Introduction: Being a student myself coming from an underdeveloped country and constantly looking for opportunities, I have always wanted to pursue my higher education abroad, and given my circumstances, my concerns were: “What is the easiest university to get into in the world ?”, “What is the cheapest engineering school in the world?”. Let’s see What Is The Most Difficult University To Get Into?
After surfing for answers on the web, it occurred to me that there had to be one institution that outperformed the competition and so I formulated my question “What is the most difficult university to get into in the world?”
Answer Paragraph:
Google will undoubtedly tell you it is Stanford University in the United States according to QS World University. You might have thought Harvard, Yale, or even Oxford, are the ones we hear about as the most prestigious around the world and they belong to the top 10 hardest universities to get into, but why Stanford?
The history of the university dates back to 1885 by California senator Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, and I am quoting “to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization.“
Reasons why Stanford University is the most difficult to get into:
· Low acceptance rate
· Investment in research
· Admission criteria
· Quality of education
· A longtime plan:
Low acceptance rate:
Statistics say that Stanford University accepted a percentage of 4.7% of applicants which is the lowest in its history. In fact, the main reason behind this change is the number of applicants growing enormously leading to a lower acceptance rate, therefore, a better ranking. One more question to ask here is” Why is the number of applicants increasing over the years?”
Well, the most prestigious universities are nowadays accessible to students all over the world, both in-person and online. Providing funds and scholarships is also a factor. Not to mention that students from underdeveloped countries are immigrating from their home countries looking for better education and better experiences. A study shows that in 2020-2021, a total number of 55,471 students applied to Stanford University, and only 2,190 were accepted!
- Investment in research:
One of the key factors that lead to a better ranking is “investment in research” and Stanford University has earned its medal in this area by providing each and every possible resource in its power to level up the quality of research in the most difficult fields such as Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; and Engineering, and have accomplished magnificent results. That’s one TOP reason for research students to line up for a seat in the Stanford auditorium.
Stanford University is also known for its entrepreneurial student body. It encourages students to pursue an entrepreneurial path through courses, training, and investments as well.
- Admission criteria :
Stanford University is always looking for well-recognized students who can bring something brilliant by joining the university. Yes, grades matter but what you do outside of your field of study matters as well such as your social work, your volunteering, and your hobbies, maybe you have a blog or recognized YouTube Channel, and you influence people in a good way, you record podcasts, all of that counts. And admissions are very competitive.
- Quality of education: One of the obvious reasons that come to everyone’s mind.
But there are lots of TOP universities when it comes to quality of education so what made Stanford University at the top of the list?
– Lecturers are chosen based on high-level standards: Professional certifications, publications, and prominent presence… and are willing to help the student with the minimum information they have for the sake of knowledge and science, a sacrifice that I know would not really be made in underdeveloped countries.
– Offering teachers funds and scholarships to improve their pedagogy is part of the plan for a higher quality of education within Stanford University.
– The Graduate School of Education at Stanford University has 51 full-time faculties on staff. It provides intensive two to three-week courses allowing students to tailor their education across disciplines without requiring a full quarter’s commitment, alongside training and internships as a support for future young professionals.
- A longtime plan:
Stanford University did not achieve this ranking without a plan, it is a long-planned process, all efforts have been intensified and all steps have been taken to improve everything that needs to be improved. Reputation is not built overnight.
- How can Stanford University keep this ranking?
As mentioned before, reputation is not built overnight and competition is fierce for sure so what can Stanford University do to keep its ranking, if not on top then at least between the top 10?
For an example:
– Collaborating with other reputable universities will help the University spread its legs and get more visibility and attention. Also, they say keep your enemy close.
– Create more desired courses that will be taught in a universal language such as English, increase the research investments, publish more articles and papers, and internationalize.
– The name of the University is a brand that has been developed and customized as a valuable product. Stanford is highly recognized as a brand carrying over the years showing credibility, hard work, and dedication.
In conclusion, it is important to say that the fact that Stanford University is the most difficult to get into did not stop students from applying. Such a reputable university deserves a similar ranking for sure…
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) Who is in charge of university Rankings in the world?
- Publisher Quacquarelli Symonds Limited is referred to as QS World University Rankings which receives approval from the International Ranking Expert Group (IREG).
2) What is the methodology used to categorize universities?
Lots of criteria are used to categorize universities and determine their ranking, such :
- Citations per faculty, a measurement of investment in research.
- The International Students ratio is a sign of diversity and openness to cultures.
These and others are all used as a methodology to categorize universities and therefore classify them.
3) Can the ranking change?
Of course, it is possible. Based on many measures like those mentioned above, the rankings can change. It can go up or down, but one thing is certain: a university as prestigious as Stanford will never lose its place in the top ten.
4) Does the most difficult university to get into affect the easiest to get onto?
Yes, it does. As long as universities like Stanford are constantly evolving and improving, others are forced to improve, or else the rankings drop and the reputation is lost; thus the quality of education deteriorates.
