How 2007 Baby Boom Has Affected Class of 2025 College Admissions | Katherine Lin

In 2007, the United States experienced a significant surge in births, recording over 4.3 million babies born, the highest number ever documented in the nation’s history. This spike in birth rate was largely tied to a brief period of economic optimism just before the Great Recession. Now, 18 years later, that wave of children has grown up, and they are all applying to college at the same time. As a result, colleges and universities nationwide are seeing a noticeable increase in the number of applications they receive, leading to more competitive admissions and lower acceptance rates. Schools that were already selective are now nearly impossible to get into, and even students with outstanding academic records are finding themselves rejected from schools they once considered "target" schools.

For example, the University of Texas at Austin received more than 90,000 applications for the Fall 2025 semester, a 24% increase compared to the previous year. That means tens of thousands more students competed for the same number of spots, making it tougher than ever to stand out. Other schools across the country report similar trends, with some seeing record-breaking numbers of applications. So, what does this mean for current high school seniors? For starters, it means that even students with strong GPAs, top SAT/ACT scores, and long lists of extracurricular achievements face rejection from schools that would have accepted them just a few years ago. Admissions officers are simply overwhelmed with qualified candidates. In some cases, students who exceed a school’s academic profile are getting waitlisted or denied, not because they aren’t a good fit, but because there isn’t enough room.

The effects of the 2007 baby boom have also led to increased emotional stress and uncertainty among applicants. Students have said they feel more pressure to perfect every aspect of their application, and there is a growing sense that their best may not be enough. Many college counselors urge students not to take rejection personally and to understand that this year’s admissions have been especially difficult. The spike in births from 2007 has undeniably reshaped the college admissions landscape. For today’s students, understanding this may help make sense of what may otherwise feel like an unpredictable and frustrating process. And for those still waiting on decisions or planning their next steps, one thing is clear: there are many paths to success, even in the most competitive times.