceptance Rate Barely Splits by Residency. Its Class Still Does.

  George Mason admits in-state and out-of-state applicants at nearly the same rate, yet in-state yield is 3.4x higher, so residents fill 81% of the class.

• San Diego State's 59-Point Residency Gap Is a Pool-Size Story

  SDSU admitted 90.70% of out-of-state applicants and 31.32% of Californians, but 84,805 of its 95,444 applicants were Californians. That's the whole story.

• UConn's Acceptance Rate Runs Backwards. It's Also Storrs-Only.

  UConn admits out-of-state applicants at a higher rate than Connecticut residents, but in-state yield still lands residents 52% of a Storrs-only class.

• Why the University of Iowa's Acceptance Rate Doesn't Run Backwards

  Iowa admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state ones, and in-state yield runs four to seven times higher, across two straight years.

• Gonzaga Admits Out-of-State Applicants at 82.04%, In-State at 77.98% — Yield Runs the Other Way

  Gonzaga's 79.62% acceptance rate breaks out by residency. Out-of-state applicants get in more often, but in-state admits enroll at nearly double the rate.

• Hofstra Admits Out-of-State Applicants at 81.87%, In-State New Yorkers at 75.66%

  Hofstra's acceptance rate splits by residency two years running — out-of-state applicants get in more often, but in-state admits enroll at nearly double the rate.

• Santa Clara Admits Out-of-State Applicants at 54.36%, In-State at 48.24%

  Santa Clara's acceptance rate splits by residency two years running. Its Early Decision figures don't hold up, so we're not publishing one.

• Denver's Acceptance Rate Jumped 8 Points in One Year — Yield Didn't Move

  Denver's acceptance rate rose from 77.29% to 85.38% in a single year, while the share of admits who actually enrolled stayed flat near 8%.

• Loyola Chicago Admits 75% of Applicants — and Runs No Early Decision or Early Action

  Loyola Chicago admitted 75.10% of Fall 2025 applicants, confirmed by the university's own fact sheet. There's no early round here — every applicant is evaluated the same way.

• Notre Dame's In-State and Out-of-State Applicants Are Admitted at Nearly the Same Rate

  Notre Dame admitted 9.38% of Fall 2025 applicants. In-state and out-of-state applicants were admitted at essentially the same rate — about 10.6% either way.

• Temple Admits Out-of-State Applicants at a Slightly Higher Rate Than Pennsylvania Residents

  Temple's acceptance rate rose to 86.22% for Fall 2025. Out-of-state applicants were admitted at a slightly higher rate than in-state Pennsylvania residents.

• Bates Admits Domestic Applicants at About 27% — International Applicants at Just 3%

  Bates admitted roughly 27% of in-state and out-of-state applicants for Fall 2025, but only 3.18% of international applicants — a gap far larger than residency alone produces.

• Carleton Admits International Applicants at a Fraction of Its Domestic Rates

  Carleton admitted 35-39% of domestic applicants for Fall 2025 but just 4.01% of international applicants — a gap far wider than anything residency alone explains.

• Claremont McKenna's Early Decision Applicants Are Admitted at Three Times the Regular Rate

  CMC admitted 22.09% of Early Decision applicants for Fall 2025, versus a derived 7.36% for everyone else — one of the few verified ED rates in this series.

• Harvey Mudd Admits International Applicants at Less Than Half the Domestic Rate

  Harvey Mudd admitted 12-18% of domestic applicants for Fall 2025 but only 5.33% of international applicants — a wider gap than residency produces on its own.

• At CU Boulder, the College You Apply To Matters More Than the 70.67% Rate

  Leeds School of Business admitted 32.36% of applicants while Arts & Sciences admitted 85.11% in the same Fall 2025 class at CU Boulder — a 2.6x gap inside one rate.

• Marquette's Acceptance Rate Fell From 87.48% to 78.02% in Three Years — And a Rare Residency Table Shows the Rest

  Marquette's acceptance rate fell from 87.48% to 78.02% over three years. A rare private-school residency breakdown shows in-state and out-of-state side by side.

• Utah Admits Nearly Everyone the Same — Yield Is Where Residency Actually Matters

  University of Utah's admit rate barely differs by residency, all near 90%. In-state admits enroll at roughly twice the rate of out-of-state admits — that's the real gap.

• Drexel's Admit-Rate Gap by Residency Is Small. Its Yield Gap Is Not.

  Drexel admits in-state and out-of-state applicants within 7 points of each other. In-state admits enroll at 2.6x the rate of out-of-state admits — that's the real story.

• University of Cincinnati's Real Acceptance Rate — A Residency Gap That Stays Under 8 Points

  UC admitted 90.46% in-state, 85.00% out-of-state, and 83.27% international for Fall 2025 — every group cleared 83%, a narrow spread by public-flagship standards.

• University of Houston's Real Acceptance Rate — International Applicants Get In Most Often

  UH admitted 77.50% of in-state, 62.33% of out-of-state, and 85.35% of international applicants for Fall 2025 — international was highest, not lowest.

• UVA's 16.8% Acceptance Rate Splits Two Different Ways

  UVA admitted 25.93% of in-state applicants vs. 13.83% out-of-state, and 17.71% in Engineering vs. 8.88% in Nursing. One headline, two real splits.

• University of Rochester's Acceptance Rate Hides a 3-to-1 Gap by Residency

  Rochester admitted 58.62% of out-of-state applicants, 50.36% in-state, and 18.17% international for Fall 2025 — folded into one 41.91% headline rate.

• Howard University Admits International Applicants at the Highest Rate of Any Group — Then Loses Most of Them

  Howard admitted 59.81% of international applicants for Fall 2025, the highest of any residency group — but only 8.24% of them enrolled. Full breakdown.

• Baylor Admits Out-of-State Applicants at 54.50%, In-State at 51.51% — But Yield Tells the Real Story

  Baylor's 52.22% acceptance rate breaks out by residency, and out-of-state applicants get in slightly more often than Texans. Yield flips the story completely.

• University of Miami Admits In-State Applicants at 23.18%, Out-of-State at 17.45% — A Residency Split Most Private Schools Don't Publish

  Miami's Common Data Set breaks its 17.61% acceptance rate out by residency, something most private universities never disclose. Here's what the numbers show — and don't.

• Brandeis Admits Out-of-State Applicants at a Higher Rate Than In-State — the Real Gap Is International

  Brandeis admitted out-of-state applicants at a higher rate than in-state applicants for Fall 2025 — 63.67% vs 55.76%. The international rate was 17.95%.

• RPI Admits In-State and Out-of-State Applicants at Nearly the Same Rate — the Real Gap Is International

  RPI admitted in-state and out-of-state applicants within a point of each other for Fall 2025. The real gap is international applicants, admitted 12 points lower.

• Michigan State Admits Residents and Non-Residents Almost Evenly — The Real Gap Is Who Enrolls

  MSU's admit rate barely differs by residency — 83.93% in-state vs 81.54% out-of-state. The real divide shows up after acceptance, where in-state yield runs nearly five times higher.

• UC Santa Cruz's Real Acceptance Rate and California's 18% Nonresident Cap

  UC Santa Cruz admitted 84.03% of domestic nonresidents but enrolls almost none of them — California's 18% cap governs enrollment, not admission. Here's the real math.

• Vermont's Residency Admit Gap Nearly Vanished in One Year — Yield Didn't Follow

  UVM's in-state vs out-of-state admit gap shrank from 8.47 points to 1.35 in a single year. In-state yield still runs roughly 2.7 times higher than out-of-state, both years.

• Princeton's Acceptance Rate, Broken Down by Residency (Class of 2028 Data)

  Princeton admitted 5.14% of in-state, 5.48% of out-of-state, and 2.11% of international applicants for the Class of 2028 — the most recent year we could verify.

• MIT's Early Action Admits at Nearly Twice the Regular Rate — With No Binding Commitment

  MIT admitted 5.98% of Early Action applicants and 3.50% of Regular Action applicants for the Class of 2029. Unlike most early plans, MIT's isn't binding.

• Delaware Admits In-State and Out-of-State Applicants at Almost the Same Rate — the Real Story Is Who Enrolls

  Delaware admitted in-state and out-of-state applicants within 0.68 points of each other for Fall 2024. The real residency gap shows up in yield, not admission.

• Kentucky Admits 93.52% of Applicants — and Recruits More of Them From Out of State Than In

  Kentucky admitted 93.52% of Fall 2025 applicants, and its out-of-state applicant pool outnumbers in-state 2.5 to 1. The real residency gap is in yield, not admission.

• Why Stony Brook's Acceptance Rate Runs Backwards

  Stony Brook admits out-of-state applicants at a higher rate than New Yorkers, but the pools aren't comparable — New Yorkers still fill 81% of the class.

• Why Binghamton's Acceptance Rate Runs Backwards

  Binghamton admits out-of-state applicants at more than double the in-state rate, but the pools aren't comparable — New Yorkers still fill 82% of the class.

• Arizona Admits In-State and Out-of-State Applicants at Nearly the Same Rate — the Real Gap Is International

  Arizona admitted in-state and out-of-state applicants within 1.69 points of each other for Fall 2025. The real gap is international applicants, admitted at roughly half the domestic rate.

• UW-Madison Is Exempt From Wisconsin's Non-Resident Cap. The Four-Way Split Shows Why It Matters.

  UW-Madison's 40.81% rate blends four residency groups admitted from 56.39% to 31.60%. Wisconsin caps non-resident enrollment at every UW campus except Madison.

• UGA Admits In-State Applicants at 42.13%, Out-of-State at 27.88% — A Gap That's Narrowing

  UGA admitted 42.13% of in-state applicants versus 27.88% out-of-state for Fall 2025 — a gap that narrowed from the year before.

• Pitt Admits 58% at Oakland and 88% to 95% at Its Regional Campuses

  Pitt's Oakland campus admitted 58.08% of Fall 2024 applicants. Bradford, Johnstown, and Greensburg admitted 88.54% to 95.21% in the same cycle, off the same application.

• Clemson Admits In-State Applicants at 52.92%, Out-of-State at 40.41% — A Gap That's Narrowing

  Clemson admitted 52.92% of in-state applicants versus 40.41% out-of-state for Fall 2025 — a gap that narrowed sharply from the year before.

• At Michigan, the School You Apply To Matters More Than the 16.4% Rate

  Ross admitted 7.10% of direct-admit applicants while Michigan's university-wide rate was 16.42% in the same Fall 2025 cycle. The school you pick changes your odds.

• Wake Forest's Early Decision Advantage Was 1.10x, and It Hasn't Reported the Number Since

  Wake Forest admitted 20.76% for the Class of 2029. The last time it published an ED breakdown, the ED advantage was just 1.10x RD, far smaller than families assume.

• Ohio State's Regional Campuses Admit 99%. The Safety Net Is for Ohio Residents Only

  Columbus admitted 60.57% of Fall 2024 applicants; every regional campus admitted over 98%. Ohio residents get placed there automatically. Nonresidents are told to reapply as transfers.

• Why Virginia Tech's Acceptance Rate Runs Backwards

  Virginia Tech admits out-of-state applicants at a higher rate than Virginians, but only because far fewer of them enroll. Virginians still take 62% of every class.

• Penn State Admits 60% at University Park and 92%+ Everywhere Else

  University Park admitted 60.56% of Fall 2024 applicants. Every other Penn State campus admitted 92% or more. The full 20-campus breakdown, from Penn State's own filings.

• UNC Chapel Hill Admits In-State Applicants at Nearly 4 Times the Out-of-State Rate

  UNC admitted 37.01% of in-state applicants and 9.63% of out-of-state applicants for Fall 2025. The published 16.72% rate blends both into one misleading number.

• Berkeley's Transfer Rate Is 2.1x Its Freshman Rate

  Berkeley admitted 24.18% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants versus 11.45% of freshmen, the same class. Here's the gap and why Berkeley skips UC's transfer guarantee.

• BU Transfer Acceptance Rate Is 3.1x the Freshman Rate

  BU admitted 34.6% of transfer applicants for Fall 2024, versus 11.11% of freshman applicants in the same cycle, per its own Common Data Set.

• Columbia Transfer Acceptance Rate: 8.97% vs 3.86%

  Columbia's transfer acceptance rate is 8.97%, more than double the 3.86% freshman rate, for the same Fall 2024 filing cycle. Here is what the numbers mean.

• Cornell Transfer Acceptance Rate: 9.28% vs 8.41%

  Cornell's transfer acceptance rate is 9.28%, barely above the 8.41% freshman rate for the same Fall 2024 cohort. Transfer is not a back door here.

• Emory Transfer Acceptance Rate: 22.68% vs 10.3%

  Emory's transfer acceptance rate is 22.68%, more than double the 10.3% freshman rate for the same Fall 2025 cohort. Here is what drives the gap.

• Georgia Tech Transfer Rate Beats Freshman Odds, 20% vs 13%

  Georgia Tech admitted 20.03% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants, versus 13.34% freshman. It also runs six named transfer pathway programs.

• Northeastern Transfer Acceptance Rate Is 3.8x Freshman

  Northeastern admitted 19.74% of transfer applicants for Fall 2024, versus 5.21% of freshman applicants in the same cycle, per its Common Data Set.

• NYU Transfer Acceptance Rate Is 4.3x the Freshman Rate

  NYU admitted 38.65% of transfer applicants for Fall 2025, versus 9.06% of freshman applicants in the same cycle, per its Common Data Set.

• UC Davis Transfer Acceptance Rate: 56.27% vs. 44.35%

  UC Davis admitted 56.27% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants versus 44.35% of first-year applicants. See the counts, compare the routes, and check how TAG fits.

• UC Irvine's Transfer Rate Beats Its Freshman Rate

  UC Irvine admitted 39.5% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants, versus 29.0% of freshman applicants. Same year, same source, a real gap.

• UCLA's Transfer Rate Is 2.5x Its Freshman Rate

  UCLA admitted 23.4% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants versus 9.41% of freshmen, the same entering class. Here's what that gap means if you're at a community college.

• UCSB's Transfer Rate Hits 59%, Highest Among UCs

  UCSB admitted 59% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants versus 38.2% of freshmen, and offers UC's Transfer Admission Guarantee. Here's how it works.

• UCSD's Transfer Rate Is Nearly Double Its Freshman Rate

  UCSD admitted 52.76% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants versus 28.56% of freshmen, the same class. Over half of transfer applicants got in. Here's why.

• UF Transfer Acceptance Rate Is Double the Freshman Rate

  UF admitted 40.5% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants, versus 20.3% of freshman applicants. Same cohort, same CDS, a 2x gap worth understanding.

• UIUC Transfer Acceptance Rate: 43.4% vs. 36.6%

  UIUC admitted 43.41% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants, versus 36.59% freshman. The gap is real, but so is a major-specific catch.

• USC Transfer Acceptance Rate: 27.05% vs 11.19%

  USC's transfer acceptance rate is 27.05%, more than double the 11.19% freshman rate for the same Fall 2025 cohort. Here is why, and what it requires.

• UT Austin Transfer Rate: Not Easier Than Freshman

  UT Austin admitted 21.96% of Fall 2025 transfer applicants versus 22.22% freshman. Unlike most flagships, transfer isn't the easier door.

• Vanderbilt's Transfer Acceptance Rate Is 4.9x Higher

  Vanderbilt admitted 26.16% of transfer applicants for Fall 2025, versus 5.38% of freshman applicants in the same cycle, per its own Common Data Set.

• Amherst's Two Acceptance Rates, Explained

  Amherst admitted 22.25% of Early Decision applicants and 6.78% of everyone else for the Class of 2029. The math, straight from its Common Data Set.

• Bowdoin's Real Acceptance Rate: ED vs. RD

  Bowdoin admitted 14.91% of Early Decision applicants and 5.48% of everyone else for the Class of 2029. The math, straight from its Common Data Set.

• Case Western Is the Exception to the ED Rule

  At Case Western, Early Decision admitted at 24.98%, lower than the 35.60% non-ED rate, reversing the pattern seen at most schools.

• Colgate's ED Rate Is 1.5x the Non-ED Rate

  Colgate admitted 19.5% of Early Decision applicants and 13.1% outside that round for the Class of 2028, per its own Common Data Set.

• Hamilton's ED Rate Is 2.4x the Non-ED Rate

  Hamilton admitted 28.1% of Early Decision applicants and 11.5% outside that round for the Class of 2029, per its own Common Data Set.

• Lehigh's Real Acceptance Rate: ED vs. Regular Decision

  Lehigh's ED admit rate was 47.35% for Fall 2025, nearly double the 26.79% rate for Regular Decision applicants.

• Middlebury's Acceptance Rate Is Two Numbers

  Middlebury admitted 39.02% of Early Decision applicants and 9.87% of everyone else for the Fall 2025 class. The math, straight from its own Common Data Set.

• Pomona's ED Rate Is Roughly Double the RD Rate

  Pomona admitted 12.98% of Early Decision applicants and 6.12% outside that round for the Class of 2028, per its own Common Data Set.

• Swarthmore's Acceptance Rate Isn't One Number

  Swarthmore admitted 17.8% of Early Decision applicants and 6.39% of everyone else for the Fall 2025 class. The full math, from its own Common Data Set.

• Tulane's Real Acceptance Rate: ED vs. Everyone Else

  Tulane's headline rate hides a 58.21% ED admit rate against 11.51% for everyone else, the widest early-round gap we've found.

• Villanova's Real Acceptance Rate: ED vs. Everyone Else

  Villanova's ED admit rate hit 59.82% for Fall 2025, against 25.93% for the rest of the applicant pool.

• WashU's ED Rate Is 2.6x the Non-ED Rate

  WashU admitted 25.27% of Early Decision applicants and 9.79% outside that round for the Class of 2028, per its own Common Data Set.

• Wesleyan's ED Rate Is Nearly 3x the Non-ED Rate

  Wesleyan admitted 39.11% of Early Decision applicants and 13.76% outside that round for the Class of 2028, per its own admissions data.

• Williams' Acceptance Rate Splits in Two

  Williams admitted 26.56% of Early Decision applicants and 7.42% of everyone else for the Fall 2025 class. The full breakdown from its Common Data Set.

• Which Colleges Give the Biggest ED Advantage

  We ranked 14 schools by ED admit-rate advantage, from Northeastern's 11.2x edge to Rice's 1.5x, using each school's own Common Data Set.

• Boston College's Acceptance Rate Isn't One Number

  Boston College admitted 33.44% of Early Decision applicants versus 13.77% of everyone else, per BC's own Common Data Set filing.

• BU's Real Acceptance Rate Splits Sharply by Round

  Boston University admitted 31.35% of Early Decision applicants versus 11% of everyone else for Fall 2025, per BU's own Common Data Set.

• What Brown Actually Admits, Round by Round

  Brown admitted 16.46% of Early Decision applicants and 4.23% outside that round for the Class of 2030, from Brown's own admissions data.

• Dartmouth's ED Rate Is 5.7x the RD Rate

  Dartmouth admitted 21.62% of Early Decision applicants and 3.77% outside that round for the Class of 2029, per its own Common Data Set.

• Duke's Real Acceptance Rate: ED vs. Regular Decision

  Duke admits 12.6% Early Decision vs. 4.2% Regular Decision. Duke publishes only rates, not raw counts, and has no public Common Data Set.

• Emory's Real Acceptance Rate Depends on the Round

  Emory admitted 22.19% of Early Decision applicants versus 8.59% of everyone else for the Class of 2029, per Emory's own Common Data Set.

• Georgia Tech's Real Gap Is Residency, Not Major

  Georgia Tech admitted 13.34% of Fall 2025 applicants, but in-state admits were admitted at nearly 3x the out-of-state rate. See the real numbers.

• Johns Hopkins' Real Acceptance Rate: ED vs. RD

  Johns Hopkins admits 10.93% Early Decision vs. 5.25% Regular Decision, per its Common Data Set. Full breakdown, math shown, and the waitlist numbers.

• Northwestern's ED Rate Is Nearly 4x Regular Decision

  Northwestern admits 23% of Early Decision applicants vs. 5.9% Regular Decision, per its own Common Data Set. Here's the full breakdown, with the math shown.

• Penn's Real Acceptance Rate: ED vs. RD

  Penn admitted 14.22% of Early Decision applicants and 4.05% of non-ED applicants for the Class of 2028, straight from Penn's own Common Data Set.

• Purdue's 43.4% Rate Hides Majors Under 10%

  Purdue admitted 43.4% of Fall 2025 applicants overall, but Professional Flight Technology admitted just 7.7%. See the full by-major breakdown.

• Rice's Early Decision Edge Is Real, Just Small

  Rice admitted 11.26% of Early Decision applicants versus 7.41% of everyone else for Fall 2025, the narrowest ED gap in our recent data.

• Tufts' Acceptance Rate Hinges on When You Apply

  Tufts admitted 32.03% of Early Decision applicants versus 9.28% of everyone else, per Tufts' own Common Data Set for the Fall 2024 cohort.

• UC Irvine's 28.95% Rate Hides a 2x Major Spread

  UC Irvine admitted 28.95% of Fall 2025 applicants overall, but by discipline the range runs from 16.16% to 34.18%. See the real breakdown.

• UW's 41.75% Rate Means Nothing for CS Applicants

  UW admitted 41.75% of Fall 2025 applicants, but Computer Science direct-admit rates split from 37% for Washington residents to 2% for international.

• Vanderbilt's Real Acceptance Rate, by Round and by School

  Vanderbilt admits 14.09% Early Decision vs. 4.09% otherwise, and by-school rates range from 4.35% to 20.15%. The full breakdown, from Vanderbilt's own data.

• Berkeley's 11% Acceptance Rate Doesn't Apply to You

  Berkeley admitted 11.45% of Fall 2025 applicants overall, but by college the range runs from 5.18% to 18.08%. See the real breakdown.

• Cornell's Acceptance Rate Depends on When You Apply

  Cornell admits 18.78% of Early Decision applicants versus 6.70% Regular Decision, plus the waitlist math, straight from Cornell's own Common Data Set.

• Northeastern's Acceptance Rate Is Two Numbers

  Northeastern admits 43.05% of Early Decision applicants and 3.83% of everyone else. The full math, straight from Northeastern's own Common Data Set.

• What NYU Won't Tell You About Its Acceptance Rate

  NYU's Common Data Set says 9.06%. Its marketing page says roughly 8%. Its Early Decision numbers are redacted entirely. Here's what is and isn't knowable.

• UCLA's Real Acceptance Rate, School by School

  UCLA's headline rate was 8.97%, but by school it ran from 0.5% at Nursing to 24% at the School of Music. Here's the real breakdown.

• UIUC's Real Acceptance Rate Isn't 37%

  UIUC admits by major, not by campus. The 36.6% headline hides a 6.5x spread, with CS at 7.4% and one student off the entire waitlist.

• Do Top Colleges Accept CLEP? We Checked 16 Schools

  We verified CLEP credit policies at 16 schools. Elite privates reject it; public flagships accept it. See what each one says.

• Dual Enrollment vs. AP: What Selective Colleges Prefer

  AP or dual enrollment—which fits your college plans? Compare rigor, credit, transcripts, and workload, with guidance from selective colleges.

• Columbia Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

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• 10th Grade College Prep Roadmap

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• Junior Year College Checklist (11th Grade)

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• Senior Year College Application Timeline

  Senior year, month by month: college lists, essays, ED and EA applications, Regular Decision, financial aid, and choosing an offer. Build a calendar around your schools.

• 9th Grade College Prep Roadmap

  Your freshman-year college prep plan: build study habits, understand GPA and course sequences, and explore activities before choosing where to focus.

• Brown Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

  Every verbatim Brown supplemental prompt for 2026-27, what each one is really asking, and how to approach the Open Curriculum question specifically.

• College Consultant Red Flags to Watch For

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• College Counselor vs. School Counselor

  What a private college counselor offers that a school counselor usually can't, why that's a caseload problem, not a competence one.

• The Free DIY College Counseling Guide

  What families can genuinely handle themselves, for free, without hiring a consultant, and where free tools can help.

• Duke Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

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• Harvard Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

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• Is a College Admissions Consultant Worth It?

  A cost-by-cost, honest look at what admissions consultants charge, what they change, and which families should skip hiring one entirely.

• MIT Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

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• Near-Peer Mentoring vs. Traditional Consultants

  Near-peer mentor or traditional college consultant? Compare experience, training, services, and price—and the questions to ask before choosing either.

• Princeton Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

  Princeton's 2026-27 supplement prompts, the AB/BSE academic essay split, and how to approach each required response.

• 15 Questions to Ask a College Consultant

  The exact questions to ask before hiring, plus what a good answer sounds like versus a red flag.

• Rice Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

  Every verbatim Rice supplemental prompt for 2026-27, including the choose-one 500-word essay, and how to approach each.

• Stanford Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

  Stanford's 8 supplement prompts for 2026-27: 5 short answers and 3 longer essays, with a strategy for each.

• Penn Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

  Every verbatim Penn supplemental prompt for 2026-27, organized by which ones every applicant answers and which are program-specific.

• What Does a College Admissions Consultant Do?

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• When to Hire a College Counselor, by Grade

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• Yale Supplemental Essays 2026-27: Prompts & Strategy

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• The GPA Recovery Playbook

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• How Near-Peer Mentors Reduce SAT Test Anxiety

  SAT test anxiety is common among high-achievers. Near-peer mentors, recent Ivy grads who just sat these same tests, reduce it in ways traditional tutors cannot match.

• 9th Grade College Prep: The Habits That Separate Ivy-Track Students

  Ninth grade is when Ivy-track students build the habits that compound over four years. Here are the eight concrete behaviors that set them apart from the rest.

• Testing Returns to Top Colleges: A New Era in Elite Admissions

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• Ivy League mentors for kids in Los Angeles (virtual + local options)

  Looking for an Ivy League mentor in Los Angeles? Learn how Dewey Smart connects LA students with top-university coaches virtually.

• How to Find an Ivy League Tutor in Brooklyn

  Looking for an Ivy League tutor in Brooklyn? Compare local options with structured online Ivy League coaching and see which path fits your student best.