Harvard University, the first ever college established in the United States, continues to have the strongest reputation out of every university in the nation. In 1940 the acceptance rate to attend this prestigious institution was around 85% of all applicants, now in 2026 that percentage has decreased significantly to around 3% of all applicants.
This drastic difference in admissions is a trend that can be noticed in the history of many other universities, those just as old and even newly established colleges. This competitiveness can be attributed to many factors that have changed throughout the course of time, leading to both positive and negative effects on access to higher education.
Although there are various routes to take post high school graduation, a majority of graduates choose to take the route of receiving another degree from a college or university before heading into the workforce. This has caused an increased level of college applicants per year, meaning a fiercer competition to secure a spot as an admitted student. Not only has this created a stronger need to work harder, but it has revealed that admission counselors tend to compare an applicant to the other applicants in their high school. Sadie Smith (12) shares, “I don’t like to think of my peers as my competition, it doesn’t do any of us any good. Instead, I just hope for the best for myself and others.”
Additionally, other than there being a general rise in the number of students who wish to pursue a college education, women are now more inclined to pursue a higher education after the slow development of society as women became equals to men. Now, the applicant pool for university is not limited to only males, but everyone is welcome, meaning that the amount of people wishing to enter college has essentially doubled. Madison Juhl (12) exclaims, “Women in history have inspired me to try my hardest and pave the way for personal success in my future, because nobody else can do it for me.”
Overall, the want by many more individuals, not only in the US but across the world, to receive a greater education has only increased, and will only continue to do so. It is highly unlikely that college admissions will ever be less competitive than they once were, and so the only solution is to adapt to our ever-changing world. Despite the challenge that this brings to high school graduates, it brings limitless potential for our society, as the educated continue to question the unknown.
