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Vol. 23 No. 4
December 2008
Public U.'s Brace
for Application Surge
"IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME
since paying for college seemed like a reasonable task for most
families," a recent article in The Hartford Courant
in Connecticut proclaimed. "But this year, as college savings
accounts slump, tight credit markets stoke fears about home equity
and private student loans, and workers feel increasingly insecure
in their jobs, many families with high school seniors are rethinking
their approach to the college search."
Exactly. And as a result, many college-bound students are
taking a second look at state supported colleges and universities.
In fact, according to the Courant, applications to state
schools are way up this season. For example, the Courant
reported that by mid-November, applications were up 46 percent
at Eastern Connecticut State U., up 21 percent at Western Connecticut
State U. and up 31 percent at Central Connecticut State U. Applications
had doubled at Southern Connecticut State U. and they were up
11 percent at the flagship U. of Connecticut.
At the same time, private college endowments have been damaged
by stock market plunges, and that could affect scholarships this
year. For example, Trinity C. in Connecticut lost nearly 15 percent
of its endowment in the falling market. And according to the
Washington Post, Washington and Lee U. in Virginia had
6 percent of its operating budget in a fund that went under,
creating liquidity problems.
FINANCIAL
SAFETY NETS
"What we're seeing are a great number of institutions
who are tightening their belts, cutting back where they can in
order to maintain, and where possible, increase their financial
aid," Tony Pals, a spokesman for the National Association
of Independent Colleges and Universities, told the Courant.
But he also tried to be reassuring. "It's the financial
aid portion of the budget that will be the last touched by an
institution."
In fact, the Post said schools such as Shenandoah U.
in Virginia have set aside emergency funds to help students who
have been hard hit, including those with family suddenly out
of work or who did not receive the expected home equity loans.
George Washington U. is preparing for an increase in requests
for financial aid by setting aside several million more dollars
to help hard-pressed students. And the U. of Virginia is bracing
for a significant increase next year in its costs for need-based
aid.
To help plan for the new challenge, many high school counselors
are urging students to include "financial safety net"
schools, or institutions families can afford if financial aid
doesn't come through at first choice schools, among their applications.
PUBLIC U.'S
TO RESCUE?
"The current economic situation will press a
lot of families in their ability to pay for college," Joyce
Smith, CEO of the National Association for College Admission
Counseling (NACAC), recently told the Daily Northwestern.
"We will probably see more applications go toward public
colleges and universities." Some call it the "flight
to price."
And The New York Times reported that applications to
the top school in the SUNY system, Binghamton, had received 50
percent more applications than at the same time last year.
Recruiters for public colleges in Massachusetts report uncommonly
high turnouts at college fairs and campus open houses, according
to the MIT student newspaper The Tech. "This year
is going to be all about economics," Tom Parker, dean of
admission and financial aid at Amherst C., told the paper.
But the rush to state colleges and universities may be blunted
by new pressures on the colleges themselves to cut back their
budgets as state support weakens. "As families suffer through
the meltdown, so are the schools," Stephen Michaud, a college
consultant in Norwell, Massachusetts, told The Tech. "It
is definitely going to have an impact on what schools can provide
in financial aid."
CALIFORNIA'S
CRUNCH
In addition, many of these public colleges and universities
already posted record enrollment figures this school year and
have little space to grow next year. Chico State U. in California,
for example, halted new applications after November 30, far earlier
than normal, due to deep budget cuts in the California State
U. System. The California system has already cut $31 million.
And Governor Schwarzenegger has called for $2.5 billion in mid-year
cuts to all education budgets. In response, CSU recently announced
it may need to cut enrollment by up to 10,000 students on 23
campuses. Out-of-state students will be impacted. This while
applications for fall 2009 are up by almost 20 percent from this
time last year.
City College of San Francisco will cut summer classes by 25
percent. Statewide, California community colleges may have to
eliminate classes for 263,000 students, according to the Community
College League of California.
COMMUNITY
COLLEGE APPS UP
Students are already flocking to community colleges
this fall. For instance, the Community College of Allegheny County
in Pennsylvania outpaced expectations by 30 percent. Nationally,
community college enrollment has increased by 10 percent from
2000 to 2006. This year in Hawaii, community college enrollment
is up between 3 and 17 percent at various campuses. But Hawaii
community colleges have been ordered to cut their budgets by
between 10 and 20 percent, depending upon future conditions.
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Admissions Watch
A 2007 STUDY by
the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
found that last year one in three U.S. colleges recorded a decrease
in early decision applications.
But to the surprise of many, early apps seem to be way up
this fall. George Washington U. in Washington D.C. received 1,200
ED 1 applications by mid-November, compared to 946 in 2007. In
2006, GW attracted 1,009 ED applications. GW also extended its
ED deadline by two weeks to November 27. "As you can imagine,
students applying this year are more concerned about the country's
financial situation and how the current economic conditions will
affect their college choice," Kathryn Napper, executive
dean for undergraduate admissions, told the GW Hatchet.
Other Early App Reports. At Middlebury C. in Vermont, early
decision applications this year ran 12 percent ahead of last
year. However, Bob Clagett, dean of admissions, told The Middlebury
Campus, the increase "will not necessarily translate
into a 12 percent increase in ED 1 admits." Clagett attributes
the increase in applications to the college's strength in environmental
science, international studies and languages, as well as infrastructure
improvements. The increase in applications also came against
the backdrop of a 40 percent decrease in travel among the admissions
staff, part of the college's cost savings effort.
Northwestern U. in Illinois attracted 15 percent more early
decision applications this fall. According to the Daily Northwestern,
NU fielded 1,712 early decision applications for the Class of
2013. "Even more significant," associate provost Michael
Mills told the paper, "was the 60 percent increase in minority
student applications."
One source of those applications resulted from NU's partnership
with QuestBridge, a non-profit organization that pairs selective
universities with high-achieving students from low-income families.
NU received 548 QuestBridge applications and is expected to admit
20 to 25 of them, and offer 15 four-year, full scholarships.
NU also launched two other programs that targeted African-American
and Hispanic students.
Additionally, both Georgetown U. and New York U. recorded
a 2 percent increase in early decision applications.
Yale U. in Connecticut saw its early action applications increase
by more than 10 percent this year. Dean of admissions Jeff Brenzel
told the Yale Daily News that by mid-November, 5,400 students
had already applied for a spot in the class of 2013. He expected
to receive another 100 early applications at deadline, making
the increase 12.5 percent. Yet, Brenzel added that he expects
to extend few early offers this year. Last year, Yale fielded
a total of 22,817 applications, the most in its history, and
admitted 1,952, producing a record-low admit rate of 8.6 percent.
Bowdoin Up. Early applications rose by nearly 8 percent
at Bowdoin C. The Maine college received 480 early decision applications.
Given the economic turndown, admissions officers were expecting
a decrease. "People are scratching their heads and saying,
'Oh, we're not down,'" Scott Meiklejohn, interim dean of
admissions, told The Bowdoin Orient. One reason for increased
interest in Bowdoin was its decision to replace student loans
with grants.
The Bowdoin Orient also reported that ED applications
also rose at peer schools. Early applications rose by 13 percent
at Colby C. and Haverford C., while Hamilton rose by 8 percent
and Dartmouth by 10 percent.
Duke Up. Some 1,573 students applied early decision
to Duke U. in North Carolina, a 25 percent increase over last
year. "All of us who have seen an increase have been pleasantly
surprised," Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions,
told the Duke Chronicle. Increases came from all ethnic
groups. The paper also reported that early applications rose
at Stanford U. by 18 percent.
Wesleyan U. Soars. Early decision applications soared
by 40 percent at Wesleyan U. in Connecticut. "It is hard
to believe that one group of 17-year-olds has become more decisive
than the group you saw the previous year," Greg Pyke, senior
associate dean of admission. "So maybe it's that in a time
of economic uncertainty, people want something settled."
Other Numbers in the News. Finally, a November 21 New
York Times article noted that St. Olaf C. eliminated early
action and moved its deadline for early decision back to November
15 and saw a 15 percent increase in applications. It also said
Pomona C. was up 20 percent and Art Rodriguez, senior associate
dean of admissions, surmised that applying early this year was
in response to colleges using wait lists last year. "If
you apply early, you can find out in December," he said.
A November 18 Inside Higher Ed report added that early
applications were up 8 percent at Union C. in New York, 14 percent
at the U. of Richmond, 30 percent at Warren Wilson C., 5 percent
at Wartburg C. in Iowa and up 38 percent at Westminster C. in
Utah. The report added that at Goucher C., early action apps
increased from 66 percent of all applications to 77 percent.
P.S. People are talking about... "The Coming College
Bubble?" the provocative article that appeared at Forbes.com
on October 23. "The crunch will be particularly bitter for
the institutions that drained coffers to build 'country club
colleges'," the article said.
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The Greene
Report
THE
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
 THINK THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
couldn't get any more complicated? Guess again. Recent events
with the economy and current trends in college enrollment and
costs are baffling students and parents and the counselors trying
to help them negotiate in these uncertain times. Below are key
trends we have been tracking this fall.
1. The Impact of the Economy. The economic downturn
in the country is indeed impacting the choices students and their
families are making. Higher-income families have seen major erosion
in their savings portfolios and house values and are thinking
about financial aid for the first time. Middle- and lower-income
families, already stressed about paying for college, are worried
that their aid packages will be diminished. Those whose savings
have lost value are more likely to add to their application lists
the colleges offering merit-based scholarships, as well as lower
sticker prices overall.
2. Admissions Offices under Pressure. Inside admissions
offices, we are hearing about different trends and conflicting
forecasts. On the one hand, Early Decision/Action applications
are on the rise. Students are seeking to lock in at least one
choice for the fall. Universities such as Wake Forest, Tulane,
Duke, Vermont and others are aggressively courting students with
"VIP" and other non-binding early notification applications
to try to admit more students earlier in the process to decrease
their own uncertainty.
We expect, though, that at the other end of the process, we
will see even more use of waiting lists. Colleges will keep an
active, diverse group of students in the wings as they come to
terms with the first-year yield and the reenrollment of current
students.
Also, even schools as wealthy as Dartmouth, Wellesley, Harvard,
Cornell, Brown, Smith and Amherst are feeling compelled to contact
both current and prospective students to discuss both their anticipated
need for budget cuts as well as their commitment to need-based
financial aid. At state university systems such as Florida and
North Carolina, students will face not only significant cost
increases next fall, but possibly even mid-year tuition hikes.
Michigan State U. and Rhode Island's three public institutions
were forced to raise tuition mid-year.
3. No Dearth of Applicants. The number of high school
graduates increased from 2.5 million in 1996 to 3.3 million in
2008, according to the College Board and the Western Interstate
Commission on Higher Education. Over the next 15 years, the projections
are that the number stays between 3 and 3.5 million. Thus, we
are not going to see a drop in high school graduates nationally
nor a decline in college applicants anytime soon. The numbers
may plateau over the next few years, but not decrease to the
lows experienced during the early 1980s.
However, there will be a diversification of the college applicant
pool, with non-traditional applicants, students of color and
first-generation college applicants becoming a larger percentage
of the pool. Selective colleges will continue to strive for a
national applicant pool, to counteract the tendency of most high
school students to attend college within a few hundred miles
of home. Public universities will continue to ramp up requirements
in order to reduce campus growth.
4. Continued Increase in International Students. Interest
in U.S. colleges among international students will continue to
grow. According to the 2008 report from Open Doors, total foreign
student numbers are up 7 percent, new enrollments up 10 percent.
More international students, especially from India and China,
are able to afford an American education and will continue to
apply. These students are and will be qualified and focused,
challenging the best and brightest, let alone the average American
high school graduate. The result: High school seniors will continue
to face more pressure.
5. Higher Costs. Another big trend is the increasing
cost of public or private education. According to this year's
College Board's "Trends in College Pricing 2008," the
average tuition and fee listed for private, four-year colleges
increased 5.9 percent, slightly higher than the 5.8 percent rate
of inflation. In-state fees at four-year public colleges nationwide
averaged $6,585, up 6.4 percent. Today, the cost of a public
or private university education comprises a much higher proportion
of a family's income.
At the same time, the share of an average four-year degree
covered by the need-based Pell Grant program has decreased markedly.
Student loan debt has ballooned, with the average debt of a four-year
degree recipient climbing above $20,000. Even with all the attention
about the retrenchments in the loan industry, private lenders
represent the fastest growing sector of the student loan market.
On a positive note, total grant, work-study and education
tax benefits to college students rose to a record high $143.4
billion, according to the latest College Board "Trends in
Student Aid." Colleges such as Princeton, U. of North Carolina
and Amherst have increased grant-aid and decreased loans. Merit-based
financial awards also have grown.
6. The Gender Gap. Women now comprise some 59 percent
of the college population in this country. The situation is more
lopsided at many private liberal arts colleges and flagship public
universities, with 60 to 65 percent female matriculants, and
applicant pools that can be even more imbalanced. This trend
raises a number of concerns. Sociologically, one worries about
the abundance of highly educated young women, and the decline
of educated male peers. The trend is particularly pronounced
among Hispanic and African-American students.
But also, neither men nor women at coed institutions seem
to like an environment that tilts above 60 percent of one gender.
Socially, both genders tend to suffer. Now though, in terms of
applications, the obvious dangers are showing up. We are hearing
of colleges giving preferential treatment to male applicants
in some admission situations, even at highly selective institutions,
where they need more men to enroll. Women are thus being held
to a higher standard, and are finding themselves rejected or
put on waiting lists while similarly or less qualified young
men are admitted to balance out a class. This new "gender
affirmative action" has turned the admissions world on its
head.
The good news is that there are still many options available
among the several thousand two- and four-year institutions of
higher education in America. While keeping current trends in
mind, a student with a good work ethic and open mind is still
sure to find a right choice.
Howard and Matthew Greene have
developed a web site in conjunction with their PBS programs with
free resources for counselors and families. See www.pbs.org/tenstepstocollege.
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THE COUNSELOR'S BOOKSHELF
Hot off the Press. Paying for College Without
Going Broke, 2009 edition by Kalman A. Chany with Geoff Martz;
from Random House/Princeton Review; ISBN: 978-0-375-42883-8;
$20; www.PrincetonReview.com.
College Access & Opportunity Guide: Inside Colleges
& Universities Committed to Access, Opportunity, and Success
from the Center for Student Opportunity (KendalHunt Professional);
ISBN 978-0-9800132-2-1; "a comprehensive college guidebook
dedicated to promoting college opportunity for the traditionally
underserved."
Race and Class Matters at an Elite College by Elizabeth
Aries (Temple U. Press); a "personal look at the day-to-day
thoughts and feelings of students as they experience racial and
economic diversity first hand" at an elite college; ISBN
978-1-59213-726-8; www.temple.edu/tempress.
Parenting the Guardian Class: Validating Spirited Youth,
Ending Adolescence and Renewing America's Greatness by Jonathan
I. Cloud "calls upon parents and other influential adults
in teenage lives to recognize and validate the sense of spiritedness
that is often misinterpreted as adolescent delinquency;"
ISBN: 978-1-4343-5493-8; $17.99; from (www.AuthorHouse.com);
also see, www.guardianclass.com.
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TUITION TABS
Ohio Low Tuition Leader. Ohio's public four-year
colleges and universities ranked number one in the College Board's
"Trends in College Pricing 2008" report. Montana ranked
second with a .60 percent tuition increase. Ohio's schools averaged
just a .20 percent increase in tuition to an average of $8,482
for 2008/09. However, Ohio's two-year tuition freeze expires
after this year. Enrollment at the U. System of Ohio reached
478,376 students, an increase of 2.7 percent.
Fee
Hike at UC and Cal State. Fees could shoot up by as much
as 10 percent next year for students in California's two public
university systems, according to The Los Angeles Times.
A report released by the 10-campus U. of California projects
a 9.4 percent increase for in-state students, bringing the average
bill to $8,670. And the 23-campus Cal State system could see
prices rise by about $300 to an average of $4,150. Both figures
exclude the costs of housing and books. The president of the
systemwide UC Student Association predicted more protests because
students are angry about the relentless rate of increases.
Wyoming
Holds Tuition. The U. of Wyoming will not increase in-state
tuition next year, according to The Billings Gazette.
But out-of-state students will probably see as much as a 5 percent
increase. In-state students taking 30 credit hours currently
pay $3,621 in yearly tuition, placing it in the top 1 percent
of affordable public doctoral institutions.
ND
Continues Need-Blind. Even though the economy may negatively
impact the endowment at Notre Dame, the university has reaffirmed
its commitment to need-blind admission, Joseph Russo, ND's director
of student financial strategies in the Office of Student Financial
Services, told The Observer. "There are not a lot
of high-cost private institutions that have this policy, and
those that do are going to be looking hard at it this year,"
Russo said. "We want to be accessible to anybody. We want
the admissions decision to be based on applicants' credentials
as they compete with other students, not on whether they can
afford to come here. Only a handful of high-priced privates can
say that We want access and affordability."
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SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS
At a time when families are looking for financial breaks,
a number of news releases came across CB's desk about
these scholarships for freshmen.
American Dreams Equals $225,000. TD Bank, located in
575 stores throughout the country, will provide $225,000 to 225
community service-oriented high school seniors who have also
demonstrated academic achievement. Deadline: Dec. 15. See www.tdbank.com/americandream.
To
Impact Environment. AVerMedia, the maker of digital technologies,
is offering a $5,000 four-year scholarship to a high school senior
who "demonstrates leadership, academic achievement, participates
in extracurricular activities and has a desire to impact the
world around them." An application and one-page essay is
required on how a student has impacted the environment and plans
to contribute to a sustainable future. Deadline: Mar. 27, 2009.
See http://www.avermedia-usa/presentation/scholarship.asp.
Most
Valuable Student Award. The Elks National Foundation announced
this fall that it wanted to "alleviate the financial burden"
of the cost of college for 500 students throughout the country.
The MVS Scholarship includes $2.296 million with awards to 18
top winners ranging from $8,000 to $60,000 over four years. The
remaining 482 runners-up receive $4,000 over four years. Applicants
need not be related to a member of the Elks. Applications due
Jan. 9, 2009. See www.elks.org/enf/scholars.
Big
Money in Bad Times. That is how the American Fire Sprinkler
Association dubbed its scholarship for "struggling students,"
a $20,000 annual award for college, university or certified trade
school. Instead of writing an essay, contestants are to read
one and complete a ten-minute quiz. Deadline is April 1, 2009.
See www.afsascholarship.org/.
Support
for Science. Clemson U announced that incoming freshmen proficient
in physical science, math and engineering fields will receive
a minimum of $4,500. For details see www.clemson.edu.
High
Achievers. Five high school students entering Medgar Evers
College as freshmen in fall 2009 could earn a four-year scholarship
from Moet Hennessy USA. Students must declare a major in business,
marketing or communications and maintain a 2.75 grade-point average.
See www.cuny.edu.
Florida
Realtors Think Locally. High school students in Florida can
compete for $28,000 is scholarships by writing a 500-word essay.
Awards vary from $1,000 to $5,000 for each of the 13 districts
in the Florida Association of Realtors. Deadline Feb. 8, 2009.
See http://media.floridarealtors.org/.
Great
Philadelphia Region Dollars. Ronald MacDonald House Charities
and McDonald's operators in Philadelphia have announced three
scholarship programs: the Scholars program, the Future Achievers
for African American high school seniors and HACER for Latino
high school seniors. Fifteen scholarships will be awarded ranging
from $5,000 to $1,000. Call 215-790-4320 for info.
Media
Scholarships in the Middle East. At the Clinton Global Initiative,
the American U. in Dubai, a private, non-sectarian higher ed
institution, announced it would grant $26 million to students
throughout the Middle East for study in media and journalism.
Students must attend the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication,
recently established in collaboration with the Annenberg School
for Communication at the U. of Southern Cal. See www.aud.edu.
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New Websites
www.College.gov
is a website that seeks to motivate students with inspirational
stories and information about planning and paying for college.
It includes an interactive tool for students to create an "I'm
going" personalized roadmap that details steps to get to
college; free. www.CollegeZapps.com
"automates the college applicationstudents can eliminate
the risk of application errors, streamline the process significantly,
simplify financial aid requests and send applications to numerous
colleges" says a spokesperson; for a fee. "Given Half
A Chance: The Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and
Black Males," can be accessed at www.blackboysreport.org.
Take tougher high school courses beyond the "Core 40."
That's the new message of www.KnowHow2GOIndiana.org.
That advice will help prepare students for the tougher admissions
standards kicking in at both Purdue U. and Indiana U.
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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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