What does it take to get into a Big Ten university?
Getting into a Big Ten school isn’t just about meeting a GPA cutoff or hitting a test score range. These universities review applications by college or program, not as a single institution, so how you position yourself depends entirely on where you’re applying within the school.
Northwestern, UCLA, and USC admit fewer than 10% of applicants overall. Programs like computer science, engineering, and direct-admit business can be far more competitive than those numbers suggest.
How Prepory supports Big Ten applicants
Engage in one-on-one advising sessions with a dedicated coach who builds your Big Ten school list and maps each application to the right college or major, not just the university overall.
Submit an unlimited number of essays, including your Common Application personal statement and every Big Ten supplemental, for comprehensive feedback from our team of Writing Specialists. That includes the "why us" essays common at schools like Michigan and Purdue.
Plan each school's early action, early decision, rolling, and regular decision deadlines with your coach, building a clear timeline that positions you for merit scholarships, honors college review, and the most competitive majors.
Build a profile with real depth and leadership by choosing extracurriculars, summer programs, and projects with your coach, the qualities admissions officers value most.
Decide who to ask for letters of recommendation and how to approach them with your coach, so each letter reinforces your story and strengthens your overall application.
Submit your entire application to be analyzed, nit-picked, and commented on by a team of our most seasoned coaches and former Admissions Officers, replicating a real Committee Review the way a Big Ten admissions office would, before you apply.
Prepare for merit scholarship, honors college, and competitive summer program interviews with dedicated, one-on-one coaching from our interview specialists.
What Big Ten admissions experience do Prepory’s coaches have?
Prepory’s Big Ten experience includes a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Purdue, an admissions reviewer at USC, and admissions experience at Ohio State University, as well as coaches who hold their own degrees from the University of Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana University Bloomington, Rutgers, UCLA, and the University of Washington. This combination of admissions review experience and firsthand Big Ten education gives your student a coaching team that understands the Big Ten system from both sides of the application, how it’s built and how it’s evaluated.
How selective is each Big Ten university?
Selectivity across the Big Ten varies more than most students expect, which is why list strategy matters. The table below groups each school by overall selectivity and highlights their most competitive programs.
| University | Acceptance Rate | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | 7% | Journalism (Medill), engineering, strong across most majors |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 9% | Biology, economics, psychology, engineering; uses the UC Application and is test-blind |
| University of Southern California | 11% | Film, business (Marshall), engineering |
| University of Michigan | 15% | Ross School of Business, engineering, computer science |
| University of Washington | 43% | Computer science (Paul Allen School), engineering, nursing |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 44% | Computer science and engineering (Grainger), often direct-admit |
| University of Maryland | 45% | Business (Smith), engineering, computer science |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 49% | Business, engineering, biology and life sciences |
| Purdue University | 50% | Engineering and computer science (direct-admit colleges) |
| Ohio State University | 53% | Business (Fisher), engineering, honors program |
| Pennsylvania State University | 55% | Business (Smeal), engineering, rolling admission |
| Rutgers University | 66% | Business, pharmacy, engineering |
| University of Minnesota | 75% | Engineering, business (Carlson), public health |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 78% | Business, agriculture, engineering |
| Indiana University Bloomington | 80% | Kelley School of Business (direct admit), music, informatics |
| Michigan State University | 83% | Supply chain (Broad), education, agriculture |
| University of Oregon | 86% | Business (Lundquist), journalism, architecture |
| University of Iowa | 86% | Business (Tippie), creative writing, nursing |
Featured acceptance rates from Prepory’s internal college admissions data.
Success stories from our students
Through tailored admissions guidance and dedicated support, we’re proud to play a part in shaping our students’ success stories across the Big Ten’s most prestigious college campuses. Take a look at our case studies and see for yourself how our students’ dreams of studying at top colleges across the country became a reality.
Thousands of families trust Prepory
I started with Prepory the summer going into my sophomore year. As a first-generation college student and no older siblings who went through the college admissions process, I was clueless where to even start regarding college admission. From the start, Prepory immediately eased all concerns through helping me build my extracurriculars, create a high school schedule that best fit my desired majors, improve my writing skills, and become more confident in myself as a prospective college student. I started with my primary coach Tala my junior year of high school. Tala proved invaluable as a resource in the process of making my college list, brainstorming essay material, and application creation, but also as a source of reassurance. Tala became a mentor to me and I will carry all the lessons she taught me into college.
They guided me through the process of college admissions. Being an immigrant and not studied in America, I was really nervous about how to guide my child in this crucial decision of her life. They really gave us proper guidelines from time to time and have been a facilitator in helping us to make good decisions.
Our son really benefited from having someone like Sam to bounce ideas off, and Sam listened and advised him so well. We were excited when our son was accepted into a top Ivy League school, along with many other excellent universities. We're thrilled by his ultimate decision to attend Northwestern University and think it's a perfect fit for him to pursue his passions. Thank you, Sam & Prepory!
Prepory is an excellent college counseling program. They really care about the success of their students, and provide one of the most affordable, comprehensive, and personalized counseling programs out there. My daughter was very happy with her coach Rya, as well as her program director Sarah who made her feel comfortable and went out of their way to help her get into the best schools possible. My daughter got into top schools like UCLA and Cal but chose Purdue since she got into their joint BS/DVM Vet Scholars program. Only 6-8 high school students are selected each year for this program. Thank you Prepory for all your love and support!
FAQs for Big Ten applicants
Big Ten admissions consulting provides personalized guidance for students applying to Big Ten universities, including the University of Michigan, UCLA, Northwestern, Purdue, Penn State, Ohio State, and more. Because admissions requirements, selectivity, and major-specific pathways vary significantly across the conference, students often benefit from a tailored application strategy.
At Prepory, students work one-on-one with an experienced admissions coach to build a college list, strengthen their extracurricular profile, develop compelling essays, and maximize their chances of admission to their target schools.
Northwestern, UCLA, USC, and the University of Michigan are generally considered the most selective Big Ten universities. Admissions can be even more competitive for programs such as engineering, computer science, nursing, and business.
Acceptance rates also vary significantly for in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants. Prepory helps students build a balanced college list and develop an application strategy tailored to each school's level of selectivity.
Competitive applicants to the most selective Big Ten schools often earn mostly A grades in rigorous coursework, including AP, IB, or honors classes. However, admissions decisions are based on more than GPA alone.
Colleges also consider extracurricular involvement, leadership, essays, recommendations, and demonstrated academic interests. Prepory helps students strengthen every part of their application, not just their transcript.
Applying Early Action can meaningfully strengthen a Big Ten application. Because Early Action is non-binding at most Big Ten universities, students can receive an earlier admissions decision while remaining free to compare offers from multiple schools.
Many universities also consider Early Action applicants for merit scholarships, honors programs, and competitive majors before space becomes more limited. Prepory helps students determine the optimal application timeline for each school on their list.
Yes. Every year, top Big Ten universities admit thousands of out-of-state students. However, some public universities reserve a larger share of seats for residents, making admissions more competitive for non-residents.
Prepory helps families understand how residency may affect admissions odds and build a school list accordingly.
Several Big Ten universities are nationally recognized for specific academic programs. Purdue, Michigan, and Illinois are known for engineering. Illinois and Michigan are highly regarded for computer science.
Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, Michigan Ross, and Northwestern attract many aspiring business students. Prepory helps students identify programs that align with their academic interests, career goals, and admissions profile.
Yes. Prepory provides guidance on both the Common Application personal statement and supplemental essays required by Big Ten universities. Requirements vary by school and may include "Why Us?" essays, major-specific responses, and short-answer questions.
Our coaches help students craft authentic, school-specific responses that clearly connect their goals, experiences, and interests to each university.
Students can benefit from admissions counseling at any stage of high school, but starting in 9th or 10th grade provides the most time to build a strong academic and extracurricular profile.
Families who are still exploring the admissions process can start by attending one of Prepory's free college admissions webinars. That said, juniors and seniors can still gain significant value through college list development, application strategy, essay support, and interview preparation. Prepory works with students in grades 8 through 12 and tailors guidance to each student's timeline and goals.
Meet with one of our college admissions experts
Ready to begin your journey to the Big Ten?
Our college admissions experts are here to help you earn admission to your dream school. Please note that a parent or guardian must be on the consultation for high school students.
Once you book your initial consultation, here’s what you can look forward to:
Profile assessment:
Assess your student’s academic profile and higher education goals with an expert from our enrollment team.
Program overview:
Our team will provide you with detailed information about our program and how it works.
Tips and resources:
Our experts will share tips and resources on how to navigate the U.S. college admissions process.
Get answers:
We’ll address your application worries and answer questions about how we can make a difference.
