Question

An Ivy League college accepts 5 students for every 100 that apply. What fraction of applicants is accepted? Write your result in lowest terms.

Short answer

Answer: \(\frac{1}{20}\)

Step-by-step solution

Identify the given information in the exercise

The number of students accepted is 5, while the total number of students that apply is 100.

Construct a fraction

The fraction can be written as the ratio of students accepted to the total number of applicants: \(\frac{5}{100}\).

Simplify the fraction

To find the lowest terms, we should find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator and the denominator. In this case, the GCD of 5 and 100 is 5. Therefore, we need to divide both the numerator and the denominator by their GCD: \(\frac{5}{100} = \frac{5 \div 5}{100 \div 5} = \frac{1}{20}\)

Write the final answer

The fraction of applicants accepted to the Ivy League college in lowest terms is \(\frac{1}{20}\).