CampusPin Glossary
Acceptance rate
The percentage of applicants admitted to a college in a given year, calculated as admitted students divided by total applicants.
Acceptance rate is the most-cited admissions selectivity metric. A college with a 12 % acceptance rate admits 12 of every 100 applicants. The rate is reported each year to IPEDS and lags the most recent class by 1–2 cycles. Acceptance rate is NOT the same as your personal odds — your specific test scores, GPA, essays, recommendations, intended major, and demonstrated interest matter at most schools.
Very low acceptance rates (under 10 %) signal high selectivity but do not always indicate a better-fit education. CampusPin shows acceptance rate where the institution reports it.
See also
Yield rate
The percentage of admitted students who actually enroll. A high yield signals strong perceived value relative to alternatives.
Demonstrated interest
A signal a school tracks to gauge how likely an admitted student is to enroll — visits, emails, info-sessions, and application-essay specificity.
Holistic review
An admissions process that weighs essays, recommendations, activities, and context alongside grades and test scores instead of using a strict numeric formula.
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