A Big Shift in Elite Admission
Elite admissions are experiencing a sea change. Colleges that had been declining in enrollment are now seeing an uptick in applications.
Despite an increase in demand, admission rates remain low. In some top public universities, less than half of applicants are admitted to their flagship campuses.
Public universities are bucking the trend.
Public universities differ from private ones in that they receive government funds to cover students’ tuition costs. This provides them with additional resources for research and other initiatives that benefit their students.
Therefore, many of these schools can boast greater prestige than their private counterparts. University of California at Berkeley – the top-ranked public university in America – serves as an example.
State schools tend to be cheaper for in-state residents than their private counterparts, making them an attractive option for part-time or online students who don’t need to commute long distances or have plenty of extra money for college expenses.
These schools may also be more likely to graduate students on schedule, which increases their prospects of finding employment after graduation. Even with fewer applicants and more funding, admission into these public institutions may still be more competitive than private counterparts. So it’s worth exploring your options and seeing which school best fits you.
It’s a big shift.
As COVID-19 has caused college enrollments across America to slow, one sector of education is defying that trend: so-called elite schools. They’ve seen an incredible surge in applications.
Why? Some colleges went test-optional during the pandemic, meaning they didn’t require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores.
That meant more high school students were eager to apply to these colleges, even though many of them don’t accept all students.
Some of the Ivy League schools include Harvard, Yale, Princeton and other prestigious names.
Schools are able to select their student bodies with such precision due to something called “master legacy preferences.” This allows colleges to prioritize certain applicants based on criteria like merit or age – or some combination thereof – but at the expense of diversity.
It’s a long-term trend.
A major shift in elite admission has far-reaching effects. It will have an impact on other aspects of college-going, such as the number of applicants and average SAT or ACT scores.
One notable change is the rise of test-optional colleges. This development, which began during the pandemic, reflects how many high schoolers believe their standardized test scores may hinder their chances of being accepted to Ivy League or other elite colleges.
However, this doesn’t mean students should stop submitting their SAT or ACT scores; they remain important factors in admissions decisions. In fact, some admissions experts believe a student with an average SAT/ACT score may have better chances of being accepted to an Ivy League college than one with above-average marks.
It’s a crisis.
For years, elite colleges and universities have relied on a reliable set of factors to attract the brightest students: grades, curriculum strength, standardized test scores and that all-important admissions essay. But now with the lingering pandemic threatening these essential admission criteria, their reliability may be in jeopardy.
As a result, enrollment at regional four-year and community colleges, as well as some private institutions, is declining. Furthermore, public universities face an existential crisis that could threaten their futures.
But some are defying the odds:
University of Maine has made a major stride toward creating an inclusive admissions process. In an age when college can still be seen as something out of reach for many, this marks an important development.