Class of 2025 Success: Results from Empowerly Students

The college admissions landscape is constantly evolving. Each admission season brings changes with shifting institutional priorities and dynamic applicant pools, making the process unpredictable. In this blog post, we break down the admissions outcomes for the Empowerly Class of 2025, highlighting key trends observed. This helps us understand how the admissions landscape has shifted and advise future applicants.

But the statistics only tell part of the story—beyond the numbers, our students' successes tell us what’s possible when students are supported with the right guidance, encouragement, and expertise to reach their college dreams. These insights show how strategic counseling can help students beat national averages, especially at competitive public and private universities.

Empowerly’s Class of 2025 was made up of students across 43 states in the US, reflecting a wide range of regional backgrounds, academic interests, and school systems (public, private, and IB). We also had a small number of international students applying from India, Canada, China, the UK, and Australia. 

Our seniors had big ambitions this year, applying to more than 450 unique colleges and universities, including public, liberal arts, the Ivy League, and military academies, and reaching not only throughout the United States but also extending applications internationally to universities in Europe and Canada.

This year, our students were keenly focused on public colleges, with over 200 applications submitted to state universities. This mirrors the national trend where students are increasingly recognizing the value and research opportunities at highly selective, public state schools that offer a high standard of education without the private school price tag. Our counselors help students identify public schools where their profiles stood out, using data-driven strategies for a competitive edge.

Students who applied to public colleges applied not only in-state, but also to out-of-state schools. Despite the traditional lower admission rates for out-of-state applicants, Empowerly students had very high success rates with their out-of-state applications. This bucks the usual trend where in-state students typically have better odds — and highlights the effectiveness of applying strategically based on fit and interest rather than solely applying based on geography, which is something our counselors help students strategize during their time working together. At many top public universities, admission rates for out-of-state students are far lower than for in-state peers.

For example:

• Georgia Tech - in-state students have a significantly higher college acceptance rate — around 30% — compared to out-of-state applicants, whose acceptance rate can drop as low as 9% depending on the round.
• UC Berkeley - the overall admit rate is around 11%, but for in-state students the rate is 15%, while out-of-state and international applicants face steeper odds, around 7–10%.

Despite these odds, we’ve seen that when students work with their counselors to focus on academic and personal fit — crafting strong, targeted applications — they can defy these statistical disadvantages and earn admission at highly selective institutions, regardless of residency. 

Not only did Empowerly students experience success with public colleges, but they also saw high rates of admission at some of the most selective private schools in the US, with outcomes that consistently outperformed national averages. Empowerly students were accepted into Ivy League colleges at 3 times the national average. Apart from the Ivy League colleges, our students were accepted into research-intensive universities like Johns Hopkins and Rice, liberal arts-focused institutions like Emory, arts schools such as the Savannah College of Art and Design, and HBCUs like Delaware State.

This wasn't just about getting into one type of school. It was about matching the right students with institutions where they could thrive and pursue what they were interested in, whether it be research, academic communities, internships, or student life and traditions. For highly selective private universities, Empowerly counselors work with students to highlight the qualities these schools value most — unique academic interests, community contributions, and leadership, ensuring each application went beyond grades and test scores. This personalized approach led to admission rates far above national averages. 

The vast majority of our students set their sights on top 100 colleges, and their results speak to both their ambition and preparation: an extraordinary 98% of those who applied to top 100 institutions secured admission to at least one of these top schools. This compares to the average national rate of around 35%.

This demonstrates that our students have a strong academic foundation, extracurricular depth, and personal qualities that admissions committees at top colleges actively seek. In an increasingly competitive college landscape, our students consistently stood out among thousands of qualified candidates.

In addition to stellar acceptance rates, our Class of 2025 also earned significant financial recognition for their achievements in the form of merit scholarships. Colleges recognized many of our students' talents, awarding a total of $23.7 million over 4 years.

Our students were awarded a variety of scholarships, including numerous Dean's Scholarships, Presidential Scholarships, and Honors College invitations from schools like the Kelley School of Business and Wharton. Many received substantial merit-based awards, with some securing full-ride scholarships and others receiving annual amounts ranging from $5,000 to over $40,000, amounts that reflect both academic excellence and the potential these students demonstrated throughout high school.

A small number of our students had their sights set on a guaranteed pathway to the medical profession through the BS/MD dual degree programs. Overall, 73% of our students who applied to a BS/MD program got in — compared to the national average, which typically admits fewer than 5% of applicants.

Success in BS/MD programs reflects the advantage our specialized counseling can offer pre-medical students. We employ counselors with specific expertise in this program and understand that these pathways demand far more than just strong academics. They are able to support students in meeting the unique requirements — early clinical exposure, research experience, and a compelling narrative about medical commitment that resonates with admissions committees.

Some of the BS/MD programs our students got into this year:

• Brown – Program in Liberal Medical Education
• New York Institute of Technology – Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program
• Stony Brook – Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine Program
• Elmira College – Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Nova Southeastern – Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program
• Rowan – Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine Program with Cooper Medical School
• Virginia Commonwealth – Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine
• Seton Hall – Joint Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine Program with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
• U Missouri-Kansas City – Bachelor of Arts/Doctor of Medicine Program
• Siena College – Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine Program with Albany Medical College

Transfer admissions is one of the most challenging pathways in college admissions, with limited spots available and fierce competition. Yet our transfer students defied these odds, achieving an impressive 82% college acceptance rate that far exceeds national transfer averages for competitive institutions. 

Here’s a list of some of the colleges our students got accepted to:

• Boston U
• Columbia 
• GeorgiaTech
• Loyola Marymount
• Northeastern 
• Rutgers - New Brunswick
• George Washington
• Tufts 
• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UC Santa Barbara
• U Pennsylvania
• USC
• UVirginia
• Ohio State
• Duke 
• Georgetown 
• Cal Poly SLO
• UC San Diego

Our overall results demonstrate the incredible achievements of our Class of 2025. Behind each college acceptance is personalized guidance and dedication of our expert team, who work closely with students to help them identify and apply to colleges that align with their academic ambitions, interests, and long-term goals. Their results reflect what’s possible when students are supported by the right team and resources.

For personalized guidance through the college application process, consider scheduling a consultation with our expert counselors at Empowerly. Our team is dedicated to helping you navigate these trends and achieve your educational goals. Contact us today to take the next step toward your academic future!