Researching, visiting and applying to colleges is an exciting but stressful part of the high school experience. Many factors go into considering colleges, such as location, academic requirements, majors, cost of tuition, extracurriculars, social atmosphere, size of school and political views.

Most students begin to realize their “dream school” is significantly harder to get into, so they have to consider schools that would not be their first choice. With a decrease in acceptance rates and high tuition costs, high schoolers feel they will not be able to get into a school at all.

According to USNews.com, the acceptance rate for the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 was 41 percent. In 2017, the acceptance rate was 10 percent. A 31 percent decrease in 27 years is a significant decrease.

“College is so hard to get into because everyone wants to go to a big school like Ohio State. More and more people apply allowing Ohio State to be more selective. I sometimes get nervous I won’t be able to stand out on my college applications,” junior Sara E. said

College admissions are more competitive because it’s crucial to have a 4-year degree for most entry level jobs. College degrees are necessary for a lower-middle class income. Also, there are more and more high school graduates. The Generation X’s children are starting to apply to colleges, which means there are more applicants. According to the United States Department of Education, there were 2.5 million college applicants in 2001. In 2017, there were 3.6 million college applicants.

“I believe colleges are more selective because the number of students attending college [has increased], high school coursework is more rigorous than it used to be, so there is a lot more emphasis on the courses that you take in high school and on your test scores. There’s just always more pressure when applying for college the application acceptance process is very selective,” guidance counselor Whitney Hamilton said.

It’s more difficult for college applicants to make themselves stand out compared to everyone else. Extracurriculars seen as big leadership roles on college applications, such as National Honor Society, DECA, athletes and newspaper editors, are increasing in the applications seen by top tier universities.

“Anything that can speak to leadership and character [will help someone stand out on college applications]. Find something you are passionate about and get really involved in it. This is different than just your test scores and your GPA,” Hamilton said.

College admissions are a critical part of a high schooler’s experience, and college can decide what you do for the rest of your life. Standing out on applications is increasingly harder, and top universities are becoming more selective.