The surreal 2020 is coming to an end, and the 2021 application season has entered its most critical sprint phase.
Recently, U.S. universities have been releasing early application data for the undergraduate class of 2021, and the results have been staggering.
Top 30 universities, including Harvard, Yale, UPenn, Cornell, Duke, Brown, JHU, Emory, Dartmouth, and UVA, have seen a sharp increase in early applications, with their online systems overwhelmed…
Yale University's application numbers increased by 38% year-on-year this year
Source: yaledailynews
We thought this year would be the easiest to get into top U.S. universities, so why is the application fervor not decreasing but instead surging terrifyingly, with many universities even setting record-low admission rates!
Harvard's early acceptance rate this year is only 7.4%, a record low
Source: thecrimson.com
With such an unconventional script for undergraduate early applications, many students currently applying for graduate programs are feeling anxious.
Will the Fall 2021 graduate applications follow the same trend?
Why Did Early Undergraduate Applications Surge Against the Trend This Year?
The reasons for the surge in early undergraduate applications and record-low admission rates this year are as follows:
1. SAT/ACT scores became optional
Due to the pandemic, many top universities have waived SAT/ACT requirements, which are traditionally "hard thresholds." This led many students and parents to become opportunistic, thinking that the admission landscape would be entirely favorable.
Brown University made standardized test scores optional for 2020-21 undergraduate applications
Source: brown.edu
However, many applicants shared this mindset. Everyone thought the same, and they were even more willing to take a shot at highly ranked universities. Even families considering multi-country applications weighed risks and returns and ultimately did not give up on the U.S.
As a result, we witnessed a pile-up in early applications, especially for Top 30 universities this year.
2. More flexible early application policies attracted more applicants
During this unusual period, many U.S. universities, including Duke, Cornell, and the University of Rochester, extended their ED deadlines. These policies gave applicants more ample time to sprint for early applications.
Schools like Johns Hopkins University and Syracuse University also added ED II rounds, which will likely further increase early application numbers.
Source: jhu.edu
Coupled with aggressive promotional campaigns by many universities across social media platforms and enticing financial aid policies, it felt almost remiss not to give it a try this year.
3. Deferred students from the Class of 2024 may have impacted this year's admission rates
Besides the surge in application numbers, the record-low ED acceptance rate this year is also linked to universities needing to accommodate deferred students from the Class of 2024.
At Harvard University, over 340 students from the Class of 2024 chose to defer, accounting for more than 20% of the total admitted students. Harvard officials previously indicated that these deferred students might also affect the Class of 2025 admission rate. The early application data that came out indeed reflects this.
Source: thecrimson.com
Will Graduate Applications See a Better Outlook This Year?
With undergraduate application numbers rising instead of falling, will graduate applications also buck the trend this year?
1. Graduate applicants have a broader range of programs to choose from
Undergraduate applicants often target specific universities and departments, leading to concentrated pile-ups.
Graduate programs, on the other hand, are more abundant, and graduate applicants select schools based on their "field of study," giving them a wider choice of programs and the ability to apply across multiple disciplines.
Moreover, different graduate schools and departments have their own independent online application systems, and the distribution of application rounds is more applicant-friendly, which helps to spread out the applicant pool.
Source: carey.jhu.edu
Additionally, there are many graduate program options in other countries and regions. Consequently, applicants applying to multiple countries and regions this year may reduce the number of U.S. graduate applications they submit, given the allocation of time and energy.
Therefore, unless for particularly popular U.S. graduate programs, it is honestly hard to see a situation where they become impossibly competitive.
2. Graduate applicants have more alternatives
Students intending to apply for U.S. undergraduate programs are unlikely to fall back on the domestic college entrance exam route, and application procedures for undergraduate programs in different countries vary significantly. Essentially, those who planned to apply to U.S. undergrad would still do so, with limited room for maneuver.
Graduate applicants, however, have far more alternatives than their undergraduate counterparts. They can completely switch to graduate programs in other countries, choose to work and gain experience first, or decide to take a gap year and apply later.
For example, many domestic undergraduate students were in a wait-and-see mode this year, and many later opted for guaranteed graduate admission or domestic graduate exams, or directly entered the job market and gave up on studying abroad.
Source: thepaper.cn
As a result, the number of applicants and the admission difficulty for graduate programs, especially master's programs, should be similar to last year.
3. Not many Fall 2020 applicants deferred
Most master's programs in the U.S. take 1-2 years to complete.
Given the time cost and the depressed job market due to the pandemic, most Fall 2020 students ultimately chose to enroll rather than delay their graduate studies.
At the same time, graduate schools' stance on deferrals has changed this year. To ensure sufficient enrollment, universities rarely offer unconditional deferral options anymore. Even if they ultimately agree to a deferral, the university stated that it does not guarantee admission for the following year.
Source: BU Admissions Office email
Yes, that firm.
So, even if Fall 2020 applicants wanted to defer, they ultimately couldn't and ended up attending as planned.
How Graduate Applicants Can Succeed in Fall 2021
1. Don't give up on GRE/GMAT if you can get a score
From this year's early undergraduate application trends, we can see there are quite a few strategic applicants!
Take UPenn for example: although they adopted a test-optional policy this year, only 24% of students did not submit standardized test scores.
Source: page217.org
Temporary policy changes that supposedly lower the bar are ultimately meaningless. First, with so many applications received, the screening process becomes a challenge. Admissions officers claim they have tough decisions to make, which essentially means they fall back on evaluating applicants' hard qualifications.
One applicant has standardized test scores, the other doesn't. Whom do you think the admissions officer, eyes glazed over from reviewing materials, will subjectively favor?
This serves as a warning to graduate applicants: if you can get a GRE/GMAT score, try not to give it up, and secure the safest option.
After all, while schools may say it's optional, you really can't be sure whether admissions officers will look at it in the end.
2. Don't let your guard down on other application components
Everyone said no one would apply to the U.S. this year. Yes, everyone thought that, and in the end, they all included U.S. universities in their applications anyway.
Moreover, with applicants turning into a rat race, many are secretly submitting standardized test scores to enhance their competitiveness.
In such circumstances, you must not let your guard down on any application component, from GPA and school selection to personal statements, résumés, recommendation letters, and online applications. Especially for students with shortcomings in a certain area, you need to put extra effort into other materials to demonstrate sufficient sincerity to the admissions committee.
3. Plan your study-abroad strategy wisely to avoid wasting time and energy
Previously, some Fall 2020 students, due to online classes, gave up U.S. offers and applied instead for 2021 UK graduate programs. As a result, the UK applications were overwhelmed as soon as they opened, and now they face the new COVID variant in the UK. Admissions results are uncertain, and how school will start remains up in the air.
Source: BBC.com
Honestly, your application plans will never keep up with external uncertainties, especially when dealing with something as surreal as COVID-19.
It is advisable not to be too absolute when making decisions and to holistically consider your study-abroad plan to avoid wasting excessive time and energy on applications.
For this year's graduate applications, we encourage everyone to relax and approach the application sprint with consistent seriousness.
For sophomores and juniors still on the fence, no matter how external conditions change, your application planning must stay on track. Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared, and early preparation acts as an insurance lock for your applications.
We also wish all current and future applicants the best of luck in receiving offers from their dream schools!
