Each year, college admissions decision season heralds the arrival of long-awaited news for students in their final year of high school. Throughout the past few months and weeks, the Class of 2024—graduating seniors, in the 12th grade—waited on bated breath for responses to their college applications. Now, the wait is over. Let’s celebrate the graduating class of Empowerly students and their record-breaking Class of 2024 college admissions results!
In this article, we’ll cover the key points you need to understand exactly what these high school stars accomplished:
- Review Empowerly’s Class of 2024 college admissions results
- Compare to national admissions statistics for 2024
- Break down our students’ scholarship wins
- Analyze case studies of real Empowerly student profiles
- Highlight key takeaways from this season’s admissions decisions
While the college admissions landscape in the US remains extremely competitive, our students nevertheless continue to reach their goals. Let’s discuss how you can learn from these stellar examples of academic success and apply them to your own college dreams.
Heartfelt Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2024
First and foremost, congratulations to all the graduating students for such a momentous achievement.
Over the last few months, you’ve accomplished quite a lot of introspection, research, and careful planning. Successfully completing your secondary education is most definitely an occasion worth celebrating. After all, every bit of your hard work in school has led to this moment!
Additionally, we recognize these college responses weigh heavily on students, emotionally and intellectually, regardless of the outcome. The good news comes in the form of acceptance letters, or waitlist notifications. The more difficult news comes in the form of rejection letters.
At the end of the day, students and families now face a major decision that will shape the next four years.
If you feel you need additional information or support to navigate this tumultuous time in your young adult’s life, resources are available. Professional programs like Empowerly sell college and career counseling services for a fee. You may also wish to consult your in-school guidance counselor for help making this transition, or seek outside assistance elsewhere. Ultimately, there’s no need to feel rushed into making a permanent decision without all your options on the table.
Now, let’s get the inside scoop on this year’s student data.
Empowerly’s Record-Breaking Class of 2024 College Admissions Results
This year’s Empowerly students have accomplished a remarkable feat: acceptance into every single one of the Ivy League universities and Top 25 ranked US colleges.
This elite echelon of institutions maintains acceptance rates in the single digits — often only extending an offer letter to around 5% of the total candidate pool. Earning a place among the freshman class at any of these schools deserves hearty applause.
In spectacular fashion, however, our graduating class has vastly outshined these national statistics. Students who worked with Empowerly counselors increased their chances of getting into an Ivy League college by up to 4X, achieving far and beyond the average.
What’s more, 99% — a staggering number — of Empowerly students earned acceptance to Top 100 US colleges. This incredible achievement demonstrates a wide foundation of the college experience, ensuring every individual student can find their best-fit school.
As a matter of fact, some of our most popular US colleges for students to apply to include:
- New York University
- Northeastern University
- Purdue University
- University of California (especially Berkeley and LA)
- University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
- University of Michigan
- University of Southern California
- University of Washington
These universities are world-class institutions in America. Additionally, we have some students apply internationally. Empowerly counselors are more than willing to assist students who are dreaming globally about their future!
Some of our top overseas colleges our students applied to include:
- Kings College London, England
- Kyoto University, Japan
- Osaka University, Japan
- Queens University, Canada
- University of British Columbia, Canada
- University of Edinburgh, Scotland
- University of Oxford, England
- University of Toronto, Canada
Despite a remarkably challenging cycle of college admissions around the world, these students persevered in a spectacular way. We could not be more proud of each and every journey.
Comparison to National Admissions Statistics for Top Universities
Ready for the numbers?
This chart compares the average student acceptance rate at a range of top-ranked universities, as compared to the Empowerly acceptance rate. The Empowerly advantage is calculated using the differential between these averages, demonstrating the extent to which the Empowerly program boosts students’ chances.
National Average College Acceptance Rates
| Average Acceptance rate | Empowerly Acceptance rate | Empowerly advantage | |
| Brown University | 5.20% | 17% | 3 |
| Columbia University | 3.85% | 14% | 4 |
| Cornell University | 7.26% | 21% | 3 |
| Dartmouth College | 5.30% | 28% | 5 |
| Duke University | 5.10% | 17% | 3 |
| Emory University | 11.35% | 43% | 4 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 7.24% | 24% | 3 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4.68% | 13% | 3 |
| Rice University | 7.50% | 25% | 3 |
| Stanford University | 3.70% | 11% | 3 |
| University of California, Berkeley | 11.36% | 33% | 3 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 8.57% | 23% | 3 |
| University of Chicago | 5.43% | 39% | 7 |
| University of Notre Dame | 12.91% | 43% | 3 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5.80% | 25% | 4 |
| Vanderbilt University | 4.90% | 38% | 8 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 11.33% | 40% | 4 |
Curious about the top liberal arts colleges? Our extraordinary staff of expert counselors can help with a variety of applications, including liberal arts schools, technical colleges, and even medical institutions. For those who are specifically interested in liberal arts education, the top schools also remain competitive, accepting around 10% of applicants.
Liberal Arts Average College Acceptance Rates
| Average Acceptance rate | Empowerly Acceptance rate | Empowerly advantage | |
| Amherst College | 9.00% | 29% | 3 |
| Barnard College | 7.00% | 27% | 4 |
| Bowdoin College | 7.00% | 33% | 5 |
| Carleton College | 16.63% | 80% | 5 |
| Colgate University | 12.43% | 50% | 4 |
| Davidson College | 16.95% | 100% | 6 |
| Grinnell College | 10.76% | 50% | 5 |
| Hamilton College | 11.78% | 100% | 8 |
| Haverford College | 14.21% | 50% | 4 |
| Middlebury College | 12.69% | 33% | 3 |
| Pomona College | 7.02% | 18% | 3 |
| University of Richmond | 24.37% | 67% | 3 |
| Vassar College | 18.66% | 67% | 4 |
| Wellesley College | 13.57% | 100% | 7 |
| Wesleyan University | 14.43% | 57% | 4 |
| Williams College | 7.50% | 50% | 7 |
On the other hand, perhaps your student has a talent for STEM subjects. Students following a medical track already know a daunting path lies ahead. However, BS/MD programs offer students the chance to earn a Bachelor of Science degree alongside a Doctor of Medicine degree in a single accelerated certificate program.
While alluring, these challenging programs are selective, and due to the long-term nature of the commitment, only the best students are accepted. Empowerly is extremely excited to announce that we have placed students at the following top programs:
- Brown University – Program in Liberal Medical Education
- University of Detroit Mercy 7-Year Dental Program
- University of Toledo – Baccalaureate 2 MD Pathway
- The College of New Jersey Seven-Year Medical Program
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Guaranteed Admission Program
For students intent on the pre-medical track, these groundbreaking programs could rapidly launch your career, but the barrier to entry is high. Working with an Empowerly counselor, we increased our students’ chances of getting into a BS/MD program by a magnitude of 5x.
Empowerly Students Win Valuable Scholarships
As you well know, the process of planning for college doesn’t stop with an acceptance letter. One of the most important facets of your college experience will be determining how your family will pay for tuition and books. Whether you are applying for a small private school on a different coast or a local community college close to home, scholarships can help fund your experience along the way.
This year’s class of Empowerly students knocked it out of the park in regards to college scholarship wins. Our students this year received $21.5 million dollars in scholarships over four years. This money translates into real-world value for families that continue to pay it forward.
What’s more, that aid breaks down to an average of $214,000 per student, with some hard-working students singlehandedly landing as much as $1.2 million alone. Several of this year’s students earned the coveted full-ride scholarship, at top programs like:
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Florida
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- University of Miami
- University of Texas, Austin
- Vanderbilt University
These awards cover all student expenses, including tuition, room and board, and fees. With names such as the “Johns Hopkins Hodson Trust Scholarship,” the “Chapel Hill Academic Scholarship,” the “Forty Acres Scholarship at UT Austin,” and the “USC Presidential Scholarship,” each one carries a prestigious history.
Case Studies: Empowerly Student Profiles That Led to Success
While the statistics are incredible, individual student stories illustrate these numbers in a way that provides insight into each student’s journey. Let’s take a closer look at two incredible success stories from this year’s Empowerly class.
First, we’ll hear from one student on how her story evolved within the Empowerly program, resulting in acceptance to several of her top-choice schools!
Second, we’ll listen in with a student on how Empowerly helped her put her best foot forward throughout the process and truly shine as an individual.
Key Takeaways from the 2024 College Admissions Season
While the college admissions process is difficult and often overwhelming, our students came through the challenges with flying colors. We could not be more proud of each and every student journey. Empowerly students in the Class of 2024, we applaud you.
For those who are still planning for their own upcoming graduation—and gauntlet of college admissions—remember that time is on your side, if you act quickly.
Some of the top recommendations our experts highlight for college hopefuls:
- Shoot for your “reach” schools — you never know what could happen. Our Class of 2024 students prove that even elite programs are within reach, given the right preparation.
- Dream big to find your best-fit academic programs, both nationally and internationally. Our counselors are ready to help you look beyond the basics and research options you may not have previously considered.
- Ultimately, preparation pays off when it comes to beating a serious pool of competition. When compared to the national average, students who work with an Empowerly counselor easily outperform others. It’s not magic; it’s what we do.
- Discover what academic subjects inspire you — specialized programs are out there. From liberal arts colleges to niche medical programs, our team can find the program that ignites your students’ passion.
- You can win scholarships, if you try. When it comes to developing your college funding plan, scholarships can be a big help. Don’t miss the opportunity to save.
- The right resources make all the difference. However you approach your college admissions process, know that having a strategy in place will help you avoid stress and achieve success.
If you’re ready to start the conversation with a college coach, Empowerly is here to help.
