Will That College Actually Accept You?

By Echo Robbins

As Early Action deadline stress fades, the seniors and college counselors now wait in anticipation for the results. More than 750 total applications have been submitted by the class of 2026 this year, almost two hundred of which were directed at CU Boulder and CSU. Now that CU Boulder is gaining national college fame, we asked Ms. Anderson the question that every applicant wonders- will you actually get in? 

With a larger pool to choose from, CU Boulder has gotten picky. “I think it’s due to Coach Prime that more students come from other states and start to compete with Colorado students,” says Ms. Anderson. This year, the average GPA for CU students has gone up significantly, and their College of Engineering is quickly becoming one of the most selective in the state- even more so than Mines. CU counselors aren’t afraid to share their high (3.8 weighted!) expectations with potential applicants, either. Despite these developments, our seniors have some statistics working in their favor.  

“The class of 2026 is in a demographic cliff,” Ms. Anderson tells us. “There is a concern about colleges keeping their doors open.” This may sound catastrophic, but there’s a solid upside: a less competitive application pool for all colleges. For juniors, this means an even bigger leg up if you start working on applications early; and for seniors it means that the odds may be ever in your favor. 

Regardless of whether you’re applying to ASU or Princeton, EHS likely has an acceptance on file from the last three years for someone else, so don’t lose hope- and Ms. Anderson reminds us that every student is encouraged to go for their dreams.