December 2006:

EA and ED Application Volume Rises at Most Schools

Most of the schools that have released statistics for 2006 Early Action and Early Decision application volume report a rise in the number of applications received.

Harvard's Early Action applicant pool grew by 3.5 per cent this year and Princeton's Early Decision pool grew by 1.7 per cent.( Both schools are ending their early application programs next year.)

Larger increases were reported outside the Ivy League. Chicago's Early Action volume set a record this fall, rising by 9.3 per cent over last year. Early application volume grew by almost 7 per cent at Northwestern, by 11 per cent at Georgetown, and by 7 per cent at Middlebury.

Two Ivy League schools reported drops in the number of EA or ED applications received. Brown University's Early Decision pool declined by 2.6 per cent from last year. A more dramatic change was seen at Yale, where the Early Action pool shrank by 13 per cent. That figure marks a sharp reversal from last fall, when Yale's early application volume topped Harvard's for the first time. Observers think that the record-setting low acceptance rates Yale posted for the Class of 2010 may have discouraged some students from seeking seats in its Class of 2011.

November 2006:

Some Schools Double-Checking Essay Authorship

Admissions officers are well aware of the growing popularity of college essay editing and writing services, and a number of them are taking measures to safeguard against the possibility of admitting someone on the basis of a ghostwritten essay. One increasingly common measure is to require a sample of a graded paper from high school as part of the application package. More often, however, admissions staff are simply sensitive to inconsistencies between the quality of writing in an admissions essay and other indications of an applicant's writing abilities. If an essay strikes them as too well-written or too sophisticated to have come from the student in question, they may dig deeper to ascertain whether the applicant actually wrote it or not. Alternatively – and, in the case of applicants in the bottom half of the pool, this is far more likely – they will move any application that seems non-genuine to the reject pile.

Are More Students Taking Both the SAT and the ACT?

The College Board and ACT, Inc. both reported an increase this year in the number of students taking the college admissions tests they administer. Registrations for the ACT grew by about 17 per cent nationwide, while SAT numbers rose by roughly 15.7 per cent. Observers think that part of the increase may be due to more high school students taking both tests rather than just one.

College Costs Still Rising, But More Slowly

The College Board's annual report on higher education price trends found that average college costs rose again from 2005 to 2006, but not as steeply as they have in past years. Tuition and fees at public universities rose by 6.3 per cent, rising to an average of $5,836. The same expenses at private colleges rose by 5.9 per cent, to an average of $22,218. The report also noted, however, that after financial aid is taken into account, the average student at a private college pays only $13,200 per year in tuition and fees.

October 2006:

Princeton and University of Virginia Ending Early Admissions

Princeton University and the University of Virginia have both announced that they will end their binding Early Decision programs next year. Like Harvard, both schools said they were taking this step to make admissions more accessible for a broader range of applicants.

UVa cited some statistics that give a striking example of the difference between its early and regular applicant pools. Although about 1 in 4 UVa students receive some kind of financial assistance, only 1 in 50 of last year's ED applicants asked to be considered for aid – and only 1 out of the approximately 950 ED applicants qualified for the University's maximum financial aid package.

Columbia Expands Financial Aid for Middle-Income Students

Columbia University has announced major changes to its financial aid policy, making a Columbia education more affordable for students from middle-income families. Effective next year, Columbia will provide grants instead of loans to students whose families have an annual income of $50,000 or less. The policy is expected to benefit approximately 14 per cent of current Columbia undergrads. Columbia is conducting a fund-raising campaign to underwrite additional increases in financial aid in the coming years.

Yale and UC Berkeley Put Videos of Classes Online

College applicants who are unable to visit Yale or the University of California at Berkeley will soon have another option for checking out the classroom experience at those schools. Both Yale and UC Berkeley have announced that they will post videos of selected classes online, along with course materials. The video files will give prospective students and members of the general public free access to the same lectures and classroom presentations that students attend. The courses Yale plans to put online this semester are "Introduction to the Old Testament," "Introduction to Political Philosophy," and "Fundamentals of Physics." UC Berkeley is making half a dozen courses available online, including "Integrative Biology" and "Search Engines: Technology, Society, and Business." For more information, visit the schools' websites.

September 2006:

Harvard Will Drop Early Admissions for 2008

Harvard University has announced that it will end its early action admissions program next year. Fall 2007 applicants still have the option of applying under Harvard's SCEA or regular deadlines, but applicants for Fall 2008 and later will all apply under the regular January 1 deadline.

The policy change will make Harvard the only Ivy League school without an early admissions option. Previously, Harvard and Yale were the only two Ivies with non-binding, single choice early action (SCEA) programs. The other six Ivies all have binding early decision programs.

Columbia to Adopt the Common App?

Columbia University may begin accepting the Common Application for undergraduate admissions this year, according to a recent Bloomberg news report. Bloomberg quotes the University's director of media relations as saying that the Common App would be adopted "in the near future." The change would make Brown University the only Ivy League school that does not accept the Common Application.

U of Pennsylvania Expects Lower Acceptance Rate for '07

Bloomberg also reports that the University of Pennsylvania, which adopted the Common Application for the 2006-2007 application season, expects the change will lead to higher application volume and a lower acceptance rate. Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson said that U Penn hoped to attract up to 2,000 additional applicants by accepting the Common App. Because the size of the University's freshman class would remain the same as in past years, the increased applicant pool could mean an acceptance rate as low as 12 per cent. U Penn's acceptance rate for 2006 admissions was 17.7 per cent.

SAT Scores Drop Nationwide

ETS reports that the average SAT score for college-bound seniors who took the test in 2006 dropped by several points from those seen in 2005. Average scores for 2006 were 503 in critical reading and 518 in math, compared to 508 for verbal skills and 520 for math in 2005. A number of colleges had already noted a decline in the average SAT scores for this year's applicants and admits. Observers suspect that the longer length of the revised SAT helps explain the overall drop in scores.

August 2006:

Stats for MIT's Class of 2010

MIT published these preliminary stats for its incoming freshman class:

Applications received: 11,373
Acceptance rate – 13%
Yield – 67%

Male – 52%
Female – 48%
Underrepresented minorities – 16%
International students – 8%

Median SAT scores – Verbal, 740; Math, 780

Universities Woo Applicants with Pre-Approved Applications

In your heart of hearts, you know you're a real catch as a college applicant – and now colleges are betting they can get you to apply by appealing to that belief.

The New York Times reports that the University of Vermont is one of a number of schools that are reaching out to prospective applicants through email messages that offer pre-approved admissions for exceptional students (like the recipient, of course). Vermont's V.I.P. offer, which was sent to 16,000 high school seniors, included an application form already filled in with the student's information and an application fee waiver. Over 2,000 recipients accepted the offer, making up almost 12 per cent of Vermont's 2006 application pool.

Other pre-approved applications being offered to selected students include the 'Snap App' from Baylor University, the 'Fast Track' application from Loyola University in Chicago, and the Personal Application from Tulane University.

July 2006:

Leaving the Nest

Starting college is an exciting time for young adults. But it can also be extremely stressful—for both the students and their parents.
Click here to read the full article.

Common Application for 2006-2007 Now Available

The 2006-2007 Common Application website is now up and running. Students can use this service to submit online or printed applications to 299 different colleges and universities, including 6 of the 8 Ivy League schools (Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale) and many of the country's top liberal arts colleges (including Bowdoin, Hamilton, Middlebury, Pomona, Reed, and Skidmore).

Changes to this year's Common Application form include a new question about disciplinary history. There are also new supplemental forms for early applications, for arts and sports programs, and for students who attended secondary school outside the U.S.

Don't forget that that many of the schools that use the Common App also require applicants to submit supplemental, school-specific forms and essays. Make sure you understand what's required by the schools you're targeting.

And don't forget that many fine colleges and universities – such as the University of Chicago, Stanford, Columbia, and Brown – do not use the Common Application at all. Don't limit your college search to schools on the Common App membership list. You might miss out on one of your best-fit schools if you do.

To access the 2006-2007 Common Application, go to www.commonapp.org.

Chicago's The Uncommon Application Goes Live July 18

The University of Chicago not only does not subscribe to the Common App, but takes a swipe at the very idea of a common application in the name it chose for its own online application service. The Uncommon Application is scheduled to go live starting Sunday, July 18. For more information, go to https://uncommonapplication-y.uchicago.edu/. 

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