Inside Higher Ed.
March 29, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
The pandemic has led to a surge in applications at the most competitive colleges, both public and private. New applications include minority and low-income applications, and many top college also admitted large early decision/early-action classes. As a result, predicting yield will likely be more difficult this year, and institutions will likely rely on waiting lists more than they normally do.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
March 09, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success, Value and Affordability
This opinion article describes the unique issues enrollment management leaders are experiencing with regard to predicting enrollment and yield for fall 2021. (Subscription required)
Inside Higher Ed.
March 08, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
The National Association for College Admission Counseling has created a commission to rethink the college admissions process “through a racial equity lens.” NACAC has identified three priority areas for the commission to explore, including the college entrance experience, postsecondary financial aid requirements, and the role of racial equity in postsecondary enrollment.
Education Dive
March 02, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Colleges using the Common App received nearly 6 million applications by February 15, driven by a variety of factors. Prospective students are applying to more institutions this year and interest in large, more-selective private schools rose, particularly from international and first-generation students, students from traditionally underrepresented racial minority groups, and those who receive fee waivers
Inside Higher Ed.
February 22, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
While the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many higher education institutions to implement test-optional or test-blind options for domestic students, most are still requiring foreign students to take a test to demonstrate their English proficiency. An alternative, new version of the test, offered by Duolingo, has gained market share in the past year, prompting ETS to unveil a new version of the TOEFL, called TOEFL Essentials.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
December 15, 2020 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Competition in higher education admissions continues to be driven by demographic declines and increasing price sensitivity, among other factors. The ongoing crisis created by the outbreak of COVID-19 has further revealed the fragility of the current admissions model, which relies heavily on campus visits and travel for recruitment. This article examines the possibility of replacing the current admissions process with a match process, similar to medical school model.
Education Dive
November 12, 2020 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
The pandemic’s impact on higher education is expected to linger, though colleges aren’t experiencing lower enrollment levels equally. Given preliminary data, overall undergraduate enrollment fell 4.4% from a year ago, and public two-year schools saw more than double that decline. It is also important to note that the enrollment trends vary based on student demographic.
Inside Higher Ed.
September 25, 2020 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
With the high school population decreasing in most parts of the country, many four-year institutions are looking to two-year colleges for transfer students to fill out their enrollment. To best facilitate enrollment and completion for students, two- and four-year colleges should strategically collaborate to ensure a seamless process and transition.
Education Dive
August 18, 2020 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions have shifted to allow for unprecedented test score submission flexibility. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) expressed interest in reevaluating the role of entrance exams in college admissions and is calling for administrators to be more transparent in how they are used in the decision-making process.
NPR
August 12, 2020 Admissions
With the pandemic’s impact on standardized testing, the shift in high school coursework to pass/fail, and the absence of extracurricular activities (data points that are typically instrumental in the college admissions process), higher education institutions are searching for new metrics to utilize in their decision making. Letters of recommendations, personal essays, and a detailed review of student transcripts will likely carry more weight for the upcoming admission cycle at many institutions.