Colleges Where the Essay Is Very Important

156 colleges in the CollegeCalcAI database rate the application essay as very important in the "Selection of Students" section (C7) of their own Common Data Set. 11 are public and 145 are private; the median school on the list admits 54%, and the most selective are Columbia University (4%), Harvard University (4%), and Stanford University (4%). At these schools the essay is one of the top factors in the file. Voice, reflection and specificity matter more here than anywhere else, which is exactly what a school-specific essay review measures. The list is drawn only from schools with a published factor record; schools that do not report one are not assumed either way.

Schools

156

Median acceptance

54%

Most selective

Columbia University

4% acceptance

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Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.

Which of the Colleges Where the Essay Is Very Important can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?

By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 46 of the 100 colleges here, including Oberlin College, Mount Holyoke College and Connecticut College. 9 more are Target (25 to 44%), such as Hillsdale College and Skidmore College. The other 45 are Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT
College	3.3 GPA1150 SAT	3.7 GPA1300 SAT	4.0 GPA1500 SAT
Columbia Universityadmits 4%	4%Reach	6%Reach	8%Reach
Harvard Universityadmits 4%	4%Reach	6%Reach	8%Reach
Stanford Universityadmits 4%	4%Reach	6%Reach	8%Reach
Yale Universityadmits 4%	4%Reach	6%Reach	8%Reach
University of Chicagoadmits 4%	4%Reach	6%Reach	8%Reach
Brown Universityadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	10%Reach
Dartmouth Collegeadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	10%Reach
Princeton Universityadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	10%Reach
University of Pennsylvaniaadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	10%Reach
Massachusetts Institute of Technologyadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	10%Reach
Duke Universityadmits 6%	6%Reach	8%Reach	12%Reach
Vanderbilt Universityadmits 6%	6%Reach	8%Reach	12%Reach
Bowdoin Collegeadmits 7%	7%Reach	9%Reach	14%Reach
Colby Collegeadmits 7%	7%Reach	9%Reach	15%Reach
Pomona Collegeadmits 7%	7%Reach	9%Reach	14%Reach
Swarthmore Collegeadmits 7%	7%Reach	9%Reach	14%Reach
Northwestern Universityadmits 8%	7%Reach	10%Reach	15%Reach
Williams Collegeadmits 8%	7%Reach	10%Reach	16%Reach
Amherst Collegeadmits 9%	8%Reach	11%Reach	18%Reach
University of Southern Californiaadmits 10%	8%Reach	12%Reach	20%Reach
Claremont McKenna Collegeadmits 10%	9%Reach	12%Reach	20%Reach
Boston Universityadmits 11%	9%Reach	13%Reach	23%Reach
University of Notre Dameadmits 11%	9%Reach	12%Reach	21%Reach
Emory Universityadmits 11%	9%Reach	13%Reach	22%Reach
Middlebury Collegeadmits 11%	9%Reach	13%Reach	23%Reach

Show all 100 colleges

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT (continued)
Tufts Universityadmits 11%	9%Reach	13%Reach	22%Reach
Haverford Collegeadmits 12%	10%Reach	14%Reach	24%Reach
Washington University in St. Louisadmits 12%	10%Reach	13%Reach	23%Reach
Davidson Collegeadmits 13%	10%Reach	16%Reach	27%Target
Georgetown Universityadmits 13%	10%Reach	15%Reach	26%Target
Bates Collegeadmits 13%	10%Reach	16%Reach	27%Target
Colgate Universityadmits 14%	11%Reach	17%Reach	30%Target
Tulane Universityadmits 14%	11%Reach	16%Reach	28%Target
Hamilton Collegeadmits 14%	11%Reach	16%Reach	28%Target
Washington and Lee Universityadmits 14%	11%Reach	17%Reach	29%Target
Wellesley Collegeadmits 14%	11%Reach	16%Reach	28%Target
Grinnell Collegeadmits 15%	11%Reach	18%Reach	32%Target
Boston Collegeadmits 16%	12%Reach	17%Reach	32%Target
Wesleyan Universityadmits 16%	12%Reach	19%Reach	32%Target
Babson Collegeadmits 17%	12%Reach	22%Reach	39%Target
Denison Universityadmits 17%	12%Reach	23%Reach	39%Target
Colorado Collegeadmits 18%	13%Reach	22%Reach	40%Target
University of Miamiadmits 19%	13%Reach	22%Reach	40%Target
Vassar Collegeadmits 19%	13%Reach	22%Reach	39%Target
Carleton Collegeadmits 20%	14%Reach	22%Reach	41%Target
Hillsdale Collegeadmits 21%	14%Reach	28%Target	48%Likely
Skidmore Collegeadmits 21%	14%Reach	29%Target	49%Likely
Smith Collegeadmits 21%	14%Reach	26%Target	47%Likely
University of Richmondadmits 22%	15%Reach	28%Target	51%Likely
Wake Forest Universityadmits 22%	15%Reach	25%Target	46%Likely
UC San Diegoadmits 27%	17%Reach	32%Target	59%Likely
Franklin & Marshall Collegeadmits 28%	18%Reach	38%Target	64%Likely
Bryn Mawr Collegeadmits 29%	18%Reach	38%Target	67%Likely
Kenyon Collegeadmits 31%	20%Reach	43%Target	72%Safety
Oberlin Collegeadmits 34%	22%Reach	47%Likely	77%Safety
Mount Holyoke Collegeadmits 36%	25%Target	55%Likely	82%Safety
Connecticut Collegeadmits 37%	24%Reach	54%Likely	83%Safety
Whitman Collegeadmits 38%	24%Reach	57%Likely	84%Safety
William Jewell Collegeadmits 38%	47%Likely	74%Safety	85%Safety
Binghamton Universityadmits 39%	26%Target	57%Likely	86%Safety
Gettysburg Collegeadmits 39%	30%Target	64%Likely	87%Safety
Clark Universityadmits 40%	43%Target	76%Safety	87%Safety
University of Rochesteradmits 40%	27%Target	56%Likely	85%Safety
Brandeis Universityadmits 41%	27%Target	57%Likely	87%Safety
UC Davisadmits 42%	30%Target	68%Likely	90%Safety
Millsaps Collegeadmits 43%	48%Likely	82%Safety	91%Safety
Texas Christian Universityadmits 44%	34%Target	71%Safety	92%Safety
Occidental Collegeadmits 44%	31%Target	66%Likely	91%Safety
Loyola Marymount Universityadmits 45%	35%Target	74%Safety	93%Safety
Syracuse Universityadmits 46%	33%Target	72%Safety	93%Safety
Santa Clara Universityadmits 48%	36%Target	73%Safety	94%Safety
Rollins Collegeadmits 48%	44%Target	82%Safety	95%Safety
St. Olaf Collegeadmits 48%	38%Target	77%Safety	95%Safety
Stony Brook Universityadmits 49%	36%Target	78%Safety	96%Safety
Emerson Collegeadmits 51%	61%Likely	91%Safety	96%Safety
University of San Diegoadmits 52%	46%Likely	85%Safety	97%Safety
Bard Collegeadmits 52%	63%Likely	92%Safety	96%Safety
Centre Collegeadmits 54%	54%Likely	89%Safety	97%Safety
St. Lawrence Universityadmits 54%	66%Likely	93%Safety	97%Safety
Allegheny Collegeadmits 55%	69%Likely	94%Safety	98%Safety
Lake Forest Collegeadmits 57%	68%Likely	95%Safety	98%Safety
Sewanee - University of the Southadmits 57%	73%Safety	96%Safety	98%Safety
Washington Collegeadmits 57%	73%Safety	96%Safety	98%Safety
Gallaudet Universityadmits 58%	76%Safety	97%Safety	98%Safety
College of Woosteradmits 60%	78%Safety	97%Safety	98%Safety
Worcester Polytechnic Instituteadmits 60%	55%Likely	90%Safety	98%Safety
Gustavus Adolphus Collegeadmits 61%	71%Safety	96%Safety	98%Safety
Kentucky Christian Universityadmits 61%	89%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
University of San Franciscoadmits 62%	68%Likely	96%Safety	98%Safety
SUNY New Paltzadmits 62%	86%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Pepperdine Universityadmits 63%	62%Likely	94%Safety	98%Safety
Augustana Collegeadmits 63%	79%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Erskine Collegeadmits 63%	90%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Rensselaer Polytechnic Instituteadmits 63%	61%Likely	92%Safety	98%Safety
Coe Collegeadmits 64%	84%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Lawrence Universityadmits 64%	73%Safety	97%Safety	98%Safety
Chapman Universityadmits 65%	69%Likely	96%Safety	98%Safety
North American Universityadmits 65%	93%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Rochester Institute of Technologyadmits 67%	72%Safety	97%Safety	98%Safety
Bushnell Universityadmits 67%	94%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.

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CollegeCalcAI. "Colleges Where the Essay Is Very Important." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/colleges-where-the-essay-is-very-important

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54%median acceptance rate, colleges where the essay is very important (156 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI

<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/colleges-where-the-essay-is-very-important?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff">54%median acceptance rate, colleges where the essay is very important (156 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI</a>

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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.