> The student body is also much stronger academically in 2023 compared to 2013 looking at HS GPA and ACT scores alone. ACT scores have been falling since at le

> The student body is also much stronger academically in 2023 compared to 2013 looking at HS GPA and ACT scores alone. ACT scores have been falling since at least 2017 but possibly earlier [0]. GPAs in the US have gone up because of grade inflation (in large part due to NCLB and schools being rewarded for passing more students). In many schools 50% is now the lowest score you can receive (even for work not submitted). > Ime, in 2010-2013, it wasn't that difficult to get admitted into UC Berkeley or UCLA or an Ivy League if you were in the top 25% of your class, but by 2015-2019 it shrank to the top 1-5%. Nowhere but an elite prep school would the top 25% of the class be admitted to an Ivy. Even 5% would be a very good school, not typical. [0] https://prepmaven.com/blog/test-prep/average-act-scores/ https://prepmaven.com/blog/test-prep/average-act-scores/