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Are College Admissions
Getting More Competitive?
Applications are up at colleges and universities
nationwide, creating a level of uncertainty for both
admissions officers and applicants. It's not surprising, as
this is another year of historically high numbers of
applications at numerous schools. The children of baby
boomers are graduating in high numbers, and more are going
on to two- or four-year colleges. In addition, the advent of
online applications has led to students applying to more
schools, especially top students who are aware that their
preferred schools are competitive.
Georgetown University officials saw early applications
rise 30 percent this fall, followed by a record total of
applicants. The university has little idea of how many
students, if admitted, would say yes. As a result, more
students are likely to be put on a wait list.
In the fall of 2007, the University of Virginia, Harvard
University and Princeton University dropped their early
admissions programs. Despite the move, all three schools
have seen an increase in applications. Princeton has seen a
6 percent increase in applications, and the University of
Virginia has seen a 4 percent increase. Harvard has seen a
19 percent rise. The figures include a 33 percent increase
in the number of African American applicants to Harvard, and
a 20 percent increase in the number of Latinos. Georgetown’s
dean of admission, Charles Deacon, said he assumes much of
the increase in applications to Georgetown this fall came
from students who would have applied early to those schools.
Also affecting applications this year is a shift in
financial aid. Harvard, Yale, the University of
Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, Cornell, Northwestern and
other schools have announced generous financial aid programs
and matched Princeton’s guarantee that students who qualify
will receive grants instead of loans.
Applications are up 30 percent at Vanderbilt, more than more
than 7 percent at Cornell, and more than 7 percent at Johns
Hopkins.
2006-2007 Saw
Record-High Applicant Numbers Again
Statistics
from the 2006-2007
application season indicated that college
admissions have become more competitive than ever. Most
Ivy League schools received
record-setting numbers of applications that year.
The
acceptance rates at Yale, Harvard, and Columbia fell below 10 per cent
for fall 2007 admissions. Princeton's acceptance rate just
cleared 10 per cent, and Dartmouth's was just over 12 per
cent.
There is an argument that the current college admissions
environment is actually not as keenly competitive as the
statistics make it seem - students are applying to nearly 20
schools now, as opposed to 5-6 a decade ago. That high
volume accounts for record-breaking applications, but the
true statistics will be in acceptance and actual attendance
rates for the Class of 2012, which won't be known until this
summer. That said, however, there's no denying
that admissions to top colleges and universities are highly
competitive, and likely to remain so for years to come.
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