Rutgers-Over 80,000 applications this year; deadlines are firm. 36K undergraduates, 4.05 average GPA 1380-1510 School of Arts and Science. The Honors College has become highly selective. Top Majors are Computer Science, Business, Engineering, Biology, Professional Health Majors. Odds of admissions are better for Business Analytics and Info Technology than CompSci. The most competitive majors are 7 year BS/MD (20 students), Dentistry, DPT programs; 6 year PharmD and PA programs; 3+3 Law options, and 5 year Master's options, including 5th year MBA for Engineers. Direct admit programs all require Calculus; do not take Statistics only as a senior because you will not be prepared for college Calculus. Students enjoy internship and job opportunities in Philadelphia and NYC.
SUNY Binghamton-14,000 undergrad students/5,000 undergrads 38% admit rate.
93-98 GPA/1300-1450/29-33 ACT. Over 50K applications this year. Remaining test optional; first year research programs and publishing opportunities. Introducing a new School of the Arts offering BFA’s. Eligible students who apply to the School of Management are automatically considered for Harpur (A & S), but not for Watson (ENG and CS) or Decker (direct admit Nursing). Demonstrate interest-take at least Pre-Calculus. If you’re not eligible for SOM, the spot in Harpur will not be offered. Harpur students come in as undecided. Nursing requires the upper end of GPA and test scores.
Stony Brook-Early 10/15 EA deadline 4.05/29-33 ACT 1420 average SAT.
60K apps this year, 4,000 admitted. Letters of Recommendation appreciated. Received 500,000,00 donation in 2024. Established Climate Solutions Center on Governor’s Island and Marine Research Center. Take the highest level math and science for Engineering and Computer Science, both restricted majors. Growing programs: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Sustainability Studies, Mass Communications and Communications, Globalization Studies and Human Relations. Everyone should take a minimum of PreCalculus. Easy travel from NYC by Long Island Railroad to suburban campus; close to beaches. Stony Brook does not track DI but encourages future Sea Wolves to visit campus.
UConn-Offered ED for the first time admitted 700 out of 1100 apps (16% of class); no EA, RD only. SAT 1410-1370/29-33. 19,000 students on the Storrs campus. Marine sciences are on the waterfront campuses. Top 5 majors are Computer Science, Biology, Management, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences. Merit aid for all students, and the Stamford campus has become more popular. The School of Nursing is growing as is the Engineering major. Admit directly to major.
Next week: Updates from UDel, UMD, and UVM!
COLLEGES NOT RECEIVING FAFSA INFO UNTIL MID-MARCH WILL SEND OUT AWARDS IN MID-APRIL
Penn State: 42,000 students at University Park, 120,000 apps this year. Apply by 11/1 Early Action.
3.65-3.95 recalculated. Average SAT 1320-1480 ACT 29-33.
Top majors: Engineering, Business, Nursing, Biology, Psychology. Even in the most competitive colleges like Engineering, Business, Science, Liberal Arts, some majors have less interest than others. Some smaller, more specialized colleges (like Earth & Mineral Sciences and Information Sciences & Technology, majors that are more specialized and thus interest isn't as large). The acceptance rate varies, but the average acceptance for the Smeal College of Business at University Park is 25%.
We are looking for at least pre-calculus in high school to be eligible for Engineering/Science/STEM fields, as Calculus 1 & 2 are typically first-year requirements for students.
Previously, any student who received an offer to Penn State for a 2+2 program was able to have their application reconsidered for a different academic college at University Park. This year, students are now limited to only one reconsideration for a new program at the University Park campus.
Sports News: Volleyball won National Championship, Wrestling Team #1
University of Pittsburgh: 3.98 weighted/recalculated: Average SAT 1400 ACT 32. Received over 60,000 applications this year.
Nursing is the most competitive undergraduate school--ranked #4 nationally. Admit rate for the School of Nursing is about 20-25%. For example, as of this morning we have just 5000 apps for nursing and have offered admission to about 1000. The first-year class will enroll about 200 students. The most popular majors are Business, Engineering, Nursing, Health Sciences, Social Sciences. Early deadlines for Honors. Pitt will remain test optional through 2028.
Next week: News from Rutgers, Binghamton, Stony Brook, and UConn!
When I taught English to college freshmen, I always offered a review session before an exam. This was very well-attended: every student, even those I rarely saw, sat there, alert. Students would write down every word I said, anticipating that they could then respond precisely to every test question.
But the last thing I wanted was for them to parrot back the review. I asked for short essay responses that would prove that students understood the material, could think critically about it, make connections, and express their ideas coherently. That would show me that they were truly getting something out of the course, which required reading works of fiction and non-fiction dealing with politics, relationships, race/ethnicity, and other nuanced topics. No one could possibly “copy” from anyone else to craft an effective answer.
When students use AI, I hope they adhere to that standard.
Students’ ideas and personal experiences should be a reflection of their thought process–AI can’t make those up. If they use AI in other capacities, they have to use it well enough to enhance an effective essay. That means not flattening it out, dulling the tone, and elevating the language to an unrealistic level. So far, I haven’t seen essays that used AI successfully (that I know of).
In a recent Chronicle of Higher Ed webinar about how colleges are using AI, Rick Clark of Georgia Tech added real value to the discussion (he usually does). I am paraphrasing the point he directed to the colleges:
Colleges: build your prompts around what you want to see rather than worrying about students using Chat GPT. We need transparency about this, not secrecy. Even our transition from a paper to a paperless admissions process was a huge change! AI is just a step in the college process evolution--it doesn’t mean that the human mind gets a pass.