COVID has made getting into a top U.S. college even more competitive and this new normal looks here to stay MarketWatch 2 hrs ago NO-NONSENSE COLLEGE COVID-19 has upended higher education in many ways, not least the admissions process. Colleges have moved to virtual tours and college fairs and, most significantly, test-optional admissions policies. The result has been a staggering increase in applications to the 50 or so colleges and universities that accept one-fourth or fewer of the people who apply for admission. Applications are up by a stunning 66% to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43% to Harvard University, 51% to Columbia University and 28.5% to Vanderbilt University. Flagship state universities such as Georgia and Virginia are also seeing applications surge.