Vol.15 No.5 January 2001

More National Survey Results
Minority Admits Increase
LAST MONTH, CB announced the preliminary results of its 15th annual National College Admissions Trends Survey. This month, CB looks at what the 110 colleges across the nation said about their minority applications, international student acceptances, tuition and financial aid, and what advice admissions officers offered to counselors and students on applying for 2001. Here is what we found.

MINORITY STUDENTS
This year, the majority of 110 colleges and universities surveyed reported admitting more Asian-American students, African-American students and Hispanic students in 2000 over 1999. The majority of colleges admitted the same number of Native American students in 2000 as in 1999.

Forty-one percent of the colleges surveyed admitted more Asian-American students, 50 percent admitted more African-American students and 50 percent admitted more Hispanic students over 1999. And 50 percent admitted the same number of Native American students as last year.

The percentage of minority students on campus ranged from 2 percent at the U. of Maine to 45 per cent at Loyola Marymount. Carnegie Mellon and the U. of Iowa report that 9 percent of their student bodies are made up of minority students. Other examples include Creighton, 17 percent; U. of Chicago and Vassar, 22 percent; Williams, 24 percent; Dartmouth, 25 percent; Princeton and Duke, 30 percent; and Harvard, 37 percent.
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RETENTION RATES
Minority retention rates also appear to be increasing at colleges and universities across the nation. In fact, at some colleges it is above, or close to, the retention rate for all students. Other colleges report that they do not track retention rates. But this is a subject deserving greater attention in the future as minority students, parents and their guidance counselors look for schools that work to see that minority students graduate in a timely fashion.

Some examples of colleges in CBs survey with the highest retention rates for minority students: 80 percent at Boston U., 76 percent at Case Western, 78 percent at Coe, 93 percent at the College of William and Mary, 88 percent at Emory, 96 percent at U. of Notre Dame, 85 percent at Oberlin, 87 percent at Purdue and Saint Louis U., 90 percent at U. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and 85 percent at Williams.
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MORE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Compared to 1999, colleges and universities in CB's survey accepted more international students in 2000 compared to 1999. In fact, 44 percent of the colleges and universities surveyed nationwide accepted more international students in 2000 compared to 25 percent that reported they accepted fewer. Twenty-seven percent of the colleges accepted the same number as last year.

This percentage increase is slightly down from last year, when 48 percent of the colleges CB surveyed accepted more international students. But it is an increase over two years ago when the increase in international students was flat with 34 percent of the colleges accepting the same number of students as the previous year.

Colleges accepting more international students in 2000 included: Albertson, Amherst, Baldwin-Wallace, Brandeis, Butler, Carnegie Mellon, Colgate, College of Charleston, College of William and Mary, Cornell C., DePauw, Elizabethtown, and Emory.

Also, Hampden-Sydney, Hobart and William Smith, Hope, La Salle, Lebanon Valley C., Marquette, Mary Baldwin, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Messiah, Michigan State, North Central, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ohio U., Pepperdine, Prairie View A&M, Princeton, St. Cloud State, St. Lawrence, Sarah Lawrence, Smith, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Stony Brook, Tiffin., Towson, U. of the Arts, U. of Chicago, U. of Evansville, U. of Iowa, U. of Maine, U. of Maryland, U. Mass Boston, U. of Montana, U. of Texas at Austin, U. of the Virgin Islands, Westminster C., Williams C. and Wittenberg U. all accepted more international students this year.
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THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Advice from Admissions Officers
IN ITS 2000 ANNUAL SURVEY this fall, COLLEGE BOUND asked admissions officers, directors, deans and vice presidents, what advice they would offer to students seeking admission in 2001? Here is a sampling of opinions:

ON THE RIGHT FUN
The overwhelming single piece of advice from admissions officers was for students to look for the "right fit." Cate Zolkos, Amherst C., suggests, "Search for the 'right college,' and search for the 'best fit' for you." William T. Conley, Case Western Reserve U., says, "The 'one size fits all' approach is dangerous. Be sure to 'customize' your application to convey a unique interest in each school you apply to."

Michael O. Drummy, Chapman U. in California, says, "Chapman does not seek 'soft' applications. Rather, we seek applications from students who have determined that Chapman is the place for them." Ellen B. Miller, Eastern Mennonite U., urges students to, "Find a good match with your needs and what your college offers."

Christopher Hooker-Haring, Muhlenberg C. in Pennsylvania, says, "The best strategy is still to focus on 'fit.' Students have very strong intuition about campus environment, the 'feel' of a particular college community, and so on. I think they make the best decisions when they follow their own intuition." Paul Marthers, Oberlin C., adds, "Don't dismiss the Midwest as a college choice." Rod Bugatan, Wesleyan U. advises, "Find the best school for you and be confident in selecting schools that will meet your needs." [back to top]

ON CAMPUS VISITS
The second most common bit of advice was about the importance of visiting a college. Juliann K. Baker, Baldwin-Wallace C., says simply: "Visit campus!" "Visit the campus, day or overnight," urges Heather Paetsch, Linfield C., and "talk to current students and faculty." Robert Blust, Marquette U. says, "Visit campuses in person, not just electronically."

And Susan C. Minger, Cornell C., advises, "Visit our campus because it is not only beautiful, but one should experience the one-course-at-a-time calendar in person." [back to top]

ON ELECTRONIC SEARCHES
But admissions officers also note that the visit can be coupled with a visit to the college's web site. As Lou McClelland, U. of Colorado at Boulder, says, "Visit our campus and our home page." Michael Steidel, Carnegie Mellon, suggests, "Check out web sites!" Ingrid Hale, Colgate U., agrees, "Check out college web sites! Ask questions!" Mark Hill, Northwestern U., advises, "Use the web to research college information. Always apply before the deadline rather than at the last minute. Use online applications if you are comfortable with them." N. Kip Howard, Ohio U., advises, "Use technology to research schools, but never as a replacement for the campus visit." [back to top]

ON THE SEARCH PROCESS
Admissions officers also had a variety of tips on what to look for in a college. Richard C. Vos, Claremont McKenna C., urges students to, "Do your research carefully. . . ." Daniel C. Walls, Emory U., says, "Research schools carefully, access a wide array of information and don't rely on one or two information sources."

David Borus, Vassar C., cautions, "Don't simply apply wildly just because it is easier to do today. Do your homework first. Visit, read and ask questions." John W. Lind, Southwestern U., says, "Your education is an important investment in your future. Be sure you are searching for the best place for you!" Nancy MacKenzie, Macalester C., adds, "Look for a college that combines rigor and global curriculum."
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ON COMPLETING APPLICATIONS
Once students have decided where to apply, admissions officers repeatedly advised students to be thorough in their applications. Notes Kelle Silvey, Westminister C., "Be thorough and thoughtful in completing your application." Staci Powell, Elon C., says, "Make an attempt to submit all admissions material together to assist in faster processing of your application." John M. Carroll, Kalamazoo C., also urges students to "be more thorough."

Stephen Farmler, U. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, suggests that students need to emphasize academic and interpersonal strengths on their applications. Susan Barge, Vanderbilt U., says, "Know and articulate your interest in the schools to which you are applying."

Gigi Lamens, SUNY Stony Brook, says, "Put time and effort into shaping your credentials and do not short-change any one component of the application process. Any one piece (essay, recommendations, interview, activities, resume) can be a deciding factor and help differentiate you from other applicants with similar qualifications."

Why is the application so important? As Robert Chonko, Longwood C., warns, "Space at residential colleges like ourselves may be very tight and makes admissions more competitive." [back to top]

ON MEETING DEADLINES
?eadlines do matter to admissions officers. Patty Cavender, Christopher Newport U., says simply, "Meet all deadlines." "Do submit applications for both admissions and financial assistance by the stated deadlines," adds Kenneth G. MacKenzie, Boston U. "Take advantage of filing the application for admission and financial aid documents online-remember to keep copies." And states Gary M. Lavergne, U. of Texas at Austin, "Because of the huge increase in applications, deadlines must be met."
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ON THE SENIOR YEAR
If senior students think that, round about now, they can relax, they should heed the warnings of admissions officers. As Ardean Campbell, California State University, Stanislaus, recommends, "Use your high school senior year wisely to prepare for college."

Ed Eckel, College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio, suggests, "Take a rigorous senior year schedule. Establish your priorities for making a decision." John W. Buckley, Fordham, says, "Perform well as a senior; it counts!" Janet Boucouvalas, U. of Maine, adds, "Maintain a strong academic senior year both in curriculum and grades." [back to top]

WORD FOR THE WISE
Finally, Alisa M. Fisher, U. of Notre Dame, says, "From freshman year in high school, build a solid program in all disciplines-English, math, science, history and foreign language." Cheryl Jorgenson, U. of Oklahoma, urges students to, "Complete the core curriculum requirements. Two years of the same foreign language is also beneficial." [back to top]

TUITION TABS
Tuition is an ever greater issue with students. Below is a sampling of tuition for the 2000-2001 school year.

School / Amount
Amherst / $32,400
Boston C. / 22,680
Case Western / 20,100
Dartmouth / 25,500
Duke / 34,000
DePauw / 20,200
Ohio U. / 10,704 nr
Purdue / 12,904 nr
Tuskegee / 9,928
U. of Co-Boulder / 15,832 nr
U. of Iowa / 10,668
U. of Montana / 8,396 nr
Wesleyan / 25,380
nr=nonresident

Source: COLLEGE BOUND's 15th National College Admissions Trend Survey, 2000
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
Finally, CB's survey found other interesting tidbits about colleges amidst its survey of admissions trends. Here are a few examples:

In the Know. Boston C. is expanding research opportunities for students with faculty members. Colorado C. reminded CB of its Block Plan schedule where students complete one course at a time for three-and- a-half weeks, eight courses per year. Pace has an excellent coop program for students.

Sacred Heart has a "wireless campus." Saint Louis U. noted its 90,000 worldwide alumni and its park-like environment in an urban setting. Sarah Lawrence noted "students pursue independent conference work concurrent with class work; lowest student:faculty ratio in the country-6:1.

And Williams has a "brand new $47 million unified science center-top place for undergraduate science research," it said.

Where to Go? While the majority of colleges surveyed said they are looking for students with excellent character, strong academics and diverse backgrounds, some colleges noted they are looking for particular students.

For example, American, Chapman, Sacred Heart, Saint Michaels and SUNY Brockport are looking for students interested in community service. Bentley is looking for students with business, technology and math skills. Case Western would like students interested in theater or who are writers. Muhlenberg wants students interested in theater, dance and music. Pace would like students with computer literacy.

On Tests, Essays, and Applying Early. Dennis O'Driscoll, Creighton U., recommends that students, "Take the ACT/SAT multiple times and study for them!" William Strausbaugh, Messiah C., advises students to, "Take the SAT/ACT more than once...."

Ed Vemit, Duke U., urges students to, "Be yourself in your essay. Personality is important." Reena G. Kamins, List College of Jewish Studies, says, "Let us see who you are as a person. Be original."

Many colleges advise students to apply early. But Stacey Morris, Dartmouth C., says, "Don't feel pressured into applying early! Dartmouth's policy is a binding one and we want you to be sure that you want to be here." [back to top]

Merit Scholarships Available
Since financial aid is more important than ever in a student's choice of college, CB asked colleges what percent of students received financial aid and merit scholarships this year. It is so important, in fact, Brandies Allemand, at Albertson C., advises students to, "Take searching for outside scholarships as a part-time job!"

According to CB's survey, the percent of students receiving financial aid ranged from 92 percent of students at Tuskegee University to 36 percent at Purdue.

The average package ranged from $29,000 at Harvard (for students receiving scholarship aid and other aids), $25,511 at Hobart and William Smith, $24,000 at Pepperdine, $23,288 at Sarah Lawrence and $22,931 at Williams to $5,600 at the U. of Montana and $4,063 at Tuskegee, $3,207 at Michigan State, and $2,400 at Linfield C.

The overwhelming majority of colleges CB surveyed said they have merit scholarships for first-year students. Fordham, for example, said it awards 600 merit scholarships each year ranging from $7,500 to full tuition and room. Vanderbilt has more than 100 available. Boston U. reported it has a host of merit-based scholarships including those for engineering and education, Latin and Ancient Greek. Linfield offers one for music achievement among others. The U. of the Arts offers merit scholarships, not surprisingly, for promising artists.
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But also, Smith offers international and engineering scholarships, La Salle scholarships for community service, Colorado C. for natural science, Coe for French, German and Spanish, among others, and Augustana for drama and debate.

Some colleges, however, reported that they do not have merit scholarships for first-year students, including Dartmouth, Princeton, Sarah Lawrence and Wesleyan, which all said their aid is need-based.

Admissions officers offered tips for thinking about how to succeed in getting financial aid.

Stephen Williamson, Augustana C., says, "Look early for 'outside scholarships'...."; Andi Jones, Valparaiso U., urges students to,

"Research all scholarship opportunities available..."; Ken Benne, Wittenberg U., says, "Make a real effort to find out what scholarships and financial aid are available before ruling out private colleges. You will be pleasantly surprised if you do."

Robert W. Cornwell, Jr., Missouri Baptist C., agrees, "Don't rule out a school because it costs too much. There is a lot of financial assistance available...."

But scholarship application deadlines do matter. Jennifer Casiero, Pace U., advises students to "complete the financial aid process earlier; obtain information about payment options as soon as possible." Veronica Rovira, Saint Louis U., also says, "Meet scholarship deadlines." Michael W. Barnes, U. of Tulsa, says, "Apply by February 15 for priority scholarship consideration." [back to top]

How Are Interviews Used?
This year, CB asked colleges how they view the interview in the admissions process. The majority of colleges responded that they do not use an interview in the evaluation of a student. But several colleges are adamant that interviews still play an important role.

Here are what colleges said:

American - The interview is an additional consideration for evaluation, not required;
Baldwin Wallace - Recommended;
Bentley - Can help clarify info and general interest level;
Boston U. - Interviews are important for seven-year Accelerated Medical and Dental programs and Trustee school program;
Brandeis - Interview is strongly recommended; it is evaluative and informational;
Butler - Provides a better understanding of a student's background, needs, perspective and personality;
Carnegie Mellon-Strongly recommended;
Case Western - A measure of interest;
Centre C. - It is part of a student's personal rating. Interviews are recommended, but not required;
Claremont McKenna - To learn more about the student;
Coe - Recommended for some;
Cornell C. - Not required, but highly recommended. Helps admissions get better acquainted with students;
Dartmouth - Interviews are informative and evaluative and assist us in getting to know a student better;
Elizabethtown - Students who interview are admitted at a rate of 10 percent higher than those who do not;
Fordham - Both informational and evaluative;
Franciscan of Steubenville - Supportive role to primarily determine candidate's level of interest in FUS;
Husson - It helps in evaluating the application;
Lafayette - An interview will rarely alter an admissions decision in and of itself. However, it is another piece of subjective information;
Macalester - A supplementary role;
Messiah - Not required, but recommended;
Missouri Baptist - For some scholarship decisions;
Muhlenberg - The interview gives us a chance to get a face-to-face sense of the fit between a student and Muhlenberg;
North Central - For marginal admittance;
Northwestern - No on-campus evaluative interviews. Optional off-campus interviews with alumni;
Oberlin - Helps us get to know them better as a person;
Pepperdine - Is optional and allows us to get to know a student for a short time;
Princeton - Interviews are not a required part of the admission process. However, we do strongly encourage and welcome campus visits by students, and during the months of May through December, we make it possible for students to make appointments to talk about Princeton with a member of the admissions staff;
Reed - The student interview is more for the student's use than anything else. It provides an opportunity for the student to meet with an admissions representative one-on-one and ask questions or voice any concerns they might have regarding Reed. It also helps the admissions office connect a face with a name. The goal behind the interview is to find out what is not necessarily revealed in the applications;
Ripon - Assists in admission decision-making process;
Saint Louis - Important;
Santa Clara - Not required-used as background information;
Sarah Lawrence - Important, not required;
Southwestern - Significant;
Smith - One of many facets. Recommended, not required;
Spring Hill - Only for provisionally admitted freshmen;
SUNY, Stony Brook - Recommended, not required for all;
U. of the Arts - Very important;
U. of Chicago - One piece of many in the application;
U of Tulsa - Very important;
Wagner - Moderately important;
Wesleyan - Evaluative and captures intellectual and social interaction;
Wittenberg - It is very important in scholarship situations and for borderline students.
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New Majors or Programs
What new majors or programs are colleges offering in the 2000-2001 school year?

Adirondack semester - St. Lawrence;
Air force ROTC - Valparaiso;
Arts Management - U. of Tulsa;
Astronomy-Eastern, U. of Colorado at Boulder;
Athletic training - Rockford;
New interdepartmental major - Coe, Westminster;
Biomedical sciences (BS in Zoology) - U. of Oklahoma;
Biomedical and health engineering - Carnegie Mellon;
Biopsychology - Wagner;
Biotechnology - Elizabethtown;
Business minor, general-Santa Clara;
Business administration - Bethany Lutheran; management of information systems in the business school, Fordham;
Chinese - Notre Dame;
Communications - Bethany Lutheran, Sacred Heart;
Communication studies - Longwood;
Computer science - Westminster;
Computer science/software engineering-Butler;
Computer science emphasis in integrated circuitry and embedded systems design-Chapman;
Criminal Justice/sociology expanded-Longwood;
Cyber-Journalism-U. of the Arts;
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DART-Digital Arts and Multimedia Design-La Salle;
Documentary Media Production-U. of the Arts;
E-commerce-Tiffin;
Elementary Education-Husson, N.D.;
Engineering-Smith;
Engineering degree in operations research and financial engineering-Princeton;
3/2 engineering with the University of California, Irvine-Chapman;
Environmental studies-Emory, SUNY Brockport; SUNY Stony Brook, Southwestern, Vassar, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts;
Film studies-Boston C., U. of Tulsa;
Fine arts-Scholarship at Centre;
Environmental science-SUNY Brockport;
Integrated science, business and technology-La Salle;
Finance-certificate program, Princeton;
Football-Christopher Newport, Rockford;
Forensics-Christopher Newport;
Geography-with specialization in human geography and physical geography, Boston U.;
Global Studies-St. Lawrence;
Graphic design-Spring Hill;
Health service administration-U. of Evansville;
International studies-U. of Chicago; new international program office, Fordham;
Italian and continental European literature-Boston U.;
Japanese major-Colgate;
Jazz Studies-North Central, Christopher Newport;
Journalism co-major-Emory;
Jewish studies-Vassar;
Juvenile justice-School of, Prairie View;
International Relations-Hobart and William Smith;
Interdisciplinary studies-U. of Maine;
Language and cross-cultural competence-
Liberal arts-Bethany Lutheran;
Management of Information Systems-Westminster;
Multimedia design-American;
Music, church music-Bethany Lutheran;
Music business-Lebanon Valley;
Music technology-Central Missouri State;
Neuroscience-Baldwin-Wallace College;
Nutrition-LaSalle;
Occupational therapy-4+2 program, Sacred Heart;
Physician Assistant-U. of Maryland;
Premed-MCLA;
Pre-Occupational therapy-Spring Hill;
Psychology-Tiffin;
Public Relations-Monmouth;
Radiologic science, associate degree-Midwestern State;
Religious studies program-Brandeis, U. of Chicago;
Science, technology and society-Butler;
Scotland, new off-campus study-Colgate;
Spanish business-Messiah;
Special education certification-Missouri Baptist College;
Speech, language and hearing-La Salle;
Sports management-Sacred Heart;
Technology-Sacred Heart;
Theater option-Christopher Newport;
Urban studies-Eastern;
Women's studies minor-Pepperdine;
WPI Plan-project-based curriculum-Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
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COLLEGE BOUND's Editor: R. Craig Sautter, DePaul University; Associate Editors: Connie Amon, Jennifer C. Patterson; Assistant Editor: Larry Busking; Circulation: Irma Gonzalez-Hider; Illustration: Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors: Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford (NY) Central School District; Howard Greene, author, The Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning Series; Terence Giffin, Choate-Rosemary Hall; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D., educational counselor; Virginia Vogel, Educational Guidance Services; M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in St. Louis, Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).

In This Issue

FEATURE ARTICLE
Minority Admits Increase

THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
Advice from Admissions
Officers

TUITION TABS
Sampling of Tuition

NEWS YOU CAN USE
In the Know
Where to Go?
On Tests, Essays, and
Applying Early

Other Articles
Merit Scholarships Available
How are interviews used?
New Majors or Programs

For a complete copy of CB's survey, Who Got In? COLLEGE BOUND's National Survey of College Admissions Trends, 15th edition, 2001, send a check or purchase order for $14.95 ($16.95 foreign) to COLLEGE BOUND, P.O. Box 6536, Evanston, IL 60204. (Available in the spring.)