How to use the effective competition ratio calculator
A published applicants-per-seat figure usually overstates how crowded a selective round really is, because some applicants never meet the eligibility requirements and others simply do not show up for the required test or interview. Enter the seats offered, the applicants, an eligibility pass share and a sitting share, and the page prints the headline ratio and the effective ratio side by side along with the formula it used.
The headline ratio is applicants divided by seats. The competing headcount multiplies the applicants by the sitting share and then by the eligibility share, and dividing that by the seats gives the effective ratio. The drop line shows how much lower the effective ratio is in percentage terms. Set both shares to 100% and nothing is filtered out, so the two ratios match and the page says so.
The eligibility pass share is rarely published, so it is an estimate you supply; the result follows that estimate rather than being a settled figure, and trying several values to get a range is safer than trusting one. The page does not compute cutoffs, admission probability, or a weighted score from the components of the round.
Frequently asked questions
Schools often do not publish it, so this page uses an estimate you supply. Use a published figure if your school releases one, and otherwise try several values and read the result as a range.
Set both shares to 100% and nobody is filtered out, so the two ratios match. The page shows a note when that happens.
No. A ratio is only a headcount comparison, while admission turns on your score and how it is weighted. This page does not compute cutoffs or admission probability.