MIT Admits Just Over 4% to the Class of 2025

Kicking off what has surely been one of the most competitive college application cycles in history, MIT announced a 66% increase in applications for the Class of 2025, extending admission offers to 1,340 out of 33,240 applicants.

In keeping with its tradition of sending their Regular Decision admissions notifications on Pi Day (3/14), Massachusetts Institute of Technology offered just 1,340 applicants a place in the Class of 2025, noting their new record-low admissions rate has dived to 4.03% from 7.4% the previous year. Needless to say, we are extremely proud of our Crimson students who were extended offers from MIT in this cycle!

Yesterday, in a post on its admissions website, MIT shared it received 66% more applications in 2020 compared to 2019 — which the university said was “far and away the most applications we have ever received” — a statistic which falls in line with those of other top US universities. Harvard reported a nearly 43% increase in applications to the Class of 2025, UPenn saw a 34% increase, and Brown’s applicant pool grew by 26%.

MIT’s Acceptance Rate takes a dive in 2021

At MIT, the drastic increase in applications against a static number of available places means the university’s already notoriously low acceptance rate dropped by over three percentage points from last year. The uni has placed “a modest number” of applicants on its waitlist.

MIT is one of the first top universities to release its regular round results in what is expected to be the most competitive admissions cycle the US has ever seen. With scores of colleges making their record-high application numbers well known in the last few months, but capacity for incoming students remaining virtually unchanged, logic suggests that this year’s acceptance rates will be significantly lower than they have been in recent years.

Many voices in the college admissions sphere draw a clear connection between COVID restrictions and sky-high application numbers at top universities. With many schools going test-optional in 2020 due to obstacles presented by the pandemic, students have set their sights higher — leading to an influx in applications to the country’s most prestigious institutions.

Given that many universities have extended their standardized testing policies for at least one more year, it won’t come as a surprise if this year’s trends in application numbers — and corresponding acceptance rates — continue into the upcoming admissions cycle. This means the bar is being set higher and higher for students hoping to gain admission to some of the world’s best universities.

At Crimson, we’ve successfully helped thousands of students gain admission to their dream schools. This year, despite enormous applicant pools at most schools, more than 133 of our students were accepted to top universities in the US in the Early Round alone. Regular Decision acceptances are just beginning to roll in, but we’re confident that our students are in store for another successful year.

Want to learn more about how Crimson helps students build robust college applications that truly stand out — even among tens of thousands of others? Click the link below to schedule a free one-hour consultation with an admissions officer and discover what our expert teams can do to help set you on the path to success.