• Business School
    • Free MBA Admissions Consultation
    • MBA Admissions Services
    • School-Specific MBA Essay Tips
    • Executive MBA Essay Tips
    • MBA Admissions Calendar
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
    • EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
  • Medical School
    • Free Med School Admissions Consultation
    • Med School Admissions Services
    • Med School Admissions 101
    • Secondary Essay Tips (by School)
    • Student Interviews
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
  • Law School
    • Free Law School Admissions Consultation
    • Law School Admissions Services
    • Law School Admissions 101
    • Selectivity Index
    • Free Guides
    • Podcast
    • Video Tips
  • Graduate School
    • Free Grad School Admissions Consultation
    • Grad School Admissions Services
    • Grad School Admissions 101
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
  • College
    • Free College Admissions Consultation
    • College Admissions Services
    • Free Guides
    • Supplemental Essay Tips
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
Accepted

Speak with an Accepted admissions expert for FREE!

Blog HomePodcastContact Us

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

December 20, 2018

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Accepted’s Selectivity Index: Are You Asleep When You Apply?

Business Schools Medical Schools Law Schools

I once heard a story about a gentleman who was about to purchase a certain piece of land with the intention of building a school on that property. It was wartime, and the theater of war was rapidly approaching the region in which he and the property were located.

A friend heard about his intended investment, and thought his friend had gone nuts.

“How can you make this purchase now? Are you dreaming?” he asked incredulously.

Replied the real estate investor, “I am dreaming, but I am not asleep.”

Although I heard this story in a context far removed from graduate school admissions, I couldn’t help but think that some of you are “asleep” when you apply – at least the first time.

Dreaming while asleep in admissions:

• Applying exclusively to schools where you are not competitive based on the stats and available information.

• Focusing on the one metric where you are either very strong or very weak. Focusing on the one number that either makes you feel great or makes you feel terrible is another form of “applying asleep.” In either case, you fail to choose schools realistically and consequently “invest” poorly in your overall application effort.

• Ignoring weaknesses when applying so that you fail to address or mitigate them.

Applying “awake” while still allowing for your dreams means that you assess your competitiveness at your target schools by comparing your test scores and grades as well as the non-quantitative factors in your profile to the known stats and stated criteria of the schools you want to attend.

Armed with this information, you:

• Apply to a few “dream” schools, but mostly to programs where you are competitive.

• Assess your weaknesses or strengths in the context of your overall application so that you neither obsess over a weakness nor fail to provide positive reasons for acceptance.

• You work to mitigate weaknesses before and during the actual application process while highlighting strengths and creating a strong case for acceptance beyond the stats in your application.

A few of you may be thinking:

“I know my chances aren’t great at my target schools. But I’m working and making good money. It doesn’t pay for me to apply to any but these schools.”

There are some applicants in this situation. It’s true, but there are very few. If you’re one of them, you are applying rationally.  If you aren’t one of them and you could achieve your goals at programs where you are competitive, then well, you may be dozing…

Introducing the Selectivity Index™

Accepted has developed a new tool, the Selectivity Index™, to help you apply realistically and effectively. The Selectivity Index takes the most recent US News rankings data and reflects the schools’ average GPA, test scores, and acceptance rates so that you can assess the relative difficulty of acceptance. You can also order the schools by average test score, GPA or acceptance rate.

Check out the MBA Selectivity Index!

Check out the Med School Selectivity Index!

Check out the Law School Selectivity Index!

We focused on those key metrics not because they are solely determinative, because they are not, but they do mirror how difficult it is to gain acceptance to a school. They also suggest which schools may be focusing on a particular metric and which may not.

Weaknesses in the Selectivity Index:

1. It doesn’t reflect non-quantitative information, which plays a significant role in holistic admissions and can allow those with non-quantitative strengths to get in when those “more qualified” per the stats are rejected.

2. In doesn’t reflect the schools’ desire for diversity in their classes and community.

3. It doesn’t reflect the importance of showing fit with an individual school’s strengths, mission, and values.

I’m not sure if this is a strength or weakness, but the Selectivity Index does not measure or reflect ROI, educational quality, or career opportunity.

Finally, while the Selectivity Index does reveal the relative level of competition at different programs, it doesn’t excuse you from making sure that the schools where you are competitive also will help you achieve your goals. It does you no good to get into a program that won’t that won’t help you achieve your goals and realize your dreams.

Check out the MBA Selectivity Index!

Check out the Med School Selectivity Index!

Check out the Law School Selectivity Index!

Accepted - The Premier Admissions Consultancy

Related Resources:

• Different Dimensions of Diversity, a podcast episode
• 6 Tips for Talking About Your Weaknesses
• Should You Apply to a Safety School?

Article by Linda Abraham / Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions / law school rankings, MBA Rankings, med school rankings

Get Accepted!

Sign up for a free consultation today!

Which program are you applying to?

Most Popular Blog Posts

1. 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

2. 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future

3. How to Write About Your Research Interests

4. Tips for Answering the Yale University Supplemental Essays and Short Answer Questions [2022-2023]

5. When Will Medical Schools Give You an Answer?

6. Sample Essays from Admitted HBS Students

7. Tips for Answering the University of Pennsylvania Supplemental Essay Prompts [2022-2023]

8. Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive List and Overview of STEM-OPT Eligible B-Schools

Sample Essays

MBA Personal Statement Examples

Medical School Personal Statement Examples

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Law School Personal Statement Examples

College Application Essay Examples

 

This Site is Featured on GMATClub

Home Page Services and Prices MBA Med School Law School Grad School College

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog
Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553
© 2022 Accepted

BBB A+ RatingStamp of AIGAC Excellence

Copyright © 2023 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in