Hey, it's my junior year and I feel overwhelmed by this whole college selection process. I’m curious, to start basic, what's the most popular college in America? Is it based on the number of applications or something else? Pls enlighten me!
When measuring popularity of a college, you are correct that we can consider the number of applications a school receives. If we go by this metric, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) often tops the list. As of 2021, for example, UCLA received more than 168,000 applications, making it the most applied-to four-year university in the United States.
However, popularity can mean different things to different people. Some might determine a college's popularity based on its selectivity (how many students it accepts compared to how many applied), others might consider its national ranking, and some people might define it by enrollment (how many students actually attend).
For instance, in terms of undergraduate enrollment sizes, larger public institutions like the University of Central Florida (UCF) or Texas A&M University often have some of the biggest student bodies.
When deciding on college fit, it's important to consider multiple factors beyond popularity, including academic offerings, location, class size, extracurricular opportunities, and financial factors. Remember to focus on what's important to you in your college experience!
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