Higher Ed. Dive
July 27, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
More than 1,700 colleges and universities are not requiring test scores for admissions, while a few test-optional institutions reverted to their previous policies. The significant number of institutions maintaining test-optional policies suggests the assessments will have a permanently diminished role in admissions.
Inside Higher Ed
May 09, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Transfer student enrollment rates decreased by 6.9 percent over last year, and combined with the previous year, total transfer enrollment has declined by about 16 percent since the start of the pandemic. A decline in enrollment is a threat to upward mobility for student populations, though it does provide an opportunity for institutions to make a concerted effort to fix the transfer system.
Higher Ed. Dive
April 12, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Students at the University of Missouri who did not submit admissions tests scores for fall 2021 earned slightly lower GPAs in the first semester compared to their peers who did. However, both groups had similar retention rates. Many test-optional and test-free policies remain in effect across institutions. More than 1,800 colleges and universities are not mandating exam score submission for fall 2022 applicants.
The Washington Post
April 08, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Prominent U.S. institutions report a surge in international applications over the past two years. This is fueled by the easing pandemic travel restrictions, test-optional policies, and pent-up demand. The Common Application found a 34 percent increase in international student applications since 2020, vs. a 12 percent rate of growth for U.S. applicants.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
April 04, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
As colleges try to address declining enrollment rates, many are targeting students who left college without earning a degree. The majority of these students are adult learners and consequently have different needs than traditional college students. While the re-enrollment efforts are still in the early stages, one overarching theme is that these students need support, and institutions need to look for creative ways to provide it.
Higher Ed. Dive
March 28, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
About three-fourths of the National Association for College Admission Counseling members are White. Less than half of college undergraduates and public high school students are White, suggesting a need for more diversity in admissions. A recent report offers ideas for bolstering diversity, inclusion and equity training throughout colleges and for recruiting.
Inside Higher Ed
March 21, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Current admissions and enrollment decision-making involve common-sense thinking regarding location, price, and flexibility. Students at four-year institutions’ top responses for college choice include major or program of interest offered, strong academic reputation, proximity to home, quality of academics in the area of interest, price of tuition, and financial aid package/scholarships. Students at community colleges overwhelmingly chose based on proximity to home and cost.
Higher Ed. Dive
January 19, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Transfer enrollment declined by less than 1% in fall 2021, compared to 9.2% last fall. It is up 2.3% among continuing students. Reverse transfers declined by 0.9%, while lateral transfers rose 0.2%. Upward transfer fell 1.6%. Increased transfers among continuing students were concentrated at private nonprofit four-year institutions and public four-year institutions.
Inside Higher Ed
January 10, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
A new report shows an unprecedented decline in college enrollment among high school graduates. College enrollment by the high school class of 2020 showed a decline between 4 and 10 percentage points. Preliminary data show freshman enrollment declined by 2.7 percent last fall. Overall postsecondary enrollment fell by 2.6 percent compared to 2020. Immediate enrollment fell from 55 percent to 45 percent between 2019 and 2020.
Higher Ed. Dive
January 04, 2022 Pre-College Outreach, Admissions
Highly personalized methods for enrolling students are expensive and difficult for institutions to scale. Virtual outreach tools like social media and online campus tours are particularly effective. Institutions need to employ a dynamic model for determining enrollment. They should be the ones to choose how many variables to include in the model as they pinpoint student enrollment patterns. Predictive models will help even if the pandemic has upended the traditional factors for forecasting enrollment.