Higher Ed. Dive
November 29, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Only a small fraction of colleges accepting the Common Application required first-year undergraduates to submit admissions exam scores during the 2021-22 season. Just 5% of member colleges mandated test scores, falling from 11% in the 2020-21 admissions year. Testing experts predict that test-optional policies will remain as the health crisis subsides.
Inside Higher Ed
October 26, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Undergraduate enrollment fell by 3.2% this fall. Since fall 2019, undergraduate enrollments have dropped by 6.5%. Wealthy and prestigious institutions have nearly recovered their lost enrollments. Certain highly selective institutions had increased enrollment this fall. Public two-year institutions continue to face declines, with a net decline of 14.1% since 2019. Black and white students saw the largest undergraduate enrollment declines.
Higher Ed. Dive
October 13, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
The average composite score fell from 20.6 to 20.3 compared to last year. Average scores dropped in every racial and ethnic groups except Asian and American-Indian/Alaskan Native students. For fall 2022, more than 1,780 institutions have moved to test-optional or test-free admissions. Fewer students who used the Common App submitted admissions scores in the last academic year, of which the lowest reporting rates were from students in the bottom quintile of the median household.
Inside Higher Ed
August 31, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
A new report finds equity gaps in transfer rates during the pandemic. Colleges and universities lost about 191,500 students between July 2020 and June 2021. The report also found racial inequities in upward transfer enrollment, and major differences in upward transfer rates. A more granular breakdown of upward transfer enrollment reveals deepening racial and gender gaps.
Higher Ed. Dive
August 06, 2021 Pre-College Outreach, Admissions
Over two-thirds of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. won’t require prospective students to submit an SAT or ACT score for the fall 2022 admission process. K-12 schools are looking at alternative ways to support high-schoolers’ applications, such as helping with writing skills or building online portfolios. Some high schools are also considering opening up schedules so students can enroll in college-level classes early in an effort to gain experience and save money.
Inside Higher Ed
July 27, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends, Research
One in seven community college students in a four-year program earns a degree in six years. The typical student who tries to transfer between institutions loses 43% of their credits. Lack of coordination and communication between institutions and a superiority complex among 4-year institutions are contributing to these issues that directly impact student achievement. The Tackling Transfer Policy Advisory Board is working to ensure equitable post-secondary outcomes for Americans irrespective of their background.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
July 23, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Student-visa issuance is returning to pre-pandemic levels. American consulates approved almost 117,000 F-1 student visas in May and June. More than 143,000 F-1 visas were authorized between January and June of this year. Globally, about 20% of U.S. consulates are offering interviews within 2 weeks and 30% within the month. With consular services restarting and the national-interest exemption in place, F-1 issuance has begun to pick up speed around the globe.
Inside Higher Ed
July 26, 2021 Pre-College Outreach, Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Campus tours are back, but most of them differ from how they were before. They are smaller and more personalized. Tours frequently require preregistration and sometimes a health assessment. Virtual events still largely remain in place, and Admissions leaders worry about the Delta variant of coronavirus affecting future campus tours.
Higher Ed. Dive
July 12, 2021 Admissions
A dozen groups and individuals in higher education are pressing U.S. News and World Report to stop using average SAT and ACT scores to calculate its influential Best Colleges rankings. The publication has long built entrance exam scores into its methodology for the rankings, though recently it has taken steps to account for their diminished role in some schools’ admissions processes. More than 1,500 colleges will not require test scores for fall 2022.
Inside Higher Ed
July 19, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
A new survey of test-optional colleges found that test-optional is improving access broadly for low-income, underrepresented, and first generation students. In lieu of test scores, there was a heavier reliance on high school transcripts and GPA, and public institutions were more likely than private institutions to make more use of essays and personal statements.