Every senior at Academic Magnet knows the pressure of applying to colleges at this time of year. Not only do Magnet students feel the pressure of their application due dates, but also their odds of getting into a college over their peers who are applying to the same hyper-competitive schools. It’s true: competitive universities do limit the amount of applicants admitted from one high school, especially at Magnet where many students are qualified to attend top universities. This peer-to-peer competition varies between colleges. The ones that are more popular to Magnet students will be more competitive in their selection process. In order to gauge this competition, the AMHS Talon sent a survey to all seniors requesting information on where they’re applying. The survey is used to find out which colleges will be challenging to get into this year due to competition levels. Here is information on some of the most popular colleges for Magnet students:

(Disclaimer: The survey cannot account for competition of students who chose early decision as they are selected in a different pool than all others.) (Special thanks to all the seniors who filled out this survey!)

 

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Acceptance Rate (out of state): 14%

Population (undergraduate): 19,000

Magnet application rate: 27.4%

 

University of North Carolina is a notoriously difficult school to get into as an out of state applicant. The acceptance rate drops from a reasonable 24% overall to 14% when applying out of state. With the large percentage of Magnet seniors applying this year, the prestige of the school, and an out of state application, it will be challenging to get admitted this year .

 

Clemson University

Acceptance Rate (in state): 51%

Population: 20,000

Magnet application rate: 73.6%

 

Clemson is the most popular choice for Magnet students. With a whopping 73.6% of seniors applying, it may seem intimidating. Don’t worry. Clemson lets in a very large number of Magnet students each year so competition is not a huge issue. Also, most Magnet students are more than qualified to get into Clemson which is why it is such a popular safety school.

 

University of Georgia

Acceptance Rate (out of state): 40%

Population: 30,000

Magnet Application Rate: 29.6%

 

University of Georgia is a very popular school for magnet students. It is a better school than Clemson and South Carolina while still being within reasonable driving distance. It is a competitive school that fits the criteria for many Magnet students. For that reason it is not surprising that the senior application rate is close to 30% despite being out of state. UGA should be relatively competitive for magnet students this year.

 

University of Virginia

Acceptance Rate (out of state): 17%

Population: 11,800

Magnet Application Rate: 20.6%

 

It seems that University of Virginia has an unusual hype around it this year. UVA has a reputation as a fun and competitive school with a great culture. It is no surprise that it is the number one choice for many magnet seniors. It has a low out of state acceptance rate and a moderate student population. UVA is a school that has historically not accepted a large number of Magnet students in any year. With 20% of seniors applying this year, UVA will be one of the most competitive colleges this year. 

 

Wake Forest University

Acceptance Rate (out of state): 30%

Population: 7,600

Magnet Application Rate: 9.9%

 

Wake Forest is a mid-sized private school in North Carolina. Despite being small compared to other schools in North Carolina, it draws many applications from magnet students with a 9.9% application rate. Wake Forest is not as competitive as Duke and University of North Carolina, but is nonetheless a great school. With 9.9% of magnet seniors applying this year, it should be moderately competitive for magnet seniors.

 

Georgia Institute of Technology

Acceptance Rate (out of state): 23.4%

Population: 16,500

Magnet Application Rate: 19.6%

 

Georgia Tech is a great school that attracts many STEM students from Magnet. It is decently sized and has a competitive acceptance rate. It is close to Atlanta and is within reasonable driving distance from South Carolina. Of the students who want to go there, it should be very competitive with an application rate of nearly 20%. 

 

It is important to know that where one goes to college does not define them or their future. The school you go to will not determine happiness; rather, it is what the student makes of the school. I wish the best of luck and a stress-free second semester to all the magnet seniors this year.

 

More school application rates below:

Duke University: 14.1%

College of William & Mary: 7.6%

Emory University: 7.6%

Wofford College: 14.1%

Furman University: 13%

College of Charleston: 23.9%

Vanderbilt University: 11.9%

Virginia Tech: 8.7%

Boston College: 9.2%

University of Florida: 9.8%

North Carolina State University: 10.9%

Georgetown University: 5.4%

 

Full Response Spreadsheet (use “control F” to find responses):

College Interest Responses