Application Strategy
Guides and articles addressing application strategy, one of the common challenges students face during the admissions process.
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August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
August 26, 2026
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.
