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Vol. 17 No. 2
October 2002
Rolling Admissions
As An Early Strategy
AS THE EARLY ADMISSIONS CRAZE
continues to build one admissions cycle after another, some students
are taking a second look at colleges and universities that feature
rolling admissions as yet another way to secure an early spot
for next year.
So this month, COLLEGE BOUND looks at rolling admissions policies
at several colleges and universities around the nation to see
why the process is attracting more applicants and how it works
at these schools.
For years, most of the nation's great state universities and
some private institutions have offered rolling admissions options.
"Rolling admissions is an applicant-friendly policy providing
a higher level of service to the applicant," said Barmak
Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association
of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. "It's
been around for several decades and is convenient to the student.
It's generally positive."
Although there may be slight differences from university to
university, under a rolling admissions policy students may apply
any time during their senior year. Admission decisions are made
quickly, ranging from an immediate "on-site" acceptance
to decisions taking from a few days to 12 weeks. And acceptances
are non-binding.
In most cases, admissions are made on a first-come, first-served
basis to qualified applicants. Applications start arriving as
early as September of a student's senior year. However, rolling
admissions has been used as a safety valve as well, with late
applicants admitted as late as the college's first day of classes,
and, in some instances, up to a week after classes have begun,
some admissions officers told CB.
Most schools also offer an online application process, and
many prefer that method of applying. Decisions are sent to applicants
from some schools via e-mail, but most are sent via regular mail.
The trend seems to indicate an increase in both online applications
and e-mail notifications.
Here, then, is a school by school round-up on how rolling
admissions works:
The University of Pittsburgh.
Pitt starts reviewing rolling admission applications about mid-September,
says Terrance Kizina, coordinator of admissions review.
"Applications must include all required information,
standardized test scores and fees. If the student is qualified,
we can offer them admission at that point very early in their
senior year for the following fall term," Kizina told CB.
Acceptance decisions are made on a first-come, first-served
basis and notifications are sent within two to four weeks via
regular mail after application depending on volume and time of
year.
"Typically, we continue to admit all students until the
deans of the appropriate undergraduate schools indicate to us
that we've admitted enough students," said Kizina. "When
classes are full, admissions end."
Applications to Pitt start coming in as early as the summer
months after students complete their junior year. So clearly,
many Pitt hopefuls see rolling admissions as an early strategy.
Online applications, once only a fraction of all applications
received, are increasing each year. This past year, according
to Kizina, about 24 percent of all applications were sent via
the Internet. All notifications, however, are sent via regular
mail.
"The advantage of rolling admissions for the 'B' and
'C' student is that they get early notification of acceptance
or rejection," Kizina said. "Students who are rejected
would then have adequate time to apply to another institution
if they haven't already." And they can work harder during
their first senior semester to bring up their grades or improve
test scores.
"For the University of Pittsburgh, the rolling admissions
policy allows us to determine our yield early and plan accordingly,"
Kizina pointed out. "For the students, early notification
of admission allows them to plan their financial aid more efficiently,
take care of housing requirements and better plan other aspects
of their college experience."
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Clemson University. At Clemson
in South Carolina, competition is stiff. "Usually, our classes
are filled early by very well-qualified students," Robert
Barkley, admissions director, told CB. "Students cannot
apply as early as they want, however. We make applications available
about August 15, for both paper and online submission."
Applicants are notified by mail within eight to ten weeks
after they apply, according to Barkley. Unlike Pitt where students
may apply at any time, Clemson imposes a May 1st deadline for
fall semester applications, and a spring semester deadline of
January 15. Students admitted early can get a jump on securing
financial aid.
The University of Maryland,
College Park. Maryland has a "modified version"
of rolling admissions, according to James Christensen, associate
director of undergraduate admissions. "We don't admit anyone
until February 15 for the following fall semester," Christensen
explained. "That takes care of about 60 to 70 percent of
a class. If a student applies by December 15, we'll get him a
decision by February 15. Although sometimes that decision is
no decision. We have a two-part application process. Priority
deadline for part 1 is November 1st; priority deadline for part
2 is December 1. If the student meets those deadlines, an admission
decision should be in his hands by February 15," Christensen
explained.
"Once that happens, admissions of the highest qualified
students are made on a rolling basis until classes are filled,"
he said. "Decisions under this process take anywhere from
three to six weeks."
Maryland wants students to have at least a month before May
1st to make alternate plans if they're rejected, according to
Christensen, and requires everyone to commit by May 1st.
As for financial aid, Christensen pointed out that the first
group admitted has access to any of the so-called "free
money."
"For the rolling admissions after February 15, there
are federal loans, work study loans, that kind of thing,"
Christensen noted.
Indiana University. Students
who want to attend IU may apply as early as the first semester
of their senior year in high school, Lisa Shaffer, Indiana's
acting dean of enrollment management in South Bend, told CB.
Acceptance is awarded on a rolling, first-come, first-served
basis. Turnaround time for decisions may be as short as three
days.
"Usually, at most, students will be informed in a week
or less," said Shaffer, "depending on the processing
load." To be safe, however, Shaffer noted that students
are told that a decision may take as long as 10 days. The institution
began sending admission information via e-mail in August.
"The earlier students apply, the better chance they have
at getting financial aid or scholarship money," Shaffer
explained. "Although scholarship deadlines vary, the latest
deadline for most of them is June 1st."
To secure state financial aid in Indiana, applications must
be made by March 1st. If they don't arrive by then, students
are usually ineligible for state aid for that year, according
to Shaffer.
"Rolling admissions give students greater flexibility,"
Shaffer argued. She cautioned, however, that classes fill early,
and the later a student applies, "the rougher time he'll
have picking out a schedule." But Shaffer pointed out that
many freshman-level courses remain open until classes begin.
Nevertheless, Shaffer urged students to apply as early as
possible. "We've been using different tactics to encourage
early student application," she said. "We've been doing
what we call 'on-site admissions.'" Starting in late April
or early May, postcards are sent to high schools informing them
that representatives of Indiana University will be coming to
review transcripts and admit eligible students on the spot.
"High school college counselors make on-site admissions
work by rounding up students they know haven't applied for admission,"
Shaffer explained. "Students who've been procrastinating,
or who didn't get into the school of their dreams, are also brought
into this program. We also try to influence early application
by placing most of our advertising late in the summer. That's
what our competition does also."
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Michigan State University, East
Lansing. Rolling admission applications to MSU are read and
processed beginning in early September, according to Glen Brough,
senior admissions counselor. "We generally provide applicants
with an answer within 10 to 12 weeks, no matter when an application
is received," Brough said. "We receive about 25,000
applications (annually) and target a class of around 6,800. We
fill up early. We think it's advantageous for a student to apply
as early as possible. Students with high levels of admission
criteria who apply late may be denied admission because we have
no space."
MSU's first-year class is typically filled by late January
or early February.
High school students usually start applications for financial
aid in January of their senior year, says Brough. "November
1st is our scholarship deadline and most people interpret that
as an application deadline. We see the overwhelming majority
of our applications on or about that time of year," he pointed
out.
Online applications to MSU are encouraged and a $5 discount
is given to online applicants. The standard fee for hard copy
applications is $35. Admission decisions, however, are sent via
regular mail.
The University of Texas, Austin.
Texas has a unique spin on its rolling admissions, noted Augustine
Garza, deputy director of admissions.
A Texas law requires that the top 10 percent of all Texas
high school students who apply be admitted automatically to The
University of Texas.
"Applications may start as early as October of a student's
senior year. For the other applicant pools-residents of Texas
who are not in the top 10 percent, out-of-staters, and international
students-after the top 10 percenters who've applied are admitted,
admission decisions go out on a first-come, first-served basis."
Turnaround time on decisions is usually a week or less, Garza
said.
"We don't have a trimester system," Garza noted.
"But we offer early applicants a chance to consider summer
matriculation. We offer this in an attempt to control our growing
student population."
The University of Montana, Missoula.
At Montana, qualified students are admitted on a rolling basis
until classes are filled, explained Jed Liston, director of admissions,
recruitment and marketing. "Turnaround time on decisions,
if we have all the necessary materials, is two weeks or less,"
Liston told CB. "Online applications are taken, but notification
is made via regular mail. If a student is acceptable, but we
have no more space, we tell them we'd consider them for next
semester."
Liston cautioned that students applying for financial aid
later than March 1st will have a more difficult time obtaining
assistance. "If they apply by March 1st, they're in good
shape. We process financial aid applications later than that
but it gets harder."
Classes are usually filled later in the summer, Liston reported.
"We have a $100 housing deposit and students may get a refund
up to July 15 if they decide to go to another institution. We
may change that to an earlier date.
Liston noted it is difficult for the institution and students
to have housing tied up. "For students who've applied, have
been admitted and decide to go elsewhere, we'd appreciate the
courtesy of their notifying us that they're not coming,"
she said.
The university does not require an admission deposit and fees
may be paid on registration.
"Rolling admissions is good for the students," Liston
explained. "If someone applies in November and is admittible,
they'll know within two weeks. If they apply to Harvard in November,
they may not know if they've been admitted until March. So students
know where they stand and are not waiting by the mail box biting
their fingernails."
The University of Oregon, Eugene.
Students may apply to the University of Oregon at any time and
are admitted on a rolling basis, first-come, first-served, according
to Kirk Koenig, associate director of admissions.
"Admission decisions are sent within six to eight weeks
to qualified students, depending on the processing load,"
he explained. "Online applications are accepted and notification
is made by mail. Weaker students are considered as a group in
March and decision letters are sent out first of April."
SUMMING UP
Rolling admissions gives students a jump-start advantage
in nailing down an early acceptance, securing financial aid and
giving them an edge on all other aspects of planning for college
life from obtaining housing to getting the class schedule they
want. Although a school offers rolling admissions, each may have
different application requirements, deadlines, submission and
processing rules.
Potential applicants, therefore, are strongly urged to check
specifics at the target institution. Applications are usually
non-binding, so if students get a better financial offer elsewhere,
they can take it. Weaker students also can learn early if they've
been admitted or rejected, and have enough time to pursue admission
at alternate institutions if necessary.
While rolling admissions has been popular for decades, particularly
as a safeguard near the end of this admission cycle, new levels
of competition are making it an attractive early alternative
as well.
"Over the past decade, lots of four-year institutions
in the public sector had become quite selective," said Nassirian,
at the AACRAO. "They are becoming, in some cases, almost
as selective as the most competitive private institutions."
So, looking at rolling admissions as an early strategy at these
institutions makes a lot of sense. And, in many cases, the earlier,
the better, for both admissions and financial aid.
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THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . .
College-It's Here!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Looking for
a new way to give advice to students about applying to college
for next fall? Here's Mary Ann Willis's top 10 tips for high
school seniors. This is what she tells them:
SENIORS:
Have a plan. Don't procrastinate. Look for the colleges
that are good matches for you that fit your academic needs and
social style. Keep in mind, your counselor has probably worked
with the college admissions process for a long time, and is ready
to help you. For your families, this could be the first time
for the college selection marathon. Regardless... it is your
first and only time to go through the process. Vow to work at
it. If you follow these tips, you may avoid application terror...
Remember:
10. No matter where you are going to apply, make sure you
visit the college. Too many students take the material in
the colleges marketing brochures as gospel. Don't forget, colleges
want you to apply and want you to attend. They are selling themselves
to you. All those pretty pictures and nice words are good if
and only if they are relevant to making a solid match between
you and the college. Would you buy a car without a test drive?
Would you look into all the details before purchasing a house?
A college education at many places costs more than a car and
some schools now top the $150,000 figure for purchase price for
four years. That is serious money in anyone's check book. So
visit the school and find a place where you'll be happy and come
out with the skills you'll need to get a job or go on to professional
or graduate school.
9. Time and procrastination are your worst enemies.
Select where you want to apply, then visit and do the paperwork.
Students limit their own options by putting off the paperwork.
Caveat . . . poor planning on your part does not necessarily
constitute an emergency on your counselor's part or on the part
of the college. It will hurt you, not them. Too many people do
the paperwork right to make exceptions for those who don't.
8. Parents should think about writing brag letters for
the advisor assisting you with the college admissions process.
Parents love having the opportunity to tell someone how wonderful
their child is and it is to the student's advantage to get them
to do this so your counselor can enhance their letters of recommendation
with information about you that they might otherwise miss.
7. You are responsible for writing your resume. Then,
make a copy and give it to your college counselor. Use forms
that are clear, concise and truly show breadth and depth of your
involvement for activities in and out of school. Follow your
advisor's guidelines. Longer is not better. Both your advisor
and the admissions committees at various colleges have very little
time to review your resume, so a clear presentation is essential.
And follow guidelines from a college.
6. College reps may visit your high school; make sure you
are there to meet them. Evening programs and college fairs
may be available to you. It is a big mistake not to take every
opportunity to get information at these events. You may learn
about new colleges or critical information about schools about
which you are already interested. They make it easier to make
college choices. The more information you have, the better armed
you are to make appropriate decisions for yourself.
5. Essays give students, counselors, parents and admissions
reps nightmares. This is not because they are that hard to
write or even take that much time. Yet, they are the hardest
thing to drag out of students! On Writing the College Application
Essay by Harry Bauld is a good guide to the process. This
book has some great advice and samples of what types of essays
work.
But the soundest advice of all is, simply to be yourself,
find your own voice, write about what is important to you. If
the essay you write puts you to sleep, what impact do you think
it will have on a rep who has been reading several hundred a
night? Essays should be conversational. Let the real you show
through all the paperwork.
4. Spend time with your college advisor. Talk to him
or her about your hopes and dreams, what is important to you.
This will help your counselor help you plot a course for college
selection. Don't think "I want to go to college x,"
think about what a college needs to have to be a good match for
you, and then go out and find colleges with those attributes.
3. Make sure that you have taken all the required tests.
Remember some places are formula schools. They require a certain
GPA and test score for a clear admit. Some are fine tooth comb
schools. They read all the lines of your application and everything
in between the lines! So give colleges what they need, or they'll
go on to the next application.
2. Ancient college counselor proverb: He who does not keep
copies of all materials runs the risk of huge problems. The
great blue mail box, admissions office student assistants, college
computers or admissions gremlins occasionally "eat"
parts of applications. You may get an urgent call for a back-up
copy. Be ready.
And one word of caution: Use your legal name on every
piece of paper you submit. If you send in part of the application
as A. B. Student, Jr., part as Another....Student, and part as
Another B. student, you could conceivably have three admissions
files following your application. Remember-college admissions
offices deal with tons of paper. Zapping applications is ill
advised unless those applications have been thoroughly checked.
Sub proverb: All applications should be done neatly
in blue or black ink-preferably black. Do not-repeat-do not change
ink colors on an application. Having the paperwork in tip top
shape is essential. You have very few ways to stand out amongst
the tons of paper that flow into each admissions office. A well-crafted
application can be a major distinguishing factor.
1. Get it done in and out of the classroom. Do the
paperwork, keeping up with your school work and extracurriculars.
Real work in and out of class makes a huge difference. The goal
is to have options in April. Impact players, people who have
made their school and activities better as a result of their
presence, will have the most options, if, and only if, they've
done all their research and homework about the process.
Blast off! If you've hunted for the schools that are good
matches for you, you'll succeed. Have a terrific and successful
year.
Mary Ann Willis is college counselor at Bayside Academy in
Daphne, Alabama, and a member of CB's Board of Directors.
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
U.S. News & World Report College Ranking
Rankle. OK. As usual, not everyone is happy. But the latest
rankings are out and available at your local newsstand. A sneak
preview on the top national U.'s, according to U.S. News:
1. Princeton University
2. Harvard University
3. Yale University
4. California Institute of Technology
4. Duke University
4. Stanford University
4. University of Pennsylvania
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
9. Dartmouth College
10. Columbia University
10. Northwestern University
(As you can see, there were some ties.)
2002 SAT Results. The good
news? Math scores are up. The bad news? Verbal scores are down.
The average math SAT scores for the 1.3 million students who
took the tests in 2002 rose 2 points to 516, the highest level
in 32 years. Female test-takers had a score of 500, a 35-year
high. Male test-takers remained higher, at 534.
The College Board, makers of the test, noted that: 44 percent
of female college-bound seniors reported taking pre-calculus,
up from 31 percent a decade ago.
Verbal scores declined by 2 points to an average of 504 for
the entire test-taking population; 507 for males, 502 for females.
"This year's scores confirm that the efforts that have
been made to improve math education in the United States are
paying off," said College Board President Gaston Caperton.
"It is time to put that same kind of concerted energy behind
ensuring that students reach their potential as skilled readers
and writers." The latest report can be found at: www.collegeboard.com
.
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Comings and Goings. Mount
Senario College in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, closed this year. It
was founded 40 years ago....The California College of Podiatric
Medicine is now the California School of Podiatric Medicine at
Samuel Merritt College, located in Oakland. It added podiatry
to its offerings in physical therapy, nursing, physician assistance
and occupational therapy.
Garrett Community College in McHenry, Maryland, is now Garrett
College. It has also revised its Honors Program and set up a
scholarship covering 50 percent tuition for every semester completed.
Students also receive individual attention from advisors and
assistance in transferring to honors programs at four-year colleges
and universities.
College on the Silver Screen.
If you saw the hit film this summer, "My Big, Fat Greek
Wedding," you may have wondered about Truman College where
the heroine goes to school. Well, Truman C. is Harry S Truman
College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. It enrolls nearly
33,000 students in both academic and traditional occupational
programs. It was built on the northeast side of Chicago in 1976.
Indeed, around the country, city universities are experiencing
an increase in enrollment. At the City University of New York,
which includes two- and four-year schools, enrollment increased
5 percent this fall to 207,181 students! New freshman enrollments
were up by 27,000 at the 11 senior colleges and six community
colleges.
P.S. Last month, CB reported
that Harvard University was considering a policy change to admit
students who had been accepted elsewhere in a binding early decision.
Update: Harvard has aligned itself with a new NACAC policy,
according to Maryln McGrath Lewis, director of admissions, which
states that if a student has no more than one early decision
application, he or she may apply to Harvard's non-binding early
action program. If the student is admitted to both schools, the
first early decision is the binding one. For more info see www.college.harvard.edu/admissions/early_
action.
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SCHOLARSHIPS SCOOPS
New Achievement Scholarship Program. Fifty-two
scholarship recipients, known as AXA Achievers, will be selected
to receive one-time scholarships of $10,000 each in a new program
announced this month sponsored by the AXA Foundation, and conducted
in association with U.S. News & World Report and managed
by Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America, Inc. One student
will be selected from each state, the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico. Ten AXA Achievers will be selected as national recipients
from the pool of 52, earning an additional one-time scholarship
of $15,000, a computer and the offer of an internship at an AXA
office.
The AXA Achievers are to vary by race, ethnicity, gender,
socio-economic level and geography, but have some distinct similarities.
These include: demonstrated achievement, ability to achieve in
a college environment, ambition, drive and dedication, commitment
to succeed and respect for self, family and community.
AXA Achievers may have achieved conventional feats in unconventional
ways. For example, they may have managed to improve attendance
and academic records while working to help their family financially.
Or, they may be the aspiring scientist who developed a program
for elementary age children to learn about basic chemistry.
Deadline: December 15, 2002. The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic
arm of AXA Financial, a financial services company. For information
and to apply see www.axa- achievement.com or call 1-800-537-4180.
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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.).
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