|
Have
9/11 and a depressed economy changed the
face of college admissions?
Admissions
Explosion
By
Robyn Tellefsen
December/January 2003
The
CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Worried
about how stiff the competition will be
when you start applying to college? Curious
about how the world of college admissions
has changed in the last year, since September
11th and the downturned economy? Have no
fear, the National Association for College
Admission Counseling (NACAC) is here --
with answers!
Each
year, NACAC conducts an admission trends
survey to highlight trends in applications,
recruitment, technology, and other popular
topics, such as factors taken into consideration
for college admission. If you want to know
the current state of admission, they've
got the 4-1-1.
In
its 2002 "Admission Snapshot"
survey distributed last May, NACAC found
that 81 percent of responding institutions
reported an increase over the previous year
in the number of freshman applications.
David
Hawkins, NACAC director of public policy,
cites two reasons for the application explosion.
The first is simply an increase in the number
of high school graduates nationwide. But,
he says, those numbers are relative.
"If
you look at graduation rates, the percentages
have stayed about the same," he notes.
"There are simply more kids now."
According
to Hawkins, the second factor causing the
increase is the ease of the actual process.
"The Internet creates an easier avenue
to apply. Students used to apply to only
three or four schools, and even that took
forever," he recalls.
Many
institutions also reported a rise in the
number of in-state apps', meaning students
are now more inclined to stay close to home.
Though some might be apt to remain with
their 'rents because of post-9/11 concerns,
Hawkins contends a more compelling reason
is the flagging economy. "Students
are staying closer because in-state tuition
is cheaper," he explains.
Hawkins
notes that college counselors have reported
individual cases of 9/11 having an effect
on student apps', but he doesn't believe
those cases are in the majority. "To
say that 9/11 had no effect [on college
applications] would be silly, but it's the
economy that has had a greater effect,"
he insists.
With
the increase in apps', of course, it's easy
to see how competition for college admission
might get tighter. But Hawkins has a message
of hope. "There are a lot of options
out there," he assures. Though select
high-profile schools seem to generate the
most media interest, he maintains there
are so many other quality colleges to attend.
"It's about finding the right fit for
you," he concludes.
|
