Lucia Bosco | The Collegian
Hillsdale admitted 19.31% of its applicants, making the class of 2029 the most competitive freshman class, according to Associate Director of Admissions Benjamin Strickland and preliminary data shared with The Collegian.
There are 386 students in the freshman class with an average 31 ACT score and an average 3.95 GPA, according to Senior Director of Admissions Zachary Miller.
“This is the first year we’ve been below 20% for acceptance rate, so that’s pretty cool,” Strickland said. “This is the most selective class so far.”
The college reported an acceptance rate of 20% for the class of 2027 and an acceptance rate of 20.74% for the class of 2028, The Collegian previously reported.
“The students who make up our incoming class have great potential to make a positive impact at Hillsdale,” Miller said in an email. “They are studious, they are leaders, and they desire to further the mission of the college. Yet they still must choose to realize that potential as students here. We expect them to rise to that challenge over the next four years.”
Freshman Francesca Cook said the most important factor in choosing Hillsdale was the academics.
“I appreciated that it was a community that valued a well-rounded education,” Cook said.
The class represents 40 states as well as Washington, D.C., and 10 countries. Michigan is the most represented state, followed by Ohio and Texas, according to Strickland.
“The Admissions Office looks for students who are willing and able, but as we’ve become more and more competitive over the last many years, we’ve had to look for those who are most willing and most able,” Miller said. “We unfortunately have to say ‘no’ to many good students.”
The freshmen yield rate, or the percent of admitted students who choose to attend, was 61.24%, according to Miller.
“A 61% yield rate places Hillsdale in the same range as schools like Brown, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame,” Assistant Director of Admissions Greta Buehrer said in an email.
This yield rate is similar to that of the class of 2027, which was 62%, but higher than the yield rate of the class of 2028, which was 55.5%, The Collegian previously reported.
“I love this class,” Buehrer said. “The incoming class is confident, outgoing, eager, and ready to embrace Hillsdale for all that it is. They are here to embrace the community and the challenge that Hillsdale offers.”
The class is almost perfectly split between men and women, with 192 male students and 194 female students. The class of 2028 was also close, with 189 men and 192 women.
“Through the application evaluation process, we look at students’ academics and curiosity, their involvement and desire to plug themselves into Hillsdale’s campus community, their character and commitment to the Honor Code, and their understanding and fit with seeking Hillsdale’s mission,” Miller said. “We look at how these students will impact positively the campus academically, socially, and spiritually.”
Strickland said that he’s excited to see how the class of 2029 will shape Hillsdale.
“The mystery of college admissions is that you collect a group of excellent people and put them in an excellent environment and see what they do,” Strickland said. “It’s interesting to see what they spend their time doing and who they choose to become.”
