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Vol.15 No.9 May 2001
Admissions Spring Review 2001
The More Things Change...
...THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME. Or so goes the old adage. But in the college admissions season this spring, the saying appears to be true, only more so. Many of the trends that have developed over the past two years-the increase in application volume and in online applications-are now galloping through admissions offices. And the renewed debate regarding standardized tests may be shaking up college admissions for the year to come.
This month, CB takes a preliminary look at the 2000-2001 admissions year to see what factors were most important in admission decisions and what trends the colleges see emerging. [back to top]
PUMPING UP THE VOLUME
Once again, many colleges across the U.S. experienced an increase in applications this year over last year. Harvard, for example, tallied the most applications in its history, with a record pool of 19,009 for 2,041 freshman positions, according to the Harvard University Gazette. The percentage of admitted students was the lowest in Harvard's history (10.7 percent). Almost 55 percent of the candidates scored 1400 or higher on the SATs; 2,000 posted a perfect 800 on their SAT mathematics; nearly 1,700 scored 800 on their SAT English; and close to 2,900 were valedictorians of their high school classes!
New York University attracted a record 30,500 applicants for a freshman class of 3,200, "making it the most competitive year in the history of the University," said Richard A. Avitable, director of admissions in his letter to applicants.
And Washington University in St. Louis received a whopping 21,000 applications for a freshman class of 1,280. It accepted 25 percent of its applicants.
Emory U. in Atlanta reported that its applications were up 2 percent, receiving 9,600 applications for 1,200 spots, and it created a wait list of 800-1000 "very good students," said Dan Wall, dean of admissions. He noted that Emory also saw more campus visitors this year, even after decisions went out. Yet he suspects the stock market activity is having a psychological impact, in that families may wait to make a four-year commitment until they see what the economy is going to do.
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"COLLEGE CHOOSIER"
So said The Chicago Tribune, April 5, as it reported that Middlebury received the most applications ever, and admitted just 25 percent of its 5,400 applicants; the U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign saw a 6 percent increase in applications this year; and the U. of Chicago was up 26 percent over three years.
According to CBs spot check, even many small colleges posted increases in applications, including Ferrum College in Virginia, which received 857 applications for 310 spots in its freshman class, a 6 percent increase over last year; Brevard College in North Carolina, with 800 applications for 350 seats; Maine College of Art in Portland with 519 applicants seeking 150 seats; and Wells College in Aurora, New York, which received 404 applications for 125 spots, an increase of 29 applicants over last year. Also, Grove City College in Pennsylvania witnessed a substantial 14 percent increase to 2,185 applications for 525 seats. [back to top]
However, the large increases in volume were not universal. Northwestern U., for example, reported that its applications did not increase over last year, although the numbers were still above where they were 10 years ago. It received 14,013 applications, admitted 4,808 students and put 300 on its wait list.
The University of North Carolina received about 16,500 applications, slightly less than last year, according to UNC, and invited 6,000 students to attend UNC for a class size of 3,500.
Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, experienced a decline, with 512 applications for 250 spots, as did Alma College in Michigan, with a still-healthy 1,250 applicants for 380 freshman seats. The College of Aeronautics in Flushing, New York, also reported a slight decrease in applications, with 1,068 received this year.
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WHY THE RECORD-BREAKING STATS?
For those schools that experienced a jump in paper applications, the increase may be due to a desire on the part of students to broaden their options and increase their chances of acceptance to a school of choice. To be sure, many students are still submitting multiple applications to eight, ten or more colleges.
But this year, there really are more high school students and more of them applying to college. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of high school graduates fell until about 1994, then increased over the next five years by about 12 percent. This increase is expected to continue for the rest of the decade. [back to top]
EARLY ACTION
As in the last few years, colleges continue to attract more early decision and early action applications. For example, a record 6,095 students applied for admission to the class of 2005 under Harvard's Early Action program. However, fewer students were admitted, 1,105. "This year, as in the past, the Admissions Committee admitted only those who were certain to be admitted later," said William R., Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid. Harvard received more EA applications from the West and South, fewer from the Midwest. At Emory, 40 percent or 500 of the admitted students applied early decision.
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ONLINE APPS INCREASE
Some schools experienced an increase in online applications. At Wells College, senior assistant director of admission Megan Ryan reported that a full 32 percent of its applications arrived online. Ryan believes that "these students are more focused" than the general applicant population.
However, others did not see the increase. Grove City College, for example, received just 100 of its applications online. Clearly, online applications have a way to go before replacing paper. [back to top]
ONLINE ACCEPTANCES
At the same time, a number of recent news reports focused on the electronic responses of colleges this spring. Northwestern sent e-mails to the 4,000 students it accepted with links to a personal Web page. Tufts accepted-and rejected-students by e-mail. According to the Boston Globe, Middlebury, U. of Texas at Austin and UC Berkeley created Internet bulletin boards where students could use a code to look up their admissions status. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Providence College and the U. of Dayton also sent e-mail notices. [back to top]
"WHY WAS MY CHILD REJECTED?"
That was the headline of the April 3 USA Today which noted that "as the number of students applying for college has increased, the percentage of applicants accepted into Ivy League schools has, for the most part, gone down. Thus, college admissions deans braced themselves for the "dreaded Why R" calls. A big name college "is now pursued as a kind of battle trophy, like a car or a house or a club membership," said Virginia Military Institute president Josiah Bunting III. [back to top]
GRADES COUNT
Competition this year was brutal at some schools. And a student's GPA appears to have carried more weight this year than ever.
The University of Southern California reported that the average GPA of its admitted students was 3.97 and the average test score was 1360. While it noted those are averages, not cutoffs, USC saw 26,500 freshman applications for only 2,800 places. USC offered admission to one third of its applicants.
Thomas Bracken, associate director of admissions, College of Aeronautics, reported that "competent high school work, preferably with AP or honors course work," is the most important factor leading to an acceptance there, while "low GPA" can lead to a deny. The college does not discount the impact of other factors in the application, but they may be harder to assess objectively. Bracken said he looks for a good personal statement to accompany the application, but "don't ask me how to define 'good.'"
Brandon Jones, admissions counselor, Brevard College in North Carolina, where the student/faculty ratio is 9:1, agreed. He reported that, at Brevard, "we look at GPA first, SAT/ACT scores second." And, in spite of the need to assess a portfolio, Kate Quin, Maine College of Art, said that "above average grades in high school are a major factor of the admissions process." [back to top]
LACK OF RESEARCH
Another factor in the increase of application volume is a seeming lack of student research into whether a college would be a good fit. "You'd be surprised how many applications we get from men," said Wells College's Ryan, speaking of her all-female institution. Golden Gate University's Geoffrey R. Smith, vice president for enrollment services, noted that: "Golden Gate University is a non-traditional university for mature, working adults who wish to complete a previous undergraduate college record in business or technology." Yet Golden Gate, with 5,400 students, received applications from high school students.
Maine College of Art reported that some of its applicants were not aware of the rigor of its program. To earn a BFA, it requires liberal arts study as well as the fine arts courses. Students simply need to know where they are applying and why it is a good fit for them. That takes serious research. [back to top]
SENIORITIS GROWING
As if the increase in applications and the renewed debate about the SAT and ACT tests weren't enough to concern college admissions officers, there is the old worry: senioritis. Where once it may have been enough to receive that acceptance in the mail and then coast through the final semester of the senior year, students are now receiving warning letters that slackers, in some cases, will see their offer of admission rescinded.
"The number of students we see slacking off is clearly growing, and I know many of my colleagues feel this is a widespread problem," Kelly Walter, director of admission, Boston University told the Boston Globe. Last year, Boston University sent approximately 150 warning letters to admitted seniors, expressing disappointment in their sub-par performance.
The consequences of succumbing to senoritas go far beyond a letter of warning. Babson College requires some students with substandard senior grades to meet weekly with their class dean during their first semester to monitor their academic performance. [back to top]
THE DOW JONES SAFETY SCHOOL INDEX
Finally, The Wall Street Journal reported on "The New Safety Schools" in a March 30 article, stating "with competition soaring colleges that top students used to consider backups have become as selective as the Ivies." It devised a new index of "The New Ivies, Safe, Safer, and Safest" colleges.
Its "New Ivies"? Duke, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Northwestern, Pomona, Rice, Swarthmore, U. of Notre Dame, Vassar and Williams. Some schools it called the "New Safes:" Boston U., Colgate, Emory, Fordham, George Washington, Hamilton, Harvey Mudd, Tulane, UC San Diego, USC and Washington U. in St. Louis.
But as this year's stats are beginning to show, few schools are "safe" when it comes to college admissions. [back to top]
THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
What College are Saying
...and Doing About the SATs
OPINIONS ABOUT THE RENEWED SAT DEBATE vary around the country. Here is a roundup of what some admissions officers are saying this spring:
ADD MORE INFORMATION, DON'T USE LESS
"Our reaction to the recommendation of the University of California system president to drop the test as a criterion is 'not good'," said John Dolan, University of Denver. "First of all, both the College Board and ACT have been good higher education citizens. They have engaged the industry in constructive ways and should take some of the credit for some of the trends in our college going rate....My advice would be 'add to the assessment system' information that is helpful, not withdraw information that could be important. For example, next year, we will implement a full interview system. Our approach is you would not hire anyone based on a paper evaluation. Thus, for DU, the test scores become less relevant as we add the additional weight of the interview score." [back to top]
MAYBE IT WILL IMPROVE ADMISSIONS
At the same time, Ray Brown, Texas Christian University, argued that large public universities dropping the SAT may be an improvement in admissions procedures. "First, the emphasis we (as a society and higher education as an industry) put on standardized exams is way out of whack. Kids live and die by what they score on that three-hour test. Or at least they think so. If I never again hear a student say to me, 'I'm just a 1050,' it'll be too soon.
"But most public institutions use some combination of class rank, GPA and test scores to produce a formula resulting in the admission (or denial) of every applicant. 'Formula admission' is something that simultaneously drives the guidance community nuts and provides solace. Solace, because their kids can, by looking at a chart, determine whether or not they can get in the state university. It crazes them (and most independent university admission people) because the formulaic approach is so very short-sighted. Students are much more than grades and test scores, yet the sheer volume of applications many state schools receive simply precludes their being able to process the massive amounts of paper to provide a thoughtful, reflective response to an application for admission. Hence, a computer generated response.
"On the other hand, most independent colleges and universities strive to inject the process with the care and attention that are our hallmarks. They're going to get attention in the classroom; they should have it in the application process as well." [back to top]
PRESSURE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CLUB
"Considering the number one question asked by a prospective high school student to a college admission officer is 'what is your average SAT,' I doubt that we will look to drop the use of this test anytime in the near future," noted Christopher Gruber, University of Richmond. "The question being asked by students is a gage that answers selectivity, prestige and in their mind, whether or not they will get in. By not requiring the SAT I we could be tainting the image they might have of the U. of Richmond, whereby we may be perceived to be less than competitive. With over 90 percent of the four-year colleges in the country requiring the SAT I, not being a member of the club is a hard story to tell." [back to top]
THERE ARE ALREADY OPTIONS
At Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, "If students are in the top 20-percent of their class, they have the option here of submitting graded writing samples instead of their standardized test (either SAT-I or ACT) scores," said Chris Markle. "The Write Option is an alternative to SATs we provide students who are in the top fifth of their class and taking college preparatory courses to submit two graded writing samples. We may get a few dozen students who submit Write Option essays, but that's out of a couple thousand applications-meaning it's not a large percentage. It's still nice to provide that option to students who qualify academically. We still think standardized test scores are a standard part of our admissions procedure." [back to top]
SAT A DISTANT SECOND TO GRADES
"Clearly in our (admissions review) process, we are first and foremost going to look at a student's academic record-what they've taken and how they have done," added Al Newell, Washington & Jefferson College. "We look at the rigors of their courses and achievements in terms of grades. I cannot say standardized test scores are not a factor, but they are a distant second to the first option." [back to top]
SAT ALONE NOT A GOOD INDICATOR
"...but high school transcripts are also not good predictors sometimes because of the differences in academic rigor among the schools, as well as the differences of the college tract programs," said Lynn Fawthrop, Roger Williams University. "It's tough to use either of these indicators as sole predictors of a student's academic ability. Here the school transcript is the principle indicator. We look at both the rigor of high school and rigor of the college track curriculum too, and then we use the SAT scores. The debate over SATs is one we're always going to have."
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HAS SAT SERVED US WELL?
"There's no contesting that they (SAT scores) do provide a standard national measuring stick," said Jim Bekkering, Hope College in Holland, Michigan. "Whatever opinion one might have on them about being biased, all of the students essentially sit for the same test, and they're all scored the same way-regardless of where they come from. It's my sense that how this instrument is used is the message the College Board is trying to get out too. Don't condemn the test, use it effectively.
"At Hope, the test is useful in two respects. First, if we get an application from a student with a record of strong performance in the classroom, but see test scores incompatible with that record, it may give us an indicator of what to expect from that student in college. It signals to us to talk with counselors and others and find out if Hope is a good match for this student. Second, they're used with regards to students who are presenting marginal academic records and are in that gray area of what's that right decision (to admit or not)? In that situation, strong test scores will support the candidate and weak scores will not."
Laura Snyder is an associate at Dick Jones Communications in State College, Pennsylvania. [back to top]
The Renewed SAT Debate
In a February speech to the American Council on Education, University of California president Richard Atkinson called for an end to the use of the SAT in admission to the UC system. Instead, he called for a system in which achievement tests such as the subject-based SAT II are used to assess mastery of material rather than an estimation of ability provided by the SAT I. The UC system has also adopted a plan in which the top students from each California high school are guaranteed admission.
The proposal must first pass the UC Board of Regents before it can go into effect, but even the suggestion has sparked a renewed national debate over the use of standardized tests in admissions.
Throughout the country this spring, people are talking about the SATs. Time magazine's March 12 cover on "The SATS: Why Some Colleges are Junking Them" added to the discussion. It confirmed that a growing number of colleges are studying the recommendation. [back to top]
Time profiled Mount Holyoke and its informal study which concluded that the SAT scores bore "little relation to how well the students performed once they were on campus." Mount Holyoke's analysis also concluded that the SAT accounted for "just 10 percent of each admissions decision."
Not everyone is convinced however that the tests should be dropped. "If I had my way, the University of California would keep using the SAT until black students catch up with whites, Asians and immigrants from the Caribbean," said writer Jack E. White in Time, noting Howard University is attracting more applicants with higher SATS and that its president Patrick Swygert believes that meeting standards is the only way to ensure that the opportunities created by the civil rights movement won't be slammed shut again.
Meanwhile, a survey released last month by FairTest, a group that advocates less reliance on the SAT or ACT, found that a fifth of U.S. colleges and universities do not require the tests for some or all high school applicants. FairTest counted 383 out of 1,788 four-year schools that do not use entrance exams at all or that sometimes exempt applicants for a high class rank or great grades. Three years ago, FairTest found 280 test-optional schools. [back to top]
Even business leaders have weighed in on the issue. In mid-April, executives from companies such as Shell Oil and Verizon Communications joined the National Urban League in sending a letter to college presidents, urging a diminished role for the SAT in college admissions. The letter recommended a more holistic approach to admissions, contending that pure academic prowess does not necessarily portend business success.
Observers are noting that if the UC system, the nation's largest consumer of SAT test scores, discontinues its use, it could have a ripple effect across higher education, causing other schools to declare the tests optional or eliminate them altogether.
While the students applying for college admission in 2001-2002 shouldn't skip their SAT or ACT tests in the hopes that colleges nationwide will drop the requirement, the UC announcement may be the harbinger of a new trend, one that CB will track in the coming months. Meanwhile, see "Counselor's Corner," page three for a report on what some colleges say about their use of the SAT. [back to top]
NEWS YOU CAN USE
More International Students in U.S. According to a recent issue of The International Educator, foreign student representation in the freshman undergraduate classes has grown over the past few years. Last year, 237,000 foreign undergraduates entered U.S. colleges, an increase of 27 percent over 1990. However, international students now represent only 2.7 percent of the entire undergraduate population in the U.S.
- Boston U. has more foreign students than any other university8 percent of students in its current freshman class of 3,985.
- International students represent 13 percent of American U.'s student body and 10 percent at the U. of Oklahoma.
- Brown has 10 percent, and is initiating efforts to create an endowment fund for international students, according to TIE.
- U. of Richmond in Virginia has a strong financial aid program, and brings in students from over 60 countries.
- At Duke, nearly 2 million in financial aid is now available for international students.
Financial aid is a big factor. Twenty years ago, 9 percent of international students received financial aid. Last year, 20 percent received aid.
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Scholarship Scoops. New York University recently received $20 million to fund a new arts scholarship program to draw students from around the world.... Becton-Dickinson, a manufacturer of medical supplies, has funded a scholarship program at Ramapo College of New Jersey for high achieving minority students from underserved areas. Students are required to maintain a high grade point average in exchange for a full tuition scholarship. This year, six students from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey received the scholarships and 10 students from last year had their awards renewed. [back to top]
A Numbers Game. USA Today recently reported the following statistics: According to Mark Sklarow, executive director of Independent Educational Consultants Association, 80 percent of college-bound high school graduates enroll in public institutions. Also, UCLA found that half of this year's freshman class applied to three schools and 71 percent got into their first choice.
First Choice. According to a report presented last month at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Asian-American students are significantly more likely than students of other racial and ethnic groups to attend their first-choice college, even if doing so involves taking on significant loans. [back to top]
The Outlook. According to new statistics from U.S. Department of Education:
- High school graduates are expected to increase from 2.7 million in 1997-98 to 3.1 million by 2009-10, a 14 percent increase. This reflects the projected rise in the 18-year-old population.
- Higher education enrollment is projected to increase from an estimated 14.6 million in 1998 to 17.5 million by 2010, a 20 percent increase.
- And the number of bachelor's degrees will increase by 13 percent, from 1,175,000 in 1997-98 to 1,324,000 by 2009-10.
Odds and Ends. According to the latest "Connections" from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, women students outnumber men at Jesuit universities and colleges 56 percent to 44 percent.... In a special report in April, ABC-TV reported that there are 200,000 home schoolers in U.S. colleges.... [back to top]
ONLINE U.
JesuitNET. The Jesuit Distance Education Network (JesuitNET) has launched a new Webportal at www.jesuit.net which will provide a list of degree/certificate programs and individual courses offered by Jesuit colleges and universities.
Internet Studies. Brandeis has announced that it is offering an undergraduate concentration in Internet studies, believed to be the first in the country.
Online Studies. According to The Kiplinger Letter, lawmakers will ease the federal aid regulations to students taking online courses. It estimates that by 2002, 2.2 million students will be learning online, triple the number in 1998. [back to top]
MIT Courses Free. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has announced that it plans to offer nearly all of its course materials on the Internet for free! The $100 million project aims to make the lecture notes, course outlines, reading lists and assignments in 2,000 courses accessible via a Web site within 10 years. Visitors to the Web site will not be able to earn college credit. "It expresses our belief in the way education can be advanced by constantly widening access to knowledge and inspiring participation," said Charles Vest, MIT president.
Online Courses Soar. Enrollment in distance education courses at the University of North Texas has increased from 875 in fall 1999 to 2,470 in spring 2001. [back to top]
COLLEGE BOUND's Editor: R. Craig Sautter, DePaul University; Associate Editors: Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti; 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.).
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In This Issue
FEATURE ARTICLE
The More Things
Change...
Other Articles
The Renewed SAT Debate
THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
What Colleges are Saying
...and Doing About the SATs
NEWS YOU CAN USE
More International Students
in U.S.
Scholarship Scoops
A Numbers Game
First Choice
The Outlook
Odds and Ends
ONLINE U.
JesuitNET
Internet Studies
Online Studies
MIT Courses Free
Online Courses Soar |
