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Vol. 22 No. 8
April 2008
Admissions Watch
Applications Increase Once Again
SELECTIVE UNIVERSITIES
across the nation are reporting record numbers of applications
again this year. Harvard C., for example, received 19 percent
more applications for this year than last; applications at the
U. of Chicago rose by 20 percent; at Amherst C. they rose by
17 percent; Dartmouth's applications increased by 10 percent;
applications at Princeton U. are up by 6 percent; and at the
U. of Virginia, the number of applications rose by 4 percent.
Meanwhile, the U. of Denver set an undergraduate application
record this year with a 33 percent increase to more than 8,200
apps. One reason for the increase at UD, according to vice chancellor
of enrollment, Tom Willoughby, is UD's Cherrington Global Scholars
program, which allows students to study abroad at no additional
charge above their normal tuition. He also noted the university's
10 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Here is a roundup of what other colleges are reporting this
spring.
California Cuts. The California State U. system cut
off applications on February 1 in anticipation of up to $386
million cuts following Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget
proposal. That means there may be room for 10,000 fewer students,
according to the San Jose Mercury News. Some CSU campuses
had previously accepted applications until August. But stay tuned
The situation is fluid.
Cal Poly Slashes Enrollment. Admission to Cal Poly
just got more competitive as the college announced it expected
to enroll 1,131 fewer students next fall because of shortfalls
from the state coffers. Some 37,793 students applied for admissions,
compared to 33,355 for fall 2007. Engineering had 7,791 students
apply, a 14 percent increase. "We had 400 engineering applicants-each
with a perfect 4.0 (grade-point average) apply for admission
this fall," said James Maraviglia.
Canisius Also Halts Apps Early. Canisius C. in New
York cut off applications on April 1, about a month earlier than
last year, because of what Ann Marie Moscovic, director of admissions,
called a high number of talented applicants. By mid-March, Canisius
had received 3,600 applicants and admitted 2,700.
Chicago Up. The U. of Chicago received a record 12,368
applications for the 2008-09 school year, a 20 percent increase.
Early Action applications were up by 45 percent to 4,429 students.
About 1,270 students will enroll in the fall.
Cincinnati Expands. Last year, the U. of Cincinnati
cut off applications in June for its first-year class of 4,150
students. This year, with a record number of applicants received
by February, the school chose to expand its freshman class by
300 students instead of cutting off applications early. UC's
total student body is expected to reach 38,000 this fall.
Out-of-State Surge in New Jersey. The C. of New Jersey
received more than 1,000 applications from out-of-state students,
a 26 percent increase. In all, the college received 9,700 apps,
a 20 percent increase. One reason may be because of a newly organized
scholarship program. "The scholarship program is more formalized
than last year," said Robert Buonocore, director of admissions
operations and technology, in The Signal at TCNJ.
Colorado Calling. The U. of Colorado-Boulder saw a
16 percent increase in freshmen applications to 23,238, up by
3,342 students. "We've had a record number of students of
color apply this year," Kevin MacLennan, director of admissions,
told the Colorado Daily.
Duke Most Selective. A total of 4,286 applicants were
accepted at Duke U. this spring, 472 under early decision and
3,814 in the regular decision process. This is a record-low acceptance
rate of 18.8 percent. Duke received 20,337 applications. Dean
of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag told Duke's
Chronicle he expected 50-75 students off the wait list in
May.
Flutie Effect. When applications jumped 30 percent
at Boston C. after Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Doug Flutie
threw a last-second, 64-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown
pass to win the 1984 Cotton Bowl, the phenomena was called "The
Flutie Effect." For years, admissions officers have wondered
if they benefited whenever their home team won big games.
Now, researchers at Pennsylvania's Wharton School and Virginia
Tech have quantified the benefits of having a winning team. Their
paper in the forthcoming Southern Economic Journal found
that colleges that just make the 64-team field in the annual
men's NCAA men's college basketball tournament see an average
1 percent jump in applications the following year.
Teams that win their way to the "Sweet 16" experience
a 3 percent boost, while the national basketball champion registers
a 7 to 8 percent increase. In football, schools that finish their
season ranked in the top 20 record a 2.5 percent application
gain, while the national football champion registers a 7 to 8
percent jump. Thanks, Doug Flutie.
Harvard Shatters Record. Sure, Harvard got rid of early
admissions this year. That didn't deter more than 27,000 students
from applying in the regular cycle, shattering Harvard's old
record of 22,955 applications set last year. "There is no
way to determine with complete accuracy why applicant pools vary
from year to year," said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of
admissions and financial aid.
Harvard was in the forefront in revamping its financial aid,
with a zero-to-10-percent-of-income standard for families earning
$180,000 and below. Women accounted for slightly more than 50
percent of applicants this year, and a record number came from
minority students.
International Apps Up. With the fading value of the
dollar, the U.S. is again becoming a popular study destination.
The number of applications from international students to the
U. of Washington, for example, leaped by 40 percent this year,
according to the Seattle Times. China had the most applicants,
up tenfold over three years ago at some colleges.
Foreign applications are up by 32 percent at Washington State
U. At the 10-campus U. of California system, they rose by 25
percent this year and are up 50 percent over the past two years.
At MIT, the number of international applicants rose by 12 percent
to 3,100. However, only 83 will be admitted.
Altogether, the U. of Washington attracted almost 20,000 foreign
and domestic applications, up 12 percent this year, for just
5,500 slots. UW limits the number of out-of-state and international
students to 20 percent of its freshman class. At Seattle U.,
foreign applications climbed by 16 percent to 304.
Katrina's Wake. Students still want to go to New Orleans
to help with the recovery. That's according to the New Orleans
Times-Picayune which reported applications are up 24 percent
at Loyola, 28 percent at Xavier, 43 percent at Our Lady of Holy
Cross C., 85 percent at the U. of New Orleans and nearly 100
percent at Tulane U. (where they had to stop the process after
being inundated with 34,000 applications.) The rising number
of interested students demonstrates that New Orleans colleges
"are coming back pretty strongly," said the state's
commissioner of higher education, Joe Savoie.
And enrollment at Louisiana community colleges increased by
nearly 12 percent this spring to 51,788 students, according to
Community College Times.
MIT Class of 2012. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
received 13,396 applicants for the class of 2012 and admitted
a record low 11.6 percent of them, or 1,554 students. About 700
students were wait listed, according to Stuart Schmill, interim
director of admissions, 100 more than last year, in part, because
the "broad changes in financial aid programs across the
country may have an effect on yield."
MIT has also eliminated tuition costs for students from families
earning under $75,000. MIT reported a 22 percent increase in
"academic star applicants" and a 62 percent increase
in "non-academic star applicants." About 48 percent
of admitted applicants are women. Schmill said that this is a
"really, really talented class," and that even some
who were not admitted "were off the charts."
SUNY Says "Don't Count on it." According
to an analysis by the Times Union in Albany, the SUNY
campuses have become increasingly competitive in the last decade
with a decline in acceptance rates at several four-year colleges.
Binghamton and Geneseo have been the most competitive. The acceptance
rate on these campuses is 39 and 37 respectively. But now New
Platz dropped its acceptance rate to 37 percent last year, down
from 50 percent in 1999. Cortland has an acceptance rate of 45
percent, down from 64 percent. Stony Brook is 43 percent, down
from 58. And Oneonta accepts 39 percent of applicants down from
65 percent in 1999.
"People do not take for granted that these are schools
they can get into anymore," Lynell Engelmyer, an independent
college counselor in Niskayuna told the paper.
U. of Georgia Wait List Larger. As an indication of
what the economic pressures may mean for colleges as they predict
the size of their incoming class, the U. of Georgia wait listed
1,000 students for its upcoming fall freshman class. The University
said it fell 100 students short of its target last year. "We
want to go as deeply as we can to get the right number,"
Nancy McDuff, associate vice president, said in The Red and
Black.
Top Texans. The U. of Texas at Austin reserved a record
81 percent of its admission offers this year to Texas students
covered under the state's top 10 percent law. According to the
Houston Chronicle, that is a 10 percent jump over last
year. Texas students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their
high school class are guaranteed admission to the state university
of their choice.
The university has complained that the law restricts its ability
to create a well-rounded freshman class. "Only about one
in four students admitted under the top 10 percent law is African
American or Hispanic, so there's a natural limit if we don't
have discretion in who we can go after," said president
William Powers. Last fall, UT-Austin enrolled 37,000 undergraduates.
Of those, 6,700 were Hispanic and 1,700 were black.
Wait Lists Safeguard in "Murky" Season. That's
how the March 27 Boston Globe described the fact that
more students are ending up on wait lists this spring at selective
colleges and universities. It noted colleges are having difficulty
predicting yields this year because of "a shaky economy,
record numbers of applications and sweeping financial aid expansions."
The Globe noted Dartmouth wait listed 1,500 students,
up 15 percent, reflecting the rise in applications. Northeastern
U. wait listed 1,400 students, a 17 percent increase. Worcester
Polytechnic Institute planned to wait list 800 students and allow
students to enroll next spring.
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The Credit Crunch
Warning Flare. The National Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities reports "A significant number
of private colleges and universities report reductions in student
loan availability and borrower benefits," according to the
results of a survey released at the end of March.
While "there is little evidence of the credit crunch
limiting access to student loans at the specific time of the
survey, the data collected serves as a warning flare," said
NAICU President David L. Warren.
Some 315 institutions responded to the NAICU survey, or 33
percent of NAICU members. Of these, 176 reported receiving information
from "preferred" lenders and said 46 percent of one
or more lenders is tightening credit requirements for non-federal
"private label loans;" 43 percent said one or more
of their lenders are no longer providing these loans, 30 percent
said one or more are reducing or eliminating borrower benefits
and 20 percent said they are increasing interest rates.
Additionally, 48 percent of 228 institutions said they had
no plan in place to respond to a shortage in private-label loans.
For more info see www.naicu.edu/studentloansurvey.
Private Student Loan Crisis? Look for higher student
loan interest rates, higher origination fees and tighter money
for student loans from private lenders, several experts told
the Congressional House Education and Labor Committee on March
14. Their testimonies confirmed that the liquidity crisis is
making its way deep into the private student loan market and
college financial aid officers fear that if the credit crunch
gets worse, there won't be enough money to meet the demand of
all students this fall.
Representative Mark Souder, of Indiana, also wondered when
colleges and universities will respond to market forces and do
their part in the student cost crisis by reducing tuition.
Shift to Federal Student Loans? Meanwhile, a growing
number of colleges report they are moving to federal student
loans. Mercyhurst C., for example, announced beginning with the
2008-09 academic year, it will participate in the William D.
Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, "which will enable its
students to apply for federal student loans from a single source:
the federal government."
"We are seeing a lot of turmoil in the credit markets,
and many families are concerned about their financial situation,"
said Michael Lyden, vice president. In its announcement, Mercyhurst
noted more than 30 educational loan lenders have exited or suspended
their participation in all or part of the Family Federal Educational
Loan Program.
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THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
Tracking Trends
WHO'S NEW
AT COLLEGE?
According to "The American Freshman: National
Norms For Fall 2007," published recently by the U. of California
at Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute, college quality
and affordability were among the top concerns of new freshmen
at four-year colleges across the country. In fact, 63 percent
rated academic reputation as very important, up 5.6 percent over
2006. And 39 percent said that financial aid was very important
in their choice of a college. Also, 52 percent said job placement
of graduates was a key issue in their college selection.
Meanwhile, nearly 81 percent of freshmen were admitted to
their first-choice college, and 64 percent enrolled in those
schools. And nearly 25 percent were attending their second choice
school. White students accounted for 75 percent of these new
freshmen; black students 11 percent; Asian-American students
8 percent; Mexican-American 4 percent; Puerto Rican a little
over 1 percent; other Latino students 4 percent and Native Americans
2 percent.
Religious Backgrounds. Last fall, Roman Catholic students
made up 27 percent of the first-year class, followed by 11 percent
Baptists; 5 percent Methodists; 4 percent Lutheran; 4 percent
Church of Christ; 3 percent Presbyterian; 3 percent Jewish; 2
percent Episcopalian; 1 percent Buddhist; 1 percent Mormon; .9
percent Hindu and .8 percent Islamic, among others.
Parent Education. The education level of students'
parents is also of interest: 3 percent of father's had grammar
school or less; 5 percent of fathers had some high school; 21
percent of fathers are high school graduates; 4 percent of fathers
had postsecondary school other than college; 14 percent of fathers
had some college; 30 percent of fathers have a college degree;
2 percent of fathers had some graduate school; and 23 percent
of fathers have a graduate degree.
Family Income. Finally, 3 percent of parents earned
less than $10,000; 3 percent earned between $10,000 and $14,999;
2 percent earned between $15,000 and $19,999; 3 percent earned
$20,000 to $24,999; three percent $25,000 to $29,999; 6 percent
earned between $30,000 and $39,999; 7 percent earned between
$40,000 and $49,999; 9 percent earned between $50,000 and $59,999;
11 percent earned between $60,000 and $74,999; 14 percent earned
between $75,000 and $99,999; 18 percent earned between $100,000
and $149,999; 8 percent earned between $150,000 and $199,999;
4 percent earned between $200,000 and $249,999; and 7 percent
of parents earned $250,000 or more.
MINORITY AFFAIRS
Enrollments Grow/Minorities Gain. Between 1995-96
and 2006-07, higher education enrollments increased by 19 percent
or 2.2 million students, according to the U.S. Government Accountability
Office (GAO). Community colleges enroll 46 percent of all students.
Nearly 60 percent of all Hispanic students enroll in community
colleges. And some 50 percent of black students attend community
colleges. At these two-year colleges, tuition rose by 20 percent
over the past decade to $2,510. At four-year baccalaureate and
master's schools, tuition rose by 47 percent from $1,512 to $4,730.
More Minorities Go to College, But Many Don't Graduate.
That's the word from the U. of California, Davis, where researchers
concluded that, "even though the number of black and Hispanic
students entering college has increased dramatically over the
last 30 years, students from these groups still lag well behind
white students in earning college degrees." The findings
were presented at the annual American Educational Research Association
meeting in NYC at the end of March. While the percentage of black
and Hispanic high school graduates entering college rose to nearly
70 percent by 1992, by 2004, the percentages of students who
completed their bachelor's degrees was 33 percent for blacks
and 34 percent for Hispanics. The researchers cited a number
of factors including the financial assistance students needed
to complete their degrees.
DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT
High School Grad Numbers Crest. The surge in the number of
high school graduates, and hence college-bound students, has
crested, according to demographers. From 1992 to 2004, the number
of high school grads rose by 24 percent, thus intensifying the
competition for admission to competitive colleges and universities.
But from 2004 to 2017, the projected increase in high school
graduates is expected to slow to about 5 percent.
In fact, there is a projected national decline of about 10
percent among non-Hispanic white students. At the same time,
expect a double-digit rise in the proportion of minority students,
especially Hispanic students. Enrollment of minority students
is expected to increase from about 30 percent in 2004 to 37 percent
in 2015.
However, there are regional differences, and according to
a Moody's Investors Service report, "2008 U.S. Higher Education
Outlook," the Southeast and Southwest will see the greatest
growth. Moody's warned that colleges and universities in other
regions are not adequately planning for possible declines in
the number of students they will attract.
Many colleges are beginning to adjust their recruiting strategies
to target where the students will be, according to a March 10
Washington Post article. Others are rethinking how they
will market themselves in a tighter, more competitive market.
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FINANCIAL AID FLASH
The details differ from school to school, but the message
is the same. Colleges continue to redefine their financial aid
packages this spring to eliminate the number of loans and reduce
student debt.
Brown U. Expands Aid. A new financial aid policy at
Brown will eliminate loans for students from families with incomes
less than $100,000, beginning fall 2008. Parents who earn less
than $60,00 will not be expected to make financial contributions.
Currently, about 40 percent of Brown's undergraduates receive
financial aid.
Carleton's
Access Scholarship. Carleton C. in Minnesota will reduce
or eliminate student loans for its neediest students. Carleton's
Access Scholarship program will award additional $4,000 grants
to students from families earning less than $40,000. It will
provide $3,000 to students whose families earn between $40,000
and $60,000, and $2,000 scholarships to students whose families
earn between $60,000 and $75,000.
Claremont
McKenna C.'s No-Loan Policy. All current students, as well
as new students, will also benefit from a new financial aid policy
at Claremont McKenna C. For example, a typical aid package might
have included a $25,000 grant, $3,500 loan and $1,700 campus
job to total $30,200. In the fall, the campus employment contribution
would remain, but the loan would be replaced by grant money.
Lafayette
C. Strengthens Aid. Students from families with less than
$50,000 income will be awarded grants and a modest work-study
award in place of loans at Lafayette, beginning fall 2008. Beginning
in 2009-10, Lafayette will limit loans to $2,500 per year for
families whose incomes are between $50,000 and $100,000.
Lehigh
Increases Aid. Lehigh U. in Pennsylvania will eliminate student
loans for current and future students from families earning $50,000
and less. Students from families in the $50,000 to $75,000 bracket
will have to borrow no more than $3,000 a year. Half of Lehigh's
4,657 students receive financial aid, and one quarter will be
affected by the new policy. Tuition, room, board, fees and expenses
at Lehigh will increase to $47,320 this fall.
MIT's
New Aid Package. Starting this year, The Massachusetts Institute
of Technology will cover all tuition costs for students from
families earning below $75,000. Currently, that means 30 percent
of its students will qualify for full coverage. For students
from families earning less than $100,000, MIT will eliminate
home equity in determining their need. On average, this will
reduce parental contributions by $1,600. To fulfill these commitments,
MIT will increase its financial aid budget to $74 million.
Tufts
U. Focuses on Lower-Income Students. Starting with the class
of 2011, Tufts U. is replacing loans with grants for all undergraduates
whose family income is below $40,000. This includes students
who enrolled in September 2007. Tufts said more than 7 percent
of enrolling students qualified for the loan replacement.
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
Cambridge Drops Language Requirement. Prestigious
Cambridge U. in England is dropping its foreign language requirement
for admission. Because so few students have an opportunity to
study a foreign language, the requirement has become an impediment
to recruiting the best students. Since 2004, English students
above the age of 14 have no longer been required to study a foreign
language. However, beginning in 2010, every English primary school
pupil will learn a foreign tongue.
Dr. Geoff Parks, director of admissions, Cambridge Colleges,
told the BBC News, "This change would remove something which
has, unfortunately, become a significant barrier impeding access
to Cambridge. We would still encourage all young people to learn
a foreign language, and highlight the fact that students at Cambridge
are able to study no fewer than 140 different languages."
AP
Success Rate Rises. More public school students are taking
and passing more Advanced Placement exams, according to the College
Board. Students who study in the 37 college-level subject areas
and score a 3 on a 5 scale often receive college credit at many
colleges and universities. Over the past five years, the number
of students taking these tests has risen steadily and so has
the percentage of students who score 3 or higher.
More than 15 percent of the nation's 2.8 million public high
school graduates scored 3 or higher on at least one of the AP
tests. In 2002, that number was close to 12 percent. However,
the College Board report said black students are still far less
likely than white students to take or pass the test. Only 7 percent
of black public high school graduates took the test, and only
3 percent passed at least one of them. Some 15 percent of Hispanic
public high school graduates took the test, and 14 percent passed
at least one.
More
on Common Applications. Some 339 colleges now use the Common
Application, including 23 new ones: Canisius C. (NY), Culver-Stockton
C. (MO), Curry C. (MA), Hamline U. (MN), Hood C. (MD), Illinois
C., Immaculata U. (PA), Lees-McRae C. (NC), Loyola Marymount
U. (CA), Lycoming C. (PA), Lynn U. (FL), St. Edwards U. (TX),
SUNY, C. of Oneonta (NY), Stony Brook U. (NY), SUNY Cortland
(NY), SUNY Fredonia (NY), SUNY New Paltz (NY), U. of Chicago,
U. of Massachusetts Boston, U. of Maine at Machias, U. of Notre
Dame (IN), U. of Virginia and Wentworth Institute of Technology
(MA).
Top
25 Colleges for Hispanics. Hispanic magazine has published
this year's list of its pick of top colleges for Hispanics. Here's
the top 26: Princeton U., Harvard C., Amherst C., Yale U., Swarthmore
C., Stanford U., MIT, Pomona C., Columbia C., U. of Chicago,
Brown U., Rice U., U. of Notre Dame, U. of California, Berkeley,
Georgetown U., U. of California, Los Angeles, U. of Southern
California, New York U., U. of California, San Diego, U. of Texas,
Austin, U. of California, Santa Barbara, U. of California, Irvine,
U. of Florida, U. of Miami, Rutgers U., New Brunswick, and Texas
A&M. To find out why, and 16 others on the "Honor Roll,"
see the March 2008 Hispanic.
P.S.
Latest entry to CB's Survey. The size of the freshman class
at the U. of Michigan Ann Arbor was larger in 2007 than in 2006,
5,992 students. U of M received more applications, 27,474. It
accepted 13,826 students. They admitted fewer minority students
in 2007. Nearly 6 percent of enrolled freshmen were African American,
5 percent Hispanic, 15 percent Asian American and less than 1
percent were Native American. Its yield was 43 percent, lower
than in 2006. It admitted fewer international students in 2007
with the majority of students coming from Singapore, Korea, India,
Hong Kong and China. The average GPA of all applicants was 3.8,
the combined SAT 2050 and ACT 29.
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COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig
Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally
Reed; Assistant Editor: Emma Schwartz; Illustration:
Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors: Lisa Burnham,
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.).
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In This Issue
Feature Articles
Applications Increase Once Again
The Credit
Crunch
THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
Tracking
Trends
FINANCIAL AID FLASH
-Brown
U. Expands Aid
-Carleton's
Access Scholarship
-Claremont
McKenna C.'s
No-Loan Policy
-Lafayette
C.Strengthens Aid
-Lehigh
Increases Aid
-MIT's New
Aid Package
-Tufts U.Focuses
on
Lower-Income Students
NEWS YOU CAN USE
-Cambridge
Drops Language Requirement
-AP Success
Rate Rises
-More on
Common Applications
-Top 25
Colleges for Hispanics
-P.S. Latest
entry to CB's Survey
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