When building your list of universities or colleges, one key factor to consider is selectivity. This refers to how competitive it is to gain admission to a school or specific program – but it’s not that simple. Here are some lesser-known factors to consider when building your university list.

What Is Selectivity?

Selectivity is the percentage of applicants a school or program accepts. Schools that admit fewer students are considered more selective. Programs linked to high-paying careers, like business, engineering, and computer science, tend to be the most competitive. Even if a university has a high overall acceptance rate, these programs might be much harder to get into.

It’s essential to research both the university’s general selectivity and the specific program you want to apply to, as they can differ significantly.

International Students Face Extra Competition

Applying to schools in other countries can be more challenging. Universities usually accept mostly students from their own country, which means international applicants face stiffer competition for fewer spots. If you’re an international student, you’ll need to be especially aware of how competitive the process is for you.

Comparing Yourself to Your Peers

When evaluating your chances of admission, compare your grades and level of rigor in your classes, test scores, and activities to both the university’s recently admitted class, as well as to your own classmates. If several students from your school are applying to the same university, it will increase competition because universities often want the top students from each school. This is why it’s important to talk with your school counselor about a) how your application profile compares to others in your class, and b), how many students from your class are applying to the same schools that you are. This type of frank conversation can be very helpful for your application planning and is beneficial to both the student and the counselor as both parties want successful outcomes from all the effort and time that is invested for applications.

Finding the Right Range of Schools

Every student should apply to a range of schools with different levels of selectivity. What that range looks like depends on the strength of your application. For example, a student with a high IBDP score of 42 might be competitive for very selective schools like Yale (4% acceptance rate). However, a student with a lower score, such as 33, should aim for less selective schools to increase their chances of acceptance. Applying to schools beyond your academic profile could result in wasted time, effort, and expense. It’s in your best interest to focus on schools that match your application profile, even if it means you shouldn’t be applying to the most ‘famous’ schools.

By understanding selectivity and comparing your academic profile with both the university’s and your classmates’, you can build a balanced list of schools that increase your chances of admission. Be realistic and talk to your school counselor to ensure you’re focusing on schools that are the right fit for you.