Graduating seniors in both high school and college have great opportunities, yet must seek to brand themselves in order to get into the top schools and companies in the world.
More than 3.2 million students were projected to exit high school this year, the largest number since the 1970s, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. After declining during the ’80s, the rate has steadily increased over the last decade. In terms of the national wide job market, employers plan to hire 13.8 percent more new graduates than they did last year, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Below is a listing of top schools and the acceptance rate for 2007 admissions. As you can see, the competition is high and ever increasing, to match the number of graduating seniors looking to go to schools this year. For those graduating college, there are some major opportunities on the rise, such as engineering, computer science, and medical assistants.
If you match the demand of those wanting to enter top schools and the consistent supply of spots for the 2007 class, it is obvious that more than ever students must differentiate themselves and that is exactly where Personal Branding comes in. If you notice the chart of the left, the “hot jobs” of 2007 are ones with many openings and few applications, as we have seen in the past. Jobs in the field of advertising and others have been much more competitive because of the raising demand. When there is more demand, there is more reason to create a Personal Brand to reflect the competitive nature of the target industry.
Here are examples of schools that are more competitive for 2007:
- Duke University
2007: 19,170 applicants, 3,786 accepted, 1,665 projected enrollment - Harvard University
2007: 23,955 applicants, 2,058 accepted, 1,675 projected enrollment - Yale University
2007: 19,323 applicants, 1,860 accepted, 1,325 projected enrollment - Carnegie-Mellon University
2007: 22,181 applicants, 6,182 accepted, 1,360 projected enrollment
