The State of College Admissions
The number of applicants and the number of college applications submitted per student have increased since 2001, resulting in a slight decline in acceptance rates at U.S. colleges. According to the "State of College Admission 2009" report, published by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the average acceptance rate at 4-year colleges declined from 71% in 2001 to 67% in 2007.
The "State of College Admission" report is an annual analysis of surveys of U.S. colleges and universities. The 2009 report addresses trends in college admission, including information on high school graduation, college enrollment, the cost of applying, and social media trends in the admission process.
We've compiled the highlights of the report:
- Colleges accept 67% of applicants—The average selection rate—the percentage of applicants who are offered admission—at 4-year colleges and universities was 67% for the 2007 fall semester. The average yield—the percentage of admitted students who enroll—was 45%.
- College enrollment reaches an all-time high—As of 2006, approximately 17.8 million students were enrolled at degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Total college enrollment is expected to continue to increase through 2016.
- Minority and low-income students remain underrepresented—In 2007, African-American and Hispanic persons constituted approximately 32% of the traditional college-age population, but they represented only 25% of students enrolled in college.
- Applications continue to increase at 4-year institutions—For the 4th consecutive year, approximately 75% of 4-year colleges and universities reported an increase in the number of applications from the previous year.
- Online applications increase—In 2008, 4-year colleges and universities received an average of 72% of their applications online, up from 68% in 2007 and 58% in 2006.
- Growth in early decision and early action applications slows— In 2008 and 2007, only 49% of institutions reported an increase from the previous year in early decision applications compared with 63% in 2006 and 58% in 2005.
Student Aid Report
About 3–5 days after your college-bound senior files the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online and signs it electronically with a PIN (personal identification number), he or she should get an email with a secure link to view their Student Aid Report (SAR). If your student completes and mails a paper FAFSA, he or she should receive their SAR in about 2–4 weeks.
The SAR lists all the information reported on the FAFSA. If no additional information is needed, the SAR will detail the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Each school listed on the FAFSA (up to six) will receive a copy of the student's SAR. Each school's Financial Aid Office will use the information in the SAR to determine the student's financial aid package.
As soon as your student receives the SAR, they should review it carefully to make sure it's correct and complete. If they need to make corrections or updates to the SAR, they can do so online at: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/FOTWWebApp/complete014.jsp. Or they can write the correct information on the SAR and mail it to the address provided.
Test Day Tips
If your college-bound student is taking any standardized tests (ACT/SAT) this spring, they may be feeling anxious. We've compiled some tips to help you help your student through these stressful tests:
- Relax—Remain confident and positive. If you score below expectations, you can take the test again.
- Pay attention—If you skip a question, be sure to enter your answers to the following questions next to the appropriate question number!
- Make educated guesses—Eliminate the choices you know are wrong and make an educated guess at the remaining choices.
- Keep an eye on the clock—All answers are worth the same amount. If you don't know an answer, skip it and come back when you've finished that test section.
- Arrive early and prepared—The more stress factors you eliminate on test day, the calmer you will be.
- Get ready the night before the test—Get a good night's sleep and eat something before leaving for the test.
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