|
Vol. 23 No. 10
June 2009
Admissions Watch
Are Yields Holding Steady?
YIELDS SEEM STEADY AT THE NATION'S
top colleges and universities, despite the economic turmoil.
According to the May 11 New York Times, elite private
colleges such as Harvard (76 percent), Yale (70 percent), Princeton,
Wesleyan (35 percent), Smith, Kenyon and Whitman are experiencing
little variation in yields from previous years. Public universities
are reporting a similar trend, including the U. of Virginia (49
percent, up 1 percent) and U. of Wisconsin (41 percent, down
2 percent).
"For all the Chicken Little and Henny Penny hysteria
and dire predictions," Bruce Poch, dean of admissions at
Pomona C., told the Times, "it seems to have worked
out just fine here."
Some individual colleges have posted a drop. Dartmouth C.,
for example, saw a 2 percent decrease in this year's yield.
"The next question is whether the deposits are hard or
soft," David Eaton, vice president for enrollment at SUNY
New Paltz, told the Times.
But since many students are choosing public institutions in
their own state, another problem may be emerging. According to
a May 14 BusinessWeek, many public institutions are losing
revenue they rely upon from out-of-state students. The magazine
cited the U. of Delaware and Ball State U., which recorded 40
percent drops in out-of-state applications, while in-state applications
were up between 5 and 10 percent. Most of the schools are hoping
this is a short-term recession related trend.
Students transferring back to their home state is another
trend spurred by the recession. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
noted that admissions officers at Georgia colleges "report
high numbers of Georgia students applying to transfer in, from
out-of-state and private schools, as well as public colleges
farther from home." The paper reported that transfer requests
were up by 25 percent over last year at Kennesaw State, up 13
percent at George State, up 12 percent at the U. of Georgia and
up 25 percent at Georgia Tech.
Here are other Admissions Watch numbers and trends CB
discovered this month.
California. California high schools are doing a better
job preparing students for college. Over the past few years,
11 percent more California high school graduates are academically
eligible to attend either the U. of California or California
State U. campuses. More than 13 percent of all California high
school students are now eligible to gain admission to the U.
of California system, and 32 percent are eligible for the Cal
State system. Also, the increases cross all racial/ethnic lines.
For example, the number of eligible Latino graduates leaped by
55 percent between 2003 and 2007.
But, according to the San Jose Mercury News, Governor
Schwarzenegger is proposing $132 million in cuts from university
funding. So 10,000 fewer students will be attending Cal State.
And UC will have unspecified student reductions as well. Less
money is available for scholarships.
All this comes at a time when, according to the Public Policy
Institute of California, the state's economy could suffer over
the next 20 years because the state is not graduating enough
people to fill employers' needs. The PPIC said California actually
needs to triple the number of highly skilled immigrants coming
there from other states or companies will move out of the state
to find workers.
Cincinnati. This fall, the U. of Cincinnati will enroll
4,472 new students on its main campus and another 900 at the
Batavia campus. Total May 1 freshmen confirmations are up 12.8
percent. It's expected to be the largest first-year class in
school history, in part because it has 700 more students than
last year. That means more 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. classes to accommodate
them.
Dartmouth. Dartmouth C. will admit 50 to 60 students
from this year's wait list to reach the class size target of
1,090. About 51 percent of Dartmouth's class of 2013 is female
and 61 percent are public school graduates. About 39 percent
are students of color. International students hail from 41 nations
and make up 8 percent of the new class. Legacies make up 11 percent.
About 50 percent will receive financial aid, receiving an average
of $36,000.
Harvard Profile. So who got into Harvard C. this year?
A record 29,112 applied compared to 27,462 last year. This year,
7 percent of applicants were admitted, compared to 7.9 percent
last year. Among the applicant pool, 2,900 scored a perfect 800
on the SAT critical reading test, 3,500 scored 800 on the SAT
math section. And 3,700 were ranked first in their high school
classes. About 76 percent of accepted students will enroll at
Harvard.
About 25 percent of the admitted class plans to study biological
sciences, 24 percent will study social sciences, 23 percent humanities,
7 percent mathematics, 2.2 percent computer science and only
.4 percent were undecided.
Admitted students will share $147 million in scholarships,
an 8 percent increase over last year, and 167 percent more than
a decade ago. More than 70 percent of all Harvard students receive
institutional aid, with an average award reaching $40,000.
Ivy Wait Lists. Princeton U. admitted 31 students from
its wait list of 1,332 students, and may admit a couple more,
according to Janet Rapelye, dean of admission. Last year, Princeton
admitted 148 wait list students. Harvard C. admitted 85 from
its wait list. Yale U., which is "oversubscribed,"
admitted no one from its wait list of 468.
New York State. Applications were up by 35 percent
at Mohawk Community C. Morrisville State saw a 12 percent increase
in freshmen applications and 34 percent in transfer applications.
Utica C. attracted 2 percent more applicants. Hamilton C. saw
an 8 percent drop in applications, but it was still its third
largest pool ever. Colgate C. saw a 17 percent drop. "It's
not our largest pool," Colgate vice president and dean of
admission Gary Ross told the Wellsville Daily, "but
it's our strongest."
Non-traditional older students are also returning to school.
Utica School of Commerce drew 25 percent more applicants this
year.
Penn State. As of mid-May, applications were still
rolling into Pennsylvania State U. According to President Graham
Spanier, PSU expects to field at least 106,000 applications this
year. International undergraduate applications are up by 35 percent.
PSU expects to enroll 6,800 new students at the main campus in
State College and another 8,200 at its branch campuses.
Princeton. Of the 1,284 students offered a place in
Princeton's class of 2013, nearly 60 percent have enrolled. An
estimated 59 percent will receive financial aid, on average $36,000
up from $33,000 last year.
Tennessee. Tennessee State U. posted a 23 percent increase
in the number of students who applied. Middle Tennessee State
U. admitted 16 percent more freshmen for the class of 2013 than
for 2012. It also admitted 21 percent more transfer students.
And Austin Peay State U. reported a 16 percent increase in applications
for freshman and 30 percent for transfers.
Texas. About 70 percent of each new class at the U.
of Texas Austin is admitted through the top 10 percent rule.
Texas students who place in the top 10 percent of their high
school class are guaranteed a spot. And according to UT Austin
President William Powers Jr., who wants the rule changed for
greater flexibility in selecting a new class, as much as 100
percent of next year's class may come through the top 10 percent
rule. That could cost the university as much as $60 million in
out-of-state tuition and reduce the school's diversity.
U. Pennsylvania. Penn will enroll 63 percent of the
students who were accepted to the class of 2013, dean of admissions
Eric Furda told The Daily Pennsylvanian. The average SAT
for the incoming class was 2175, a 15 point increase over the
class of 2012. About 44 percent of the new class is "multicultural,"
and 13 percent are international students, from 71 nations. About
51 percent is female. Penn accepted 64 students through Quest
Bridge, an admissions program that links low-income students
with grants at top colleges.
Vanderbilt. In 2007, Vanderbilt U. received 12,930
applications. This year, that number soared to 19,350. Last year,
"Vandy" accepted 23 percent of applicants. This year
that figure dropped to about 19 percent.
China Surging. The May 1 Washington Post calls
it "an admissions officer's dream"- stacks of applications
from Chinese students with outstanding test scores, grades and
academic preparation. A decade ago, the U. of Virginia received
only 17 applications from Chinese students. This year more than
800 Chinese students sent in their applications. Over the past
three years, applications from Chinese students to Georgetown
U. increased from 95 to 208. At George Mason U, the total jumped
from 54 to 100. George Washington U. saw the number of Chinese
applications grow from 170 to 350. At Brown U., the number rose
from 166 to 500, at Stanford from 268 to 400, and at the U. of
Washington, the number of Chinese applications soared from 250
three years ago to 1,600 this year.
Until 2007, about 9,000 Chinese students applied to colleges
across the U.S. Since then the number jumped to 16,000. The reason?
Increasing Chinese wealth, fewer visa delays and technology making
it easier to learn about and apply to U.S. colleges.
The Post cited the stats of students at one elite Chinese
secondary school where the SAT average was 2100 out of 2400.
"Most students got 800, the top score, on math tests."
[back
to top]
Where the Jobs
Are, er, Aren't
AS OF EARLY MAY,
only 20 percent of graduating college students who applied for
a job have been hired. According to the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 51 percent of 2007 grads and
26 percent of 2008 graduates had jobs at the time of graduation.
Graduates seem to be anticipating hard times. Only 59 percent
had even started looking for a job, compared to 66 percent last
year.
Graduates holding an accounting or engineering degree are
more likely to have started their job search and landed a job.
NACE's 2009 "Student Survey" also indicated that liberal
arts majors are more likely to turn down a job when offered.
The average starting salary for accountants is about $45,000.
For engineers, it is $62,000.
About 27 percent of the class of 2008 reports it will go directly
to graduate school. That is 3 percent more than last year and
may be due to the economic downturn. For more info see: www.NACEweb.org.
Another survey, conducted by the Partnership for Public Service,
of career counselors at 200 colleges and universities found that
90 percent of the students they work with are interested in federal
jobs or internships. Some speculated that students were responding
to President Obama's call to public service.
And then there is the new trend study from the U. of California
San Diego Extension that notes the hottest career options for
college graduates this recession. Among the top jobs: "Casual
game development," (no kidding, 200 million consumers play
games online); oncology studies, data mining, "embedded"
engineering, geriatric healthcare, occupational health and safety,
specialized Spanish/English translation, sustainable business
practices and the greening of all jobs, teaching adult learners
and teaching English abroad. For complete details see: http://www.extension.ucsd.edu/toptenhot.
[back
to top]
Other Admission
News
LAST MINUTE OPENINGS
New England. As of early May, 70 percent of the 202 colleges
and universities polled by the New England Board of Higher Education
still have openings for their fall first-year classes. Not only
that, but "nearly all" have financial aid for "qualified
students." Forty-two colleges reported that they have closed
admission and 12 have spots for transfer students only. See http://www.nebhe.org.
NACAC Openings. The annual "Space Availability Survey:
Openings for Qualified Students" from the National Association
for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) indicates that "at
least 258 colleges and universities have space available for
qualified freshman and/or transfer students and nearly all also
have financial aid to offer." More than 70 percent of the
schools are private institutions. Visit www.nacacnet.org.
TUITION TABS
Duke's Increase. Duke U. will increase tuition 3.9 percent
to $37,485 for the next academic year, the smallest increase
in recent years. Including room and board and fees, students
will pay $49,895. "Tuition and fees cover only a portion
of the true cost of the education Duke provides," said provost
Peter Lange. "But we know that many of our families make
significant sacrifices to enable their children to have the benefits
of that education." That's why approximately 45 percent
of Duke undergraduates receive some form of financial aid and
the North Carolina school covers 100 percent of a student's demonstrated
need.
Saint Vincent. Saint Vincent C. in Pennsylvania announced
its smallest tuition increase in 40 years, 2.95 percent. It's
the third year in a row that the college has limited tuition
increases to less than 5 percent. At the same time, it raised
over $23 million for a new science complex.
Chicago Up. The cost of an education at the U. of Chicago
will increase 3.5 percent for the 2009-10 school year. Total
cost: $51,078 (tuition $38,550). Financial aid is going up as
well.
SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS
Debt Relief. Today's college graduates who took out loans
are leaving school with a frightening average of $22,000 in debt.
But beginning in July, a new federal Income-Based Repayment program
will peg repayment to a graduate's income. Low-income graduates
could pay as little as zero dollars a month on their federal
student loans if their income is small enough. Students who owe
more than they earn a year could qualify. After 25 years of repaying,
the balance will be forgotten (10 years for some public service
professionals). See www.IBRinfo.org.
Laid-Off Workers. The president of Oakton Community
C. in Illinois, Margaret Lee, decided to offer free career certification
courses to jobless adults in her area. "We wanted to have
some good news to tell people." She waived tuition for up
to 12 credit hours for courses in high demand careers. Other
community colleges have contacted her to see how Oakton does
it.
In general, scholarships for the jobless can be found at local
community colleges. Michigan's "No Worker Left Behind"
program offers up to two years free tuition for unemployed and
underemployed workers. In New Jersey, Bergan County C. C., New
Jersey City U., Passaic County C.C. and Middlesex County C.C.
let unemployed workers fill empty seats free of charge.
In Pennsylvania, Bucks County C.C. offers 30 free credit hours.
The C.C. of Allegheny County offers free tuition in five career
certification programs. Reading Area C.C. offers one semester
free. In Minnesota, Anoka-Ramsey C.C. offers half tuition for
recently unemployed. Other community colleges around the nation
are contemplating similar initiatives.
TESTING TABS
Does Commercial Help Help? Commercial test preparation may
raise a student's score by as much as 30 points on the SAT and
less than one point on the ACT, says a new report commissioned
by the National Association for College Admission Counseling
(NACAC). But that may be less progress than test companies promise.
The report also said that since a small number of colleges improperly
use test score cut offs, test preparation may have some paradoxical
benefits to individual students who incrementally improve their
scores. NACAC wants more research on the topic and colleges to
use test scores properly.
[back
to top]
THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Advice from Counselors
How to Prepare for
College
by Really Trying
 THIS MONTH, DAVID HAMILTON, Director
of College Advising at St. Mary's Ryken High School in Leonardtown,
Maryland, closes out the school year with the advice he has given
to seniors and prepares to give to juniors in the fall.
The current reality of secondary and postsecondary education
today is much different than in the past. I like to compare preparing
for college with a health fitness center: you might purchase
the membership, but don't expect results unless you avail yourself
of the facilities. In my role, I help students find the right
college for the right reason. They have to be reminded, admonished,
repeatedly that the goal is to find a school that is the "right
fit," as opposed to "getting in" to a certain
school.
But whether they realize it or not, students have a great
amount of control in terms of admission to colleges and universities.
The process begins even in the years prior to high school. After
eleven years in college admissions and eleven years as a college
advisor, I strongly believe that students can become great students
and contributors to society provided they start early on in high
school. Given my experience, I've developed a "Top Ten"
list to help students at the high school level and beyond. Here
is what I say.
TEN TRUISMS FOR SUCCESS IN HIGH SCHOOL
THAT LEAD TO COLLEGE
1. Curriculum. Numerous studies are showing that it is the
most important building block for academic and financial success
in the future. Load up on English, mathematics, science, social
studies and foreign language courses each and every year in high
school.
2. Read. Consume books of all types! Read a lot so
you are used to the larger reading demands when you head to college.
3. Skills. This attribute covers individual study skills,
doing homework, following directions, writing legibly, participating
in class and many others.
4. Grades. Year in and year out, this is the best predictor
of academic success in high school and future performance in
college. Admission to college, scholarships, internships and
well-paying jobs hinge on this. Keep up grades each and every
year in high school. That includes senior year as well!
5. Time management. Students who have superior time
management skills are able to successfully manage academic and
extracurricular endeavors.
6. Testing. Follow the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
Whether it is a quiz or final exam or the SAT, students need
to prepare for each and every test.
7. Go to school/class. There is a direct correlation
between class attendance and academic performance in college.
8. Student conduct. Manners count in this day and age.
Simple things such as using "please" and "thank
you" are appreciated by one and all. College admission representatives
appreciate students with a firm handshake, good eye contact and
active listening skills. Additionally, all students need to realize
that there are rules and regulations to abide by in high school
and in college.
9. Get involved in quality activities. Studies have
shown that students with fewer activities yet great depth, tend
to be better students who elect to participate in a wider range
of endeavors. Remember: Quality, not quantity.
10. Get to know people at the school. The more you
get to know people at your school, the more the school will get
to know you. As one college admissions director said once: "Go
to high school like there is no college to go to afterwards."
[back
to top]
COUNSELOR'S BOOKSHELF
The College Selection Compass: Helping Families Navigate
a Difficult Course by Rebecca J. Callow and Susan P. Nichols;
a guide to helping families organize the college application
process; (IUniverse, 2008); 78 pgs. with index; ISBN: 978-0-595-49192-6;
$11.95.
Excuse Me, College Is Now: How to Be a Success in School
and in Life by Doreen Banaszak and Sebastian Oddo (Hampton
Roads, 2009); 120 pgs., ISBN 978-1-57174-592-7; $16.95.
The Prepared Parents: Sending Your Child To College
by Marie Pinak Carr and daughters, (Dicmar Publishing), includes
checklists, summer preparation, insurance, money questions, dorm
prep, moving in and other practical tips. Author is on the parent
councils at Texas A & M. U. and Boston U. ISBN 978-0933165168,
$15.95. Also, see www.preparedparent.com.
Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges, 6th edition
(Barron's 2009); 1,040 pgs; new schools added; ISBN: 978-0-7641-4226-0;
$21.99.
50 Best College Majors for a Secure Future by Laurence
Shatkin and the Editors @Jist (JIST Works, 2009); 352 pgs.; ISBN-13:
978-1-59357-726-1; $17.95; see www.jist.com/.
NACAC's Human Relations Committee has released Guiding
the Way to Higher Education, Families, Counselors and Communities
Together Guide; also PowerPoint presentations in English
and Spanish, covering the "essentials" of the transition
process; free from the website or can be ordered bound for a
fee; See www.nacacnet.org.
The Official Guide to College Transfer Agreements from
SideDoor Strategies is the first of its kind, a helpful guide
to help make college affordable through transfers and understanding
articulation agreements between schools. See, www.SideDoorStrategies.com.
Food for thought? Parenting the Guardian Class:
Validating Spirited Youth, Ending Adolescence, and Renewing America's
Greatness by Jonathan I. Cloud (AuthorHouse, 2008), 317 pgs.;
ISBN 978-1-4343-5493-8;
The Way to Work: How to Facilitate Work Experiences for
Youth in Transition by Richard G. Luecking (Paul Brookes
Publishng Co., 2009); 223 pgs., ISBN-13: 978-1-55766-898-1; $34.95.
Great Ideas: Using Service-Learning & Differentiated
Instruction to Help Your Students Succeed by Pamela J. Gent;
(Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 2009); ISBN-13:978-1-55766-985-8;
$34.95.
[back
to top]
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Computer Gamers. Southern Polytechnic State U.
in Georgia will offer a bachelor of science degree in computer
game design and development. Students will acquire skills to
apply computing and software engineering techniques to the design
and production of digital media for entertainment, research and
education.
Curriculum Reform. According
to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, institutions
across the nation are reforming their general education programs,
searching for more engaged and integrative curricular practices.
Only 15 percent of the schools still use a "cafeteria-style"
general education program alone. About 52 percent are using learning
communities, 73 percent use first-year experiences and 36 percent
use thematic required courses. Colleges are also developing new
approaches and ways to assess key learning outcomes.
"One hundred years ago, Harvard introduced the concepts
of 'distribution' and 'concentration' to organize the undergraduate
curriculum," AAC&U president Carol Geary Schneider said.
"In 2009, this new study shows clearly that a decisive majority
of colleges and universities see this model as inadequate for
today's students and today's world."
She added, "Most campuses still use the concept of 'breadth,'
requiring students to take courses in different fields to guide
them beyond their comfort zones. But only a tiny fraction of
institutions now rely on this model alone to ensure that students
get the outcomes they need from a college education. Many colleges
are now emphasizing interdisciplinary global studies, learning
communities or topically lined courses taken together by a small
cohort of students, thematic courses on big questions like sustainability
or global AIDS pandemic, and advanced-level integrative requirements."
To see the entire study, go to: www.aacu.org/membership/documents/2009Member
Survey_Part2.pdf.
Every Student Works. Berry
C. boasts one of the nation's best work-experience programs.
The Georgia college guarantees every student on campus the opportunity
to work all four years in a variety of 300 types of jobs. At
a time when graduates of other schools are hitting a tough job
market with limited experience, Berry grads can claim four years
experience in fields such as writing, tutoring or research assistant.
Other fields range from tour guide to computer technician, event
planner and personal trainer. Each year, students gain greater
responsibility and can work their way up to supervisory positions.
To find out more, go to: www.berry.edu/stuwork.
Liberal Arts Decline? Will
humanities enrollments be hurt by the current economic upheaval?
Andrew Delbanco, director of American studies at Columbia U.,
told a recent New York Times that humanities teachers
"have never felt quite as much panic that their field is
becoming irrelevant."
With new budget cuts, liberal arts programs are under greater
pressure than ever. Currently, only 8 percent (110,000 undergrad
students) are enrolled in humanities programs. The low point
was actually during the early 1980s. And about 3 percent of Ph.D.'s
are awarded in the humanities.
Why study the humanities? Anthony T. Kronman, a Yale professor
of law and author of Education's End: Why Our Colleges and
Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life, told The
Times that the need for the humanities was "more urgent
today" given the widespread greed, irresponsibility and
fraud that led to the recent financial meltdown. It's time, he
said, to re-examine "what we care about and what we value,"
something study of the humanities is all about.
[back
to top]
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.).
|
DOWNLOAD
PDF