Why is College Admission Getting More Competitive?

Right now, the angst among high school seniors and their parents is palpable. It is especially true this week with looming Oct. 15 deadlines at UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State and the University of South Carolina, among others.

Almost every parent I speak with wonders, “It wasn’t this stressful when I applied to college. Why is it so much more competitive now?”

There is no denying that many of us parents wouldn’t be accepted at our own alma maters if we were applying today. Standardized test scores have inched up, and acceptance rates have dropped. Why is it so much more difficult to be admitted?