Vol. 17 No. 4 December 2002

CB's 17th National College Admissions Trends Survey
Economy Impacts Admissions
EACH YEAR, COLLEGE BOUND surveys college admissions officers on the latest trends and compares them to the previous admissions cycle. This year, 92 colleges and universities, public and private, large and small, coast to coast responded to CB's 17th National College Admissions Trends Survey by press time. Here's Part I of the preliminary results based on the reports from these representative schools. (Part II will appear next month and the complete report will appear next spring in CB's annual book, Who Got In?)

BEAR MARKET SHOWING UP
This year, in response to inquiries from high school counselors and admissions officers, CB asked colleges, "Is the economy affecting your student enrollment?" "Yes," responded 37 percent of the colleges' admissions officers.

Colleges including Adelphi in New York to Butler in Indianapolis attributed lower yields to the impact of economic hard times on college-bound families. Wheaton C. in Illinois noted that the economy's performance meant a lower yield among its top academic students. "Students who received more aid went elsewhere," said Shawn Leftwich, director of admissions.

However, the public U. of Texas at Austin speculated that a tight economy meant a higher rate of yield at its school.

While Lafayette C. noted that thus far its enrollment has not been impacted, according to Carol A. Rowlands, director of admissions, "It's causing families to consider the value of the education a student is receiving given the cost."

The economy has had other kinds of impact on colleges this year as well. Katie Landwehr, associate director of admissions at St. Cloud State in Minnesota, said, "More students are going to college rather than the workforce." Portland State U. in Oregon also noted more students enrolling in college.

Longwood U. in Virginia saw some attrition of potential students to the nearby community college in Farmville. The U. of Maine said the economy is leading to more students choosing to stay in state.

And the U. of Oklahoma pointed out, "Graduate enrollment is up." Greg Stinson, institutional research coordinator at Valparaiso in Indiana, noted a similar trend with an "increase in all divisions particularly law and graduate divisions."

In noting that Norfolk State U. in Virginia had not felt the economic impact, Terricita Sass, director of institutional research, concluded, "Generally in times of recessions, students return to college to earn degrees, job skills or different skill sets."

Karen P. Condeni, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at Ohio Northern U., added, "Families are even more cautious about career decisions and interested in placement rates and opportunities for employment."

Finally, Colby Sawyer in New Hampshire stated that students are more concerned about tuition.
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FINANCIAL AID NEED INCREASING
Indeed, 63 percent of colleges participating in CB's survey reported that more incoming students were requesting financial aid.

Carnegie Mellon in Pennsylvania found the number of applications with "no need" was lower. Carlene Klaas, director of undergraduate admissions at DePaul U. in Chicago, noted an "increase in financial aid requests and adjustments." Hope C. in Michigan also witnessed an increase in financial need. So did Moravian C. in Pennsylvania.

Christopher Hooker-Haring, dean of ad_mis_sion and financial aid at Muhlenberg in Allentown, Pennsylvania, observed "more concern about cost and financial aid, more haggling over money and more families applying for aid." Messiah C. noted more borrowing.

In addition, Leslie Braat, associate director of admissions at Oberlin in Ohio, said that, "More current students who have not applied for aid before are now doing so."

While it is significant that 48 percent of the colleges surveyed said the economic situation had no impact, several colleges added "yet." And some colleges reported the economy's downturn is creeping up on colleges. Husson C. in Maine said the impact is increasing. W. Kent Barnds, dean of admissions and enrollment at Elizabethtown in Pennsylvania, said, "There were more late applicants for aid, many past May 1 and over the summer."

Nicole Hentz, research analyst, Northeastern U. in Boston, said, "There was no measurable effect on the applicant pool. However, the financial aid process was very challenging. We had more families appeal their offers, citing hardship and lost jobs as the reason for requesting additional funds."

And finally, Jennifer Cafiero, director of enrollment planning at Pace U. in New York City, said the economy affected student enrollment there because of its campus proximity to the World Trade Center.
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MANY MORE EA/ED APPLICATIONS
The admissions cycle for 2002 also revealed other trends. About two thirds of the colleges and universities participating in CB's annual admissions trends survey this year now use Early Action or Early Decision programs. Of these, a full 80 percent received more EA/ED applications for the fall of 2002, than for the fall of 2001.

Only 8 percent received fewer EA/ED applications, while 6 percent received about the same number as a year earlier.

This represents a slight acceleration for EA/ED applications. Last year, about 74 percent of the schools in CB's survey fielded more EA/ED decisions.

MORE EA/ED STUDENTS ADMITTED
Colleges and universities in this year's CB survey took advantage of the surge in EA/ED applications. Almost 80 percent of the schools that received EA/ED applications admitted more students to firm up their 2002 freshman class outlook early in the process. Only 20 percent admitted fewer students, while 10 percent admitted about the same number of EA/ED students as for 2001.

Schools that admitted more EA/ED students in 2002 included:

Albion (60), Bethel (MN) (800), Butler (1,419), Carnegie Mellon (102), Centre (441), Claremont McKenna (68), Coe (480), Colgate (300), Dickinson (862), Duke (506), Elon (322), Emory (530), James Madison (2,150), Knox (321), Lafayette (244), Lehigh (380), List (32), Longwood (690), Messiah (1,558), Moravian (112), Muhlenberg (314), Northwestern (507), Oberlin (256), Pace (335), Providence (641), St. Lawrence (132), Swarthmore (154), Truman (814), U. of Notre Dame (1,201), U. of Vermont (80), Valparaiso (938), Wittenberg (715), Yale (500) and Wheaton (480).

Among schools accepting fewer EA/ED students were Adelphi (324), American (263), Bard (160), DePauw (26), Harvard (1,105) and Reed (102).

There was still a wrinkle in the process. James P. Mackin, director of admissions at Moravian C. in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, noted that "Many students are applying early decision, but not understanding the commitment of ED, especially athletes."
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MORE TOTAL APPLICATIONS
The number of traditional age college students continues to increase. So it is no shock that in 2002, the vast majority of colleges and universities participating in CB's annual survey, a full 84 percent, received more applications this year than in 2001. Last year, 75 percent of the colleges surveyed reported more applications. So this tidal wave trend continues to swell.

Colleges and universities reporting more total applications in 2002 included: Adelphi (4,027), Albion (1,491), Bard (3,118), Bethel (2,058), Butler (3,817), Centre (1,354), Claremont McKenna (2,918), Coe (1,400), Colby-Sawyer (1,500), Colgate (6,268), C. of Mount St. Joseph (932), Colorado State (13,269), Cornell C. (1,764), Creighton (3,360), Dartmouth (10,200), DePaul (8,932), DePauw (3,454), Dickinson (4,095), Duke (15,894), Eastern Mennonite (676), Elon (6,503), Emory (9,789), Evergreen State (1,475), Fordham (11,313).

Others with more applications this year were Harvard (19,609), Hampden-Sydney (1,028), Husson (744), James Madison (16,050), Knox (1,542), Lafayette (5,504), Lehigh (8,271), List (135), Longwood (3,350), Loyola U. Chicago (10,200), Marquette (7,593), Mary Baldwin (1,239), Messiah (2,300), Missouri Baptist (652), Monmouth (1,571), Moravian (1,509), Northeastern (17,036), Northwest Missouri State (2,760), Northwestern (14,282), Oberlin (5,934), Ohio Northern (2,836), Point Park, PA (2,567), Portland State (2,780), Prairie View A&M (4,967), Princeton (14,521), Providence (7,354), Reed (1,847), St. Cloud State (6,012), St. Lawrence (2,867), St. Michael's, VT (2,552).

Also reporting more applications were Smith (3,047), Southern Methodist (6,672), SUNY Brockport (7,350), SUNY Buffalo (16,069), Swarthmore (3,933), Truman State (5,132), U. of Colorado Boulder (20,000), U. of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (21,484), U. of Iowa (13,079), U. of Maine (5,249), U. of Michigan (25,079), U. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (17,498), U. of North Dakota (3,628), U. of Notre Dame (9,745), U. of North Florida (5,641), U. of Oklahoma (7,825), U. of Texas Austin (24,797), U. of Vermont (9,776), Valparaiso (3,411), Wittenberg (2,611), Yale (15,466) and Wheaton (1,968).

However, 15 percent of the schools reported fewer applications in 2002 than in 2001, including: American (9,887), Augustana (1,389), Boston U. (27,038), Carnegie Mellon (14,275), Elizabethtown (2,505), Hope (1,885), Muhlenberg (3,822), Norfolk State (5,500), Ohio State (20,293), Pace (7,007), Philadelphia Biblical (824), Santa Clara (5,845) and Wells (404). Fisk (1,900) attracted the same number of applications as 2001.
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AND STILL MORE ADMITTED
In 2002, 54 percent of the colleges and universities in CB's survey admitted more students than in 2001. But even with more applications, 36 percent admitted fewer students and nearly 7 percent admitted the same number as last year.

A few of the colleges and universities admitting more students included: Boston U. (15,677), Butler (3,051), Carnegie Mellon (5,441), Coe (1,080), Colorado State (9,490), DePaul (6,922), Duke (3,699), Evergreen State (1,315), Fordham (6,378), List (72), Loyola U. Chicago (7,280), Marquette (6,264), Mary Baldwin (967), Monmouth (1,159), Providence (3,603), Santa Clara (4,078), St. Lawrence (1,869), Smith (1,615), Swarthmore (921), U. of Iowa (11,038), U. of Maine (4,136), U. of Texas Austin (13,483) and Valparaiso (2,831).

Some schools admitting fewer students this year than last year included: American (6,266), Augustana (1,176), Bard (1,107), Claremont McKenna (814), Colgate (2,109), Dartmouth (2,070), DePauw (2,277), Elon (3,232), Emory (4,142), Hope (1,691), Lafayette (1,991), Lebanon Valley (1452), Lehigh (3,672), Lousiana State (7,569), Muhlenberg (1,343), Norfolk State (4,321), Northwestern (4,701), Oberlin (1,976), Ohio State (14,320), Pace (5,288), Princeton (1,600), Reed (1,015), SUNY Brockport (3,755),

SUNY Buffalo (9,764), Truman State (4,065), U. of Michigan (12,380), U. of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (6,073), U. of Notre Dame (3,096), U. of Oklahoma (6,425), U. of Vermont (6,990) and Yale (2,000).

And the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa accepted the same number of applicants as in 2001 (6,195), but noted more in-state applicants and shifts in out-of-state demographics.
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Wait List Action and Admits
Wait lists continue to be an admissions tool for colleges making last minutes adjustments to fill their freshman classes. Nearly half of the colleges and universities in this year's survey reported using wait lists. Of these, 65 percent placed more students on their wait lists than in 2001. About 23 percent placed fewer students on their wait lists. And about 12 percent had the same number on their lists as last year.

Of the colleges and universities that used wait lists in 2002, about 54 percent admitted more students from those lists than last year. At the same time, 39 percent admitted fewer students in 2002 than in 2001 from their wait lists. And 12 percent admitted the same number of wait list students as last year.

Some of the colleges placing more students on their wait list in 2002 and both the number of students wait listed and the number admitted from the list include the following: American (851, 0), Bard (234, 37), Claremont McKenna (414, 5), DePauw (215, 0), Emory (500, 70), Muhlenberg (800, 30), Oberlin (967, 114), Providence C. (1,217, 351), Reed (360, 22), Smith (280, 0), U. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (2,693, 121), U. of Notre Dame (715, 240), U. of Vermont (291, 57).

Even schools placing fewer students on their wait lists had sizeable lists: Boston U. (1,256, 12), Carnegie Mellon (2,770, 80) and U. of Michigan (1,695, 27).

Duke reported the same number of students wait listed as in 2001, (1,726), but accepted more (102). Swarthmore also waited listed the same number of students as the previous year (500) and accepted fewer (25).
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THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Advice to 2003 Applicants
WE GUESS it bears repeating again and again. The number one piece of advice from admissions officers: "Apply early." But that doesn't necessarily mean through Early Admissions programs. Here is the context in which admissions officers at some colleges in CB's survey made this suggestion, and others for 2003 applicants.

American. Strive for academic excellence and demonstrate commitment in at least one extracurricular activity.

Amherst. Go for the "right fit," not the "right" school and fall in love with as many schools as possible so you'll be happy at any number of institutions.

Boston U. Do submit applications for both admissions and financial assistance by the stated deadlines. Take advantage of filing the application for admission and financial aid documents on-line-remember to keep copies.

Butler. Apply early. Visit multiple times! Get to know your admission counselor.

Claremont McKenna. Watch and heed all of the deadlines.

Coe. Apply and visit early.

Colby-Sawyer. The essay is important.

College of Mount St. Joseph. Make sure you visit colleges before you enroll. Make sure they provide you with all the support services you may need to be successful.

Cornell C. Do your homework. Visit schools to ensure the right fit for you. Apply early-spend quality time on your essay.

DePauw. Apply early. Get your applications for financial aid in on time! Do your research thoroughly and visit campus before making your final decision.

Dickinson. Understand fully what each applicant college stands for and what makes each college distinctive.
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WRITE FROM THE HEART
Duke. The short answer and essay questions on the application are your primary chance to speak to us in your own voice, and they are a way for the admissions committee to learn about you as a person. Write from the heart and be yourself.

Emory. Begin your college search early. Do not miss deadlines. Stay organized.

The Evergreen State. Apply early for best offers of scholarships and tuition awards.

Fisk. Apply early to secure scholarships and accept early.

Fordham. Perform well as a senior and continue to challenge yourself.

Hampden-Sydney. Make sure you follow through with your application. Stay on top of the supporting credentials.
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ENJOY THE FINAL YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL
Harvard. Read the application materials in detail and get the recommendation forms to teachers and guidance counselors early.

Hope. Spend time preparing for standardized tests.

Husson. Visit all colleges you are interested in and apply early for admissions and financial aid.

Knox. Select a college that can change your life. It will probably be a college you've never heard of! Look for schools where faculty are active scholars and researchers, but also committed to teaching undergraduate students. Choose places where professors are accessible to you. Ask the students: "Have you ever been to a professor's house for dinner?"

Lafayette. Although the college search process is an added dimension of your senior year, enjoy the final months of high school.

Lehigh. Use the power of the web to your advantage. Check out as many schools as you can.

List. Be yourself.

Longwood. Use the electronic application form on the web site.

Loyola U. Chicago. Apply early for housing and scholarships.

Moravian. Use the senior year as a strong preparation and springboard for the first year in college.
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COMMUNICATE COMPELLINGLY ABOUT YOUR "HOOK"
Muhlenberg. On many of the highly selective campuses, applicant pools will very probably continue to grow. So think about, and be prepared to communicate about, what you are good at. Your ability to communicate compellingly about your "hook," that energy you will bring to campus that will contribute to making it a more interesting, vital place to be, is more important than ever.

Norfolk State. Students should continue to take challenging academic course work so that they can improve standardized test scores and be able to qualify for merit scholarships.

Northeastern. Apply before the January 1 deadline and continue to earn strong grades during your senior year.

Northwestern. Apply early. Use the web to gather information and to apply if you are comfortable with that.

Oberlin. In your application, show how your interests are well-matched to a college. Find a college that feels comfortable to you, where you can picture yourself for four years.

Ohio Northern U. Research schools thoroughly. Don't initially rule out a good college and program on a cost basis. Aid can help make a higher cost private school more affordable than you might think!

The Ohio State U. Apply early. Submit the essay.

Pace. Apply early. Complete FAFSA by deadline.

Portland State. Apply early for financial aid considerations.

St. Lawrence. Be open-minded and thorough in your research. Follow directions and meet deadlines.

Prairie View A&M U. Apply early and search for the requirements of your choice college/university.

SUNY Brockport. Continue to challenge yourself in your senior year.

Truman State. Start early in looking for a college that fits.applicants should research the colleges that interest them, ask questions and make well-informed decisions. Make campus visits, if possible, to not only see the facilities, but also to gather information about the faculty, staff and students.

U. of Illinois. Check your personal statement/essay for spelling errors, grammar, accuracy.

U. of Maine. Meet deadlines. Plan ahead. File for financial aid on time. Know what you want and where you are headed.

U. of Michigan. Apply early. We are a selective institution and we use rolling admissions. Although our deadline for the fall 2003 term is February 1, 2003, consideration for admission to all schools/colleges is made on a space available basis and some schools/colleges fill early.

U. of North Carolina. Work hard and write an authentic application.

U. of North Dakota. More web use for a quicker response.

U. of Oklahoma. Apply before February 1, 2003.

U. of Texas at Austin. Take care with essays-meet deadlines.

Valparaiso U. Apply early (January 15 is the deadline for academic scholarships) and visit campus. File the FAFSA even if you don't think your family will quality. Visit the campuses you are more serious about more than once.

Wells C. We look very closely at GPA, course study and extracurricular activities. Prospective applicants should concentrate on building on these areas.

Wittenberg U. Apply early. Use on-line applications if desired. Attend on-campus program for scholarships and overnights.
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Specifically Seeking Students
What special skills or talents are colleges seeking among the 2003 applicants?

Not all colleges look for something different each year. Portland State U., for example, states it doesn't consider special qualities in admissions. The U. of North Dakota says it doesn't look for anything specific. Or Swarthmore notes, "We take a holistic approach to admissions."

But each year, there are colleges looking for specific qualities in an entering class to create a diverse student body both in range of skills and background. Here are a few mentioned.

American U. Leadership, athletic ability, creativity, community service.

Augustana C. Leaders, good writing and thinking skills.

Boston U. Students who possess an intellectual curiousity ­ a desire to learn as demonstrated by taking a four-year sequence of challenging coursesmost students activity participate in community service-a trend we hope to see continued at BU.

Butler U. Involved; well-rounded; leadership.

Carnegie Mellon U. Broad base of talent academically and in extracurricular activities.

Centre C. Academically talented, well-rounded students.

Claremont McKenna C. Leadership, self-confidence.

Colby-Sawyer C. Being well-rounded.

Colgate U. Athletic, musical, artistic, community-minded, leadership skills.

College of Mount St. Joseph. Leadership skills and community service experience.,

Cornell C. Looking for students who are involved-in diversity of activities, especially leadership and volunteerism not to mention sports and fine arts.

Dartmouth C. Anything that would add to our community.

DePauw U. Academic achievement, leadership, dedication to community and diversity.

Duke U. Students who are intellectually engaged, those who're not afraid to challenge themselves and reach for something different.
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Eastern Mennonite U. Critical thinkers.

Elizabethtown C. Musicians, service learning, interest in travel, athletics.

Elon C. Well-rounded academic interests.

Fisk U. High math and science ability.

Fordham U. Audition programs required for theater and dance; community service is a plus.

Hampden-Sydney C. We look for well-rounded men.

Harvard U. Intellectual excellence and hunger, leadership, good character.

Husson C. Leadership skills.

Lehigh C. Strong in class performance.

List C. Originality, determination, leadership.

Longwood U. More foreign language units.

Moravian C. Leadership, character, integrity, ethics.

Marquette U. Leadership and service.

Mary Baldwin C. Leadership.

Messiah C. Athletics, and leaders.

Missouri Baptists U. Volunteer, community service, ministry.

Muhlenberg C. Elected leadership, special talents, and community service.

Norfolk State U. Students who have a desire and ability to succeed based on test scores and strength of academic programs.

Northeastern U. New students who have successfully prepared by taking challenging high school courses. We are also interested in students who are innovative, creative and have demonstrated strong leadership skills.

Oberlin C. We seek a diverse student body, both academically and socially.

Ohio Northern U. Strength in the math and sciences for professional programs.

Providence C. Leadership.

Reed C. Passion for learning.
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Smith C. Motivated students who have challenged themselves in high school.

St. Lawrence U. Seriousness of purpose academically and well-roundedness personally.

SUNY Brockport. Strong academic program and well rounded.

Truman State U. Students who have succeeded in high school both academically and through extracurricular activities.

U. of Buffalo. Strong secondary school record and standardized test scores.

U. of Illinois. Leadership. Diversity.

U. of Maine. Strong academic skills; the maturity and motivation to handle the academic and social adjustments to college life.

U. of Notre Dame. Leadership.

U. of North Florida. Well-rounded students.

U. of Texas at Austin. Leadership and academic achievement.

Valparaiso U. Department awards are given to Art, Chemistry, Chinese and Japanese Studies, engineering, foreign language, music, and theater.

Wells C. Leadership skills, high extracurricular involvement.

Wittenberg U. Ability to write well and ability to communicate verbally.
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Average scores for 2002 class

COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally Reed; Contributor: Marc Davis; Circulation: Irma Gonzalez-Hider; Illustration: Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors: Rosita Fernandez-Rojo, Choate-Rosemary Hall; Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford (N.Y.) Central School District; Howard Greene, author, The Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning Series; 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
Economy Impacts Admissions

Wait List Action and Admits

THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
-Advice to 2003 Applicants

Specifically Seeking Students

Average scores for 2002 class

Coming Up! -
Who is the Freshman Class 2002? College yields and class sizes, average student test scores, minority enrollments and admissions trends for international students. Plus, the state of on-line admissions.