Why It's Harder Getting Into Harvard

It’s not your imagination. It’s become even harder to get into Harvard, the rest of the Ivy League gang and the other super elite schools.

In the college blog post that I wrote for CBSMoneyWatch.com today, I explain 5 reasons why it’s become even more challenging trying to storm the gates of Harvard and other schools of that ilk.

Here are the five reasons why Ivy League admissions are tougher:

  • Cynical marketing by Ivy League and other elite universities.
  • Moody bond ratings.
  • Rising popularity of the Common Application.
  • U.S. News & World Report college rankings.
  • Unimaginative counselors at expensive prep school.

Please check out my CBSMoneyWatch blog, where I discuss this Ivy League development in detail.  I’m not going to write this stuff down twice!

Lynn O’Shaughnessy is the author of The College Solution, an Amazon bestseller, and she also write college blogs for CBSMoneyWatch and US News. Follow her on Twitter.


Join My Newsletter
Get your free guide to finding the most generous colleges
Practical, actionable information for Students, Parents, Counselors & Financial Advisors.

Let's Connect

Leave a Reply

  1. In my estimation the middle 50% SAT scores play a big roll in enticing many students to apply when they have very little chance of admission. These numbers are to college applications what EPA mileage numbers are to car sales. Kids latch on to the 25% number and think they are “in the ballpark” for admission. However, these middle 50% numbers are for students that enroll. The middle 50% for admitted students is higher. Thus a published range of 2050-2250 may be closer to 2100-2300 when considering admitted students. Then consider that those at the 25% level and below are super-hooked applicants that gained admission.