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Vol. 21 No. 2
October 2006
Graduation Rates
Endanger Next Generation
THAT'S THE CONCLUSION
of the latest report card on higher education, according to the
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, which
found that while the U.S. still is a leader in the number of
its 35- to 64-year-olds with college degrees, it has fallen to
seventh among developed nations for 25- to 34-year-olds with
college degrees. And current college graduation rates place the
U.S. in the lower half of all developed nations.
"The report card's findings challenge the notion that
the American higher education system is still the 'best in the
world,'" said James B. Hunt Jr., chair of the National Center's
board of directors and former governor of North Carolina. "In
such key areas as college access and completion, the U.S. has
made little or no progress, while other countries have made substantial
gains."
According to Patrick M. Callan, president of the National
Center, "The knowledge-based global economy has stimulated
an intense international competition for college-educated and
trained workers. Other nations have approached the need for higher
rates of college participation and completion with a real sense
of urgency we haven't yet seen in the U.S.
BABY BOOMERS
RETIRING
"As the baby boom generation, the best educated
Americans in history, approach retirement age, our country could
experience a drop-off in college trained workers just as the
rest of the world is gearing up to surpass us in higher education,"
Callan said.
The good news was that the report, called "Measuring
Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education,"
concluded, "Since the early 1990s, every state has continued
to improve on the extent to which young people are academically
prepared for college, although the level of improvement across
states is uneven."
Some 45 states have improved on more than half of the indicators
used in the study. For example, the states with the most improvement
of 8th graders scoring at or above "proficient" on
national math assessments were: Massachusetts, up from 23 to
43 percent; North Carolina, up from 12 to 32 percent; Ohio, up
from 18 to 33 percent; Delaware, up from 15 to 30 percent; and
South Carolina, up 15 to 30 percent.
Several states also made improvements on the number of 18-
to 24-year-olds enrolled in college since 2000. Rhode Island
increased from 31 to 41 percent; Connecticut improved from 34
to 42 percent; California increased from 32 to 40 percent; and
Kentucky improved from 24 to 32 percent.
WHERE ENROLLMENT
DECLINED
At the same time, the chance of 9th graders enrolling
in college anywhere within four years fell in several states.
In Hawaii, the number of students likely to attend college fell
from 44 to 32 percent; in Vermont, likely attendance went from
46 to 35 percent; in New York, from 45 to 37 percent; in Nebraska,
from 55 to 48 percent; in Illinois, from 49 to 42 percent and
in Oregon, from 40 to 33 percent.
"For most American families, college affordability has
continued to deteriorate," Governor Hunt added. "The
share of family income required to pay for a year of college
has continued to escalate for all but the wealthiest families.
And financial aid for qualified students who can't afford college
has not kept pace with tuition increases."
The report further disclosed that in 12 states, the proportion
of 18- to 24-year-olds from high-income families enrolled in
college is twice that of those from low-income families, and
in five states high-income students are three times more likely
to attend college.
"Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher
Education," with state stats, is at: http://measuringup.highereducation.org
THE FUTURE?
The Commission on the Future of Higher Education,
organized by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings,
released its report September 26 of a year-long study with recommendations
to improve the accessibility, affordability and accountability
in higher education. Among the findings:
- College access, particularly for low-income and minority
students, is limited by inadequate academic preparation, a lack
of information and persistent financial barriers;
- The current financial aid system is confusing, complex and
inefficient, and is therefore frequently unable to direct aid
to the students who need it most; and
- There is a shortage of clear, comprehensive and accessible
information about the colleges and universities themselves, including
comparative data about cost and performance.
The Commission made recommendations:
- Student academic preparation should be improved and financial
aid made available so that more students are able to access and
afford a quality higher education.
- The entire student financial aid system should be simplified,
restructured and provided with incentives to better manage costs
and measure performance.
- A "robust culture of accountability and transparency"
should be cultivated throughout the higher education system,
aided by new systems of data measurement and a publicly available
information database with comparable college information. There
should also be a greater focus on student learning and development
of a more outcome-focused accreditation system.
- Colleges and universities should embrace continuous innovation
and quality improvement.
- Federal investments should be targeted to areas critical
to America's global competitiveness, such as math, science and
foreign languages.
- A strategy for lifelong learning should be developed to increase
awareness and understanding of the importance of a college education
to every American's future.
For a copy of the report visit www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/pre-pub-report.pdf.
In response to the report, Secretary Spellings announced a
plan "to increase need-based aid, simplify the financial
aid process and hold costs in line." She also said, "the
U.S. Department of Education will work to simplify the process
of applying for federal student aid by cutting the application
time in half and notifying students of their aid eligibility
earlier than Spring of their senior year to help families plan."
For more details on her plan see http://www.ed.gov/news/.
YET ENROLLMENT
PROJECTED TO CONTINUE UPWARD
At the same time, projections are for college enrollment
to continue to rise through 2015, according to the new National
Center for Education Statistics report "Projections of Education
Statistics to 2015."
Enrollment for students ages 18-to-24 is projected to increase
by 13 percent; for students who are 35- and-older, by 7 percent.
Women are expected to increase their presence on campus by 18
percent, men by 10 percent by 2015.
The number of high school graduates between 1990-91 and 2002-2003
increased by 21 percent. Between 2002-03 and 2015-16, the number
of high school grads is projected to increase by 6 percent. However,
seven states have a projected increase of more than 15 percent,
including Arizona at 71 percent; Nevada at 67 percent; Florida
at 21 percent; Georgia at 20 percent; North Carolina at 18 percent;
New Jersey at 18 percent and Texas at 15 percent.
The number of full-time college students should increase by
18 percent; part-time students by 10 percent. Enrollment of black
students is expected to soar by 27 percent; for Hispanic students
by 42 percent; for Asian Americans by 28 percent and for white
students by 6 percent.
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THE GREENE REPORT
 Editors
Note: Each year, COLLEGE BOUND asks Howard and Matthew Greene,
authors, consultants and experts on the admissions process, to
describe what trends they see from inside their offices. Here
is their report for Fall 2006.
Admissions Process
Begins Earlier
"We want to 'start early.'" That seemed
to be the dictum followed by most students we met last year and
of the parents coming into our offices this fall. Most are now
well aware of the complexities and confusion surrounding college
admissions today. Even, and perhaps especially, for those families
not focusing on "Ivy level" institutions, pressure,
uncertainty and difficulty determining where a student fits and
how to get there seem to set in earlier than ever.
As we begin this fall with a full complement of college-bound
seniors, we realize that we have been working with most of them
for six to eighteen months already, and in some cases longer.
And as we look back over the past decade, we see a clear trend
toward earlier family initiation of the college exploration process.
This can prove to be a very healthy development. We have long
advocated the fostering of a college-bound culture in every high
school. The earlier freshmen know they have an expectation and
a chance to attend and pay for college, the likelier they will
be to do what it takes to get there: stay in school; take more
demanding college-prep courses; prepare for and take standardized
tests, including SAT Subject Tests as early as ninth and tenth
grade; research and visit a range of appropriate colleges and
universities; save for college and apply for financial aid. We
enjoy meeting with tenth and rising eleventh graders to talk
with them about what they do need to worry about-strong
courses and grades, preparing for the SAT, considering various
college models and so on-and what they don't need to worry
about yet-essays, interviews, prestige and knowing exactly what
they might major in. We hope such early meetings help families
to "de-stress," make a workable and productive long-term
plan and see the goalposts way down the line at the end of senior
year.
In reality, adopting a college-bound culture in high schools
and working with parents and students throughout their four years
should lead to a smoother, more successful and less stressful
college admissions process. This can be achieved by including
younger students and their parents in college seminar nights;
distributing college-oriented literature to all students, not
just juniors and seniors; and making sure every student knows
the four-year college admissions calendar and the procedures
at their own schools are essential elements of promoting a school-wide
college admissions effort.
Optional standardized testing is gaining
momentum
Each fall, several colleges and universities join the movement
to allow students to apply to selective institutions without
submitting scores from the SAT or ACT. Others have improvised
a variety of modified standardized testing requirements, asking
to see three scores, for example, from Advanced Placement, SAT
or SAT Subject Tests. This trend is wonderful news for the many
students whose standardized test scores clearly do not reflect
their abilities and likelihood of college achievement. Fairtest.org
maintains a growing list of test optional/flexible schools, but
counselors can really help students, especially those concerned
about low test scores relative to their curriculum, grades and
abilities, by pointing to several test-optional schools that
might match their interests and profile.
Examples of such recent adopters of test optional policies
include Providence College, Franklin and Marshall College, George
Mason University (for those with high grades and/or class rank),
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and, last year, Drew University
and College of the Holy Cross. Again, the message for students
is that standardized testing need not get in their way when they
are considering selective colleges and universities.
We see the growth in test optional programs as a positive
development on the college admissions landscape. We hope that
data will continue to be collected which will show the ability
of particularly small and middle-size colleges and universities
to successfully review students' applications without relying
on standardized tests. Many colleges, such as Muhlenberg, which
requires a graded paper and personal interview, and Lewis and
Clark, which has a "Portfolio Path" requiring four
different samples of recent creative, scientific, quantitative,
and/or analytical work, add other elements to the admissions
process in lieu of standardized tests. These less quantifiable
and more subjective elements allow students to present themselves
more personally, and admissions officers to go beyond the numbers
in evaluating the impact students will have on campus and their
odds of succeeding in a college program.
Students are more creative in how
they handle uncertainty
What does anyone do in the face of unpredictability? Try to reduce
the risk and uncertainty by getting some feedback. To that end,
we have been encouraging students, once they have shaped their
overall college list, to consider applying to one or several
colleges that fit their interests and which offer a Rolling Admission
or Early Action application plan. For the well-prepared student
(remember starting early?), such an application can produce an
acceptance in the fall without the added burden of having to
make an Early Decision commitment. ED, on the other hand, does
work for some students. But we always caution students about
the risks of making a binding commitment too early in their senior
year. EA and Rolling work though very well for most students.
These should not be aimless, cavalier applications, but rather
well thought out attempts to gain admission to schools that might
be realistic reaches, target range schools or back-ups. If a
student is admitted in the fall, this alleviates a lot of stress,
and can help the student to actually limit the overall number
of colleges to which he or she will apply through Regular Admission.
If deferred or rejected, the student can take that opportunity
to reassess the overall college list, adding competitive schools
to make sure it is appropriately balanced.
What about Harvard's dropping its Restrictive Early Action
plan for 2007? It is still too early to tell what ripple
effects the decision will have, but already some colleges have
followed suit. Princeton U. and the U. of Virginia, for example,
have already announced they will drop ED. But other colleges
such as Dartmouth, U. of Georgia, Brown, Carnegie Mellon and
Syracuse have announced they will keep their early admissions
program. We hope that some will move from Early Decision to Early
Action or Rolling Admission, and that others will drop their
early application programs altogether. This will certainly quell
not only concerns about accessibility for lower socio-economic,
underrepresented minority and first-generation applicants, but
also pressures on students to decide too early where they are
going to college, and how they can "game" the system
to their advantage.
Finally, another way students have been protecting themselves
is by taking both the SAT and ACT. A few years ago, most students
in the Northeast had never heard of the ACT. Now, many students
come to us asking when they should take each test. In fact, most
students do not need to take both sets of exams. But many students
do find it helpful to try a combination of the two. The ACT can
be submitted in place of both SAT and SAT Subject Tests at many
colleges, helping the student who is concerned about putting
together the two or three Subject Tests required by some schools.
Additionally, the ACT does seem to "work better"
for some students. They find its content, and the way it is organized,
easier for them. (This is despite the fact that students with
learning disabilities or other reasons for accommodations on
standardized tests seem to have a harder time securing those
accommodations on the ACT than the SAT.) But, students need to
see the difference in the two different testing programs, how
they compare and when to take them.
Matthew and Howard Greene of
Howard Greene and Associates, Westport, CT, can be reached at
www.greeneguides.com.
Both are CB advisors.
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FINANCIAL AID FLASH
Debt Influences Career Options. Some 23 percent
of all four-year public college graduates and 38 percent of private
college graduates will not be able to enter public service careers
such as teaching and social work because of the burdens of college
debt, according to a recent report from the State Public Interest
Research Group's Higher Education Project.
"Paying Back, Not Giving Back: Student Debt's Negative
Impact on Public Service Career Opportunities," recommends
that colleges and society address the problem with more need-based
grant aid, fairer repayment terms, better consumer information
on loans and by making colleges control costs that are driving
tuition increases.
529
Savings Plans. As a result of passage of the Pension Protection
Act of 2006 in Congress this summer, 529 college saving plans
are now assured of tax-free status into the future. The new provisions
do not have an expiration date. The provisions allow participants
in the state-sponsored programs to save up to $200,000 per child
and then use the money to pay for tuition, books, supplies, room
and board, plus computer equipment at accredited colleges or
universities.
Online
Aid. The 50 percent rule which prohibited federal financial
aid from going to students who studied part-time online was phased
out on July 1. That means more and more colleges will be marketing
their online courses to students across the U.S.
New
Help for Pell Recipients. Students who currently receive
Pell Grants may be eligible for two new supplemental grants recently
created by Congress, if they maintained a 3.0 grade-point average
in college and completed a rigorous high school curriculum. The
Academic Competitiveness Grant Program gives economically disadvantaged
college freshmen and sophomores between $750 and $1,300 in additional
aid.
The new Smart Grants will give up to $4,000 a year to eligible
Pell juniors and seniors. Students will not be automatically
notified about their eligibility, but will have to apply for
the supplemental grants.
Loan
Default Rates. The latest figures on the national student
loan default rate reveal a small increase, 5.1 percent, up from
last year's record-low rate of 4.5 percent and 77 percent lower
than the all-time high of 22.4 percent set 14 years ago. In addition
to releasing the national rate, the U. S. Dept. of Ed released
rates for individual schools, states, types of postsecondary
institutions and other sectors of the federal loan industry.
See, www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov
or call the Federal Student Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID
(1-800-433-3243).
Scholarship
Scoop. Fifty-two students, one from each state, plus the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, will receive one-time AXA
Achievement Scholarships of $10,000 each and 10 students will
be selected as national winners from the pool of 52, earning
an additional scholarship of $15,000, a laptop computer and the
offer of an AXA internship. Qualifications: demonstrated drive
and determination to succeed, the ability to thrive in a college
environment and respect for self, family and community. The scholarship
is administered by Scholarship America. Applications are available
now at www.axa-achievement.com.
Deadline: December 15.
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ENROLLMENT TRENDS
Enrollment Up at Binghamton U. Approximately 2,300
freshmen enrolled this year at Binghamton U. out of 22,748 freshman
applications, a 6 percent increase from last year. About 42 percent
of applicants were accepted. The entering class has an average
SAT nearing 1265. About 85 percent of the incoming Binghamton
students hail from New York State. Twenty eight percent of the
new students are from minority populations, with a combined incoming
black and Latino student population of about 15 percent.
Indiana
U. A record 7,259 freshmen arrived on the Bloomington campus
this fall, with 100 put up in redesigned student lounges. These
freshmen posted the highest SAT averages in the school's history,
1121, up 10 points over last year. Some 123 of the newcomers
were class valedictorians, 63 were National Merit Scholars. "We
saw an extraordinary increase in the number of applications this
year," said Michael A. McRobbie, an Indiana vice president.
Overall enrollment in Bloomington reached 38,247.
Princeton
U. recruited the "most diverse" class in its history.
A total of 456 freshmen, or 37 percent of the class of 1,231,
come from minority backgrounds. Another 10 percent of the class,
or 128 newcomers, are international students. Additionally, 55
percent of the class, or 682 freshmen, are receiving financial
aid under the university's "groundbreaking no loan"
program. Princeton attracted a record number 17,564 applications,
up 6 percent.
U.
of Arizona. This fall, 6,009 freshmen enrolled at the U.
of Arizona. Sixty-two percent of the freshmen are Arizona residents.
The "ethnic diversity" of incoming freshmen rose from
27 percent to 31 percent this fall. According to officials there,
there was a "drastic jump in Hispanic students." The
average SAT score for incoming freshmen was 1106 and the average
grade point average is 3.36. At the UA Honors College, the average
SAT score exceeded 1300 and 29 percent are minorities, up from
21 percent last year.
U.
at Buffalo. About 3,334 freshmen enrolled this fall, 84 more
than were projected last winter. Freshmen had an average 3.3
high school GPA. They make up part of the 27,836 student body,
including 18,515 undergraduates. The mean SAT score was 1178,
down seven points from last year. About 35 percent of test takers
took it only once, versus 25 percent who took the SAT once last
year.
U.
of California at Davis. This fall the UC Davis welcomed its
largest freshmen class in its history. The 5,500 freshman class,
on a campus of 30,550, is larger by 25 percent over last year.
U.
of Chicago. The Class of 2010 is the most diverse in this
college's history, according to the U. of Chicago Chronicle.
The freshman class of 1,260 includes 81 African-American students,
98 Latino and 123 international students. Applications were up
6 percent as well. SAT scores: 27 percent of the students scored
1500 or higher, 32 percent between 1400 and 1490 and 26 percent
between 1300 and 1390. On the ACT, 64 percent scored between
30 and 36.
U.
of Delaware. Some 3,536 students accepted an offer of admission
at U. of Delaware this fall, more than the school expected. So
196 dorm rooms were converted from doubles to triples. Those
students get a 25 percent housing discount. The new UD students
are the best-prepared as well, with SAT scores up by 16 points
over last year's class. About 14 percent of the class arrived
with 4.0 high school grade-point-averages. And 78 percent of
the class participated in high school athletics, while 63 percent
performed community service. Only about one third of the class
hails from Delaware, and 15 percent are minority students.
U.
of Texas. In what the university said was a "planned
increase," 509 more first-time freshmen students enrolled
this fall than last year, totaling 7,421 freshmen students. About
71 percent were admitted under the state's "Top 10 Percent
Law," up from 69 percent a year ago. The ethnic count for
freshmen was 54.3 percent white, .5 percent American Indian,
5.2 percent African American, 17.9 percent Asian American, 18.7
percent Hispanic and 3.4 percent foreign. Overall, Hispanic and
African American students enrolled at the U. of Texas in record
numbers, according to university officials.
P.S.
U. of Illinois. On the campus where the first Internet
crawler was developed, plans are being laid to enroll as many
as 10,000 students for online B.A. and M.A. degrees, plus certificate
programs.
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LAST WORD
With the growing number of reports and "alternative"
college guides, encouraging students to find a good "match,"
Washington Monthly published its second "Annual College
Guide" in September.
Criticizing the arbitrary academic rankings of the U.S.
News and World Report, Washington Monthly used three new
categories to judge America's colleges: How well they perform
as an engine of social mobility, foster scientific and humanistic
research and promote an ethic of service."
The editors argue that these categories provide families and
taxpayers with "reasonable indicators of how much a school
is benefiting the country."
Not surprisingly, its list of top schools differs from other
popular publications. Its top three: MIT; U. of California, Berkley
and Penn State U., ranked seventh, twentieth and forty-eighth,
respectively, in the U.S. News and World Report.
Also included in the guide are sub-categories such as "Top
5 Social Mobility Universities" and "Top 5 Service
Universities."
Washington Monthly contends that if colleges catered
to its rankings, schools would be tripping over themselves to
enroll low-income students, promote volunteerism and research
for the greater good. The guide is available at newsstands for
$4.50 or see www.washingtonmonthly.com.
While parents are pouring over U.S. News and World Report
and The Princeton Review, students are getting their college
knowledge from magazines such as Justine, which published
the articles "College 101" and "New School Year,
New You" in its August/September issue. With hints on how
to make friends, avoid "the Freshman 15" and balance
expenses, this guide explores the everyday worries of a college
student. The advice: "try new things" and take advantage
of the fact that "everyone is incredibly open to making
new friends, because everyone is new."
And speaking of college knowledge, College Knowledge: Things
to Know Before You Go offers incoming freshmen quick tips
on what they should expect during the first year. The guide offers
concise, sound advice and amusing pictures with headings such
as "Sardines in a Can: Or Welcome to Dorm Life" and
"Money MattersThe Best Things in Life Are Free, but Everything
Else Costs a Fortune!"
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COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig
Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally
Reed; Illustration: Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors:
David Breeden, Edina High School, Minnesota; Claire
D. Friedlander, Bedford (N.Y.) Central School District; Howard
Greene and Matthew Greene, authors, The Greenes'
Guides to Educational Planning Series; Frank C. Leana,
Ph.D., educational counselor; M. Fredric Volkmann,
Washington University in St. Louis; Mary Ann Willis, Bayside
Academy (Daphne, Ala.). Contributor: Emma Schwartz
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In This Issue
Feature Articles
Graduation Rates
Endanger Next
Generation
THE GREENE
REPORT
FINANCIAL AID FLASH
-Debt
Influences Career
Options
-529 Savings
Plans
-Online
Aid
-New Help
For Pell Recipients
-Loan Default
Rates
-Scholarship
Scoop
ENROLLMENT TRENDS
-Enrollment
Up at
Binghamton U.
-Indiana
U.
-Princeton
U.
-U. of Arizona
-U. of Buffalo
-U. of California
at Davis
-U. of Chicago
-U. of Delaware
-U. of Texas
-P.S. U.
of Illinois
LAST WORD
-College
Guides...
P.S. To renew your subscription go to
Renew
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