State of College Admission 2015 Report

Data Sources NACAC annual surveys External Data Counseling Trends Survey Admission Trends Survey External Data US Department of Education IPEDS data Other education organizations

Methodology 2014 Admission Trends Survey Surveyed 1,253 NACAC member colleges NACAC member colleges represent 66% of all accredited, 4-yr, nonprofit, Title-IV participating colleges in the US that grant bachelors degrees Received 335 responses (27% response rate) 2015 Admission Trends Survey Two surveys: 1) university admission offices 2) IR representatives Surveyed 1,380 NACAC member colleges Received 687 responses overall (208 institutions submitted both sections, 131 submitted only the admission office sections, and 348 submitted only the IR portion) 50% response rate

Methodology (con’t) 2014 Counseling Trends Survey Surveyed NACAC member secondary schools plus random sample of all public high schools (10,000 total) 1,360 usable responses Survey respondents over-representative of public and private, non-parochial schools; under-representative of private, parochial institutions. NACAC respondents also had a smaller proportion of students eligible for free-or-reduced priced lunch, and they reported larger enrollments compared to all secondary schools

College Applications

Number of High School Graduates: Actual and Projected, 1990 to 2025 Note: Includes both public and private high school graduates. Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2014). Digest of Education Statistics. Table 210.10. Washington DC: NCES

Actual and Projected Numbers of Public High School Graduates, by Region: 1999–00, 2009–10 and 2024–25 (in thousands) Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). Digest of Education Statistics. Table 219.10. Washington DC: NCES.

Increases in Student Application Submission: 1990 to 2015 (First-Time Freshmen) Source: Eagan, M.K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Ramirez, J.J., Aragon, M.C., Suchard, M.R., and Rios-Aguilar, C. (2016). The American Freshman: Fifty-Year Trends, 1996-2015. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

Applications per Admission Officer (First-Time Freshmen) Mean Type   Public 914 Private 411 Enrollment Fewer than 3,000 students 316 3,000 to 9,999 661 10,000 or more 1,241 Selectivity Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 923 50 to 70 percent 593 71 to 85 percent 480 More than 85 percent 327 Note: Both admission counselors and mid/senior level admission officials were included in the analyses. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Applications and Enrollment, by Selectivity: Fall 2014 (First-Time Freshmen) Average Acceptance Rate for Four-Year Colleges: 65.8 percent Selectivity National share of institutions Average number of applications per institution National share of applications National share of full-time, freshmen undergraduates Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 19.7% 10,678 35.2% 19.8% 50 to 70 percent 36.0% 5,860 35.3% 36.8% 71 to 85 percent 28.9% 4,969 24.0% 32.4% More than 85 percent 15.4% 2,129 5.5% 11.0% Note: Of the 1,871 total institutions, 1,557 provided selectivity data for Fall 2014. Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014-2015). Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Data Center. Washington, DC: NCES.

Growth in Applications Fall 2013 to Fall 2014 Percent Change First-Time Freshmen 6% Transfer Students 4% International Students 23% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Acceptance Rates for Transfer and International Applicants Mean TRANSFER Number of Transfer Applications Received 1,379 Transfer Selectivity Rate 61.0% Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students 65.3% INTERNATIONAL Number of International Applications Received 863 International Selectivity Rate 33.9% Overall Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with International Students 64.9% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

College Application Fees (First-Time Freshmen) Percentage with Fees Mean Fee 83.4 $43.50 Type Public 93.7 $43.40 Private 78.4 $43.55 Enrollment   Fewer than 3,000 students 78.2 $41.69 3,000 to 9,999 89.1 $43.74 10,000 or more 96.0 $49.36 Selectivity Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 87.4 $52.19 50 to 70 percent 80.5 $40.41 71 to 85 percent 86.1 $41.05 More than 85 percent 79.6 $39.76 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Recruitment and Yield Strategies

Importance of Prospective Student Populations in Meeting Institutional Enrollment Goals Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Average Yield Rates, by Prospective Student Group Average Yield Rate for Four-Year Colleges: 36.2 percent Mean TRANSFER Number of Transfer Applicants Accepted 851 Transfer Yield Rate 54.7% Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students 28.8% INTERNATIONAL Number of International Applicants Accepted 306 International Yield Rate 52.0% Overall Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with International Students 28.9% Note: Of the 1,871 total institutions, 1,557 provided selectivity data for Fall 2014. Sources: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015; US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014-2015). Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Data Center. Washington, DC: NCES.

Importance of Various Recruitment Strategies First-Time Freshmen Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Moderately Important Limited Importance Not Important Website 84.4 12.4 2.5 0.7 E-mail 82.7 14.8 2.1 0.4 Hosted Campus Visit 77.0 17.0 4.6 1.4 High School Counselor 60.8 33.9 3.9 High School Visit 58.5 32.6 8.5 Direct Mail 54.6 31.7 12.0 1.8 College Fairs 52.5 35.6 10.2 Social Media 38.2 42.0 17.7 Community Based Organizations 16.9 36.7 38.8 7.6 Test-Optional Policy 13.9 8.9 5.0 72.2 Alumni 12.5 31.2 47.3 9.0 Conditional/Provisional Admission Program 5.1 18.4 30.5 46.0 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Importance of Various Recruitment Strategies Transfer Students Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Moderately Important Limited Importance Not Important Direct Mail 29.2 32.4 28.1 10.3 Website 81.9 15.6 2.1 0.4 E-mail 77.3 14.9 5.7 Community College Outreach/Partnership 57.7 23.9 14.4 3.9 Articulation Agreements with Community Colleges 50.7 25.5 8.9 Hosted Campus Visit 49.6 31.0 14.1 5.3 College Fairs 29.9 8.5 Social Media 26.6 41.8 27.3 4.3 High School Counselor 13.8 10.7 31.8 43.7 High School Visit 9.5 12.6 16.4 61.5 Alumni 9.4 20.9 53.1 16.6 Community Based Organizations 8.6 22.3 48.7 20.4 Test-Optional Policy 8.3 6.7 8.7 76.4 Conditional/Provisional Admission Program 3.8 14.3 24.5 57.4 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Importance of Various Recruitment Strategies International Students Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Moderately Important Limited Importance Not Important Website 87.7 10.4 1.1 0.7 E-mail 79.0 15.4 4.1 1.5 High School Counselor 35.3 20.9 24.4 19.4 Social Media 30.7 39.3 25.1 4.9 Hosted Campus Visit 26.3 17.2 36.6 19.8 Overseas High School Visit 23.8 21.1 21.9 33.2 College Fairs 20.5 27.3 25.8 26.5 US High School Visit 13.0 12.6 48.2 Alumni 10.7 46.9 17.9 Conditional/Provisional Admission Program 9.6 15.7 21.3 53.4 Test-Optional Policy 9.7 8.1 6.5 75.7 Direct Mail 9.4 13.9 40.4 36.3 Community Based Organizations 6.4 14.0 35.2 44.4 Utilize Agents 15.9 21.0 50.0 Partnerships with Overseas Colleges 15.3 24.7 27.6 32.4 State or Regional Recruitment Consortium 8.0 22.2 30.2 39.6 Federal Government Support 24.8 31.4 29.9 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Key Statistics for Early Decision (ED) Colleges Mean Applications Received through Early Decision 6.1% Early Decision Selectivity Rate 61.8% Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies 51.4% Early Decision Yield Rate 86.5% Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies 26.2% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Key Statistics for Early Action (EA) Colleges Mean Applications Received through Early Action 6.1% Early Action Selectivity Rate 61.8% Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 51.4% Early Action Yield Rate 86.5% Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 26.2% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Percentage of Colleges Using Early Decision, Early Action, and Wait Lists All Survey Respondents 20.8% 33.8% 38.5% Type Public 7.2 28.2 30.5 Private 28.6 37.2 43.1 Enrollment Fewer than 3,000 students 27.3 29.9 37.1 3,000 to 9,999 22.1 36.6 40.9 10,000 or more 4.4 37.4 49.5 Selectivity Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 49.0 29.0 77.0 50 to 70 percent 20.3 35.6 37.9 71 to 85 percent 15.1 33.7 More than 85 percent 3.0 24.2 9.1 Yield Enroll fewer than 30 percent of admitted students 25.1 40.8 44.4 30 to 45 percent 18.0 22.9 33.5 46 to 60 percent 17.9 32.1 More than 60 percent -- 20.0 50.0 Note: - = No institutions in category. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Mean Percentage of Students Admitted From a Wait List These acceptance rates are based on the group of students who opt to remain on a wait list, which is only 41 percent, on average. Mean Percentage All Survey Respondents 31.9 Selectivity   Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 12.3 50 to 70 percent 45.0 71 to 100 percent 58.6 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Factors in the Admission Decision

Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Importance of Various Factors in the Admission Decision: First-Time Freshmen Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Moderately Important Limited Importance Not Important Grades in College Prep Courses 79.2 13.0 6.9 0.9 Grades in All Courses 60.3 31.0 8.7 -- Strength of Curriculum 60.2 26.8 10.0 3.0 Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT) 55.7 32.5 7.9 3.9 Essay or Writing Sample 22.1 39.0 21.6 17.3 Counselor Recommendation 42.4 27.3 Student’s Demonstrated Interest 16.9 33.3 22.9 Teacher Recommendation 15.2 43.5 27.8 13.5 Class Rank 14.0 37.7 32.0 16.2 Subject Test Scores (AP, IB) 7.0 35.2 32.6 25.1 Portfolio 6.6 30.6 52.8 Extracurricular Activities 5.6 43.3 34.6 16.5 SAT II Scores 5.3 8.4 23.0 63.3 Interview 3.5 23.1 28.4 45.0 State Graduation Exam Scores 11.0 25.4 60.1 Work 21.3 44.8 33.0 Note: -- = No institutions in category. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

Grades in College Prep Courses Strength of Curriculum Correlation Matrix: Institutional Characteristics and Importance of Admission Decision Factor (First-time Freshmen) Grades in College Prep Courses Strength of Curriculum Grades in All Courses Admission Test Scores Essay/ Writing Sample Private Institution .04 -.02 -.15* .23** Enrollment .10 .19** .12 Selectivity -.08 -.12 .005 -.04 Yield -.21** -.06 -.05 Notes: N = 209, Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficients were calculated. * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

Differences in Admission Factor Ratings by Institution Type (First-Time Freshmen) Institution Type Private: More importance on essay/writing samples Public: More importance on admission test scores Enrollment Size Larger: More importance on strength of curriculum Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

Percentage of College Rating As: Considerably Important Importance of Various Factors in the Admission Decision: Transfer Students Percentage of College Rating As: Considerably Important Moderately Important Limited Importance Not Important Overall GPA at Prior Postsecondary Institution(s) 83.4 11.1 3.7 1.7 Average Grades in Transferable Courses 70.9 20.6 6.4 2.0 High School Grade Point Average 22.8 27.5 35.2 14.4 Strength of High School Curriculum 20.4 37.7 -- 41.9 Essay or Writing Sample 19.8 28.9 21.8 29.5 Articulation with Prior Postsecondary Institution 19.3 24.1 27.2 29.3 Grades in College Prep Courses in high school 18.0 23.7 35.9 22.4 Teacher Recommendation 16.0 28.6 26.9 Student’s Demonstrated Interest 14.7 18.1 28.0 39.2 Quality of Postsecondary Institution 14.1 32.6 28.5 24.7 Counselor Recommendation 12.6 25.9 25.3 36.2 Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT) 6.1 22.0 41.0 30.8 Extracurricular Activities 5.4 41.8 Portfolio 5.2 7.3 19.4 68.1 Interview 4.1 15.4 29.4 51.2 State Graduation Exam Scores 2.1 2.8 18.7 76.5 Work 1.4 17.9 41.2 39.5 High School Class rank 1.0 10.5 31.3 57.1 SAT II scores 0.7 3.4 14.2 81.7 Subject Test Scores (AP, IB) 0.3 36.1 52.4 Note: -- = No institutions in category; Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Importance of Various Factors in the Admission Decision: International Students Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Moderately Important Limited Importance Not Important English Proficiency Exam Scores 84.8% 14.1% 1.1% -- Grades in College Prep Courses 77.0 16.4 4.9 1.6 Grades in All Courses 64.1 30.4 3.8 Strength of Curriculum 56.8 28.4 9.8 Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT) 41.0 31.7 18.6 8.7 Essay or Writing Sample 37.2 31.1 18.0 13.7 National School Leaving or Graduation Certificate 25.6 30.0 23.3 21.1 Counselor Recommendation 19.8 34.6 27.5 18.1 Teacher Recommendation 19.1 30.1 19.7 Subject Test Scores (AP, IB) 14.4 27.1 34.3 24.3 Student’s Demonstrated Interest 25.8 30.2 Class Rank 7.7 22.7 34.8 Interview 42.6 Portfolio 6.6 25.7 60.1 Extracurricular Activities 5.0 26.1 39.4 29.4 SAT II Scores 5.5 28.0 62.6 Work 2.2 10.9 33.9 53.0 Note: -- = No institutions in category; Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

International Students Percentage of Colleges Attributing “Considerable Importance” to Factors in the Admission Decision: Comparison of Prospective Student Groups First-Time Freshmen Transfer Students International Students Grades in College Prep Courses Taken in High School 79.2% 18.0% 77.0% Grades in All High School Courses 60.3 22.8 64.1 Strength of High School Curriculum 60.2 20.4 56.8 Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT) 55.7 6.1 41.0 Essay or Writing Sample 22.1 19.8 37.2 Counselor Recommendation 17.3 12.6 Student’s Demonstrated Interest 16.9 14.7 13.7 Teacher Recommendation 15.2 16.0 19.1 Class Rank 14.0 -- 7.7 Subject Test Scores (AP, IB) 7.0 14.4 Portfolio 6.6 5.2 Extracurricular Activities 5.6 5.4 5.0 SAT II Scores 5.3 0.7 3.8 Interview 3.5 4.1 State Graduation Exam Scores 2.1 NA Work 0.9 1.4 2.2 Note: -- = No institutions in category; Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

Student Contextual Factors Student characteristics that may influence how the main factors in admission decisions are interpreted include: High school attended Race/ethnicity State or county of residence First-generation college student Ability to pay Gender Alumni relationship

Considerable Importance Importance of Student Characteristics as Contextual Factors in Application Review: First-Time Freshmen Considerable Importance Moderate Importance Limited Importance No Importance High School Attended 2.0 20.2 34.3 43.4 Race/Ethnicity 3.4 11.1 18.5 67.1 State or County of Residence 7.4 22.9 67.7 First-Generation Status 2.4 13.9 31.8 52.0 Ability to Pay 0.7 4.7 12.5 52.1 Gender 12.8 82.8 Alumni Relations 1.0 8.1 41.6 49.3 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Correlation Matrix: Institutional Characteristics and Importance of Student Contextual Factors (First-time Freshmen) High School Attended Race/ Ethnicity State or County of Residence First-Generation Ability to Pay Gender Alumni Relations Private .20*** .16* -.08 -.02 .34*** .23*** .36*** Enrollment .05 .22*** .14 -.19* -.01 -.18* Selectivity -.05 -.26*** -.32*** -.23*** -.34*** -.21*** Yield .01 .06 -.25*** .07 Notes: N = 173. Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficients were calculated.. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

Considerable Importance Importance of Student Characteristics as Contextual Factors in Application Review: Transfer Students Considerable Importance Moderate Importance Limited Importance No Importance High School Attended 1.4 5.1 25.7 67.8 Race/Ethnicity 2.7 9.2 16.7 71.4 State or County of Residence 1.7 5.5 18.8 74.1 First-Generation Status 11.4 27.2 59.7 Ability to Pay 1.0 7.5 40.3 51.2 Gender 2.4 10.6 85.7 Alumni Relations 11.3 82.3 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Correlation Matrix: Institutional Characteristics and Importance of Student Contextual Factors (Transfer Students) High School Attended Race/ Ethnicity State or County of Residence First-Generation Ability to Pay Gender Alumni Relations Private .14 .13 -.13 .04 .38*** .20* .42*** Enrollment .09 .21*** .11 -.22** -.03 -.25*** Selectivity -.06 -.28*** -.26*** -.31*** -.10 -.30*** -.22*** Yield -.09 -.04 .02 -.20** .05 -.21*** Note: N = 167. Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficients were calculated.. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

Considerable Importance Importance of Student Characteristics as Contextual Factors in Application Review: International Students Considerable Importance Moderate Importance Limited Importance No Importance High School Attended 3.6 17.4 30.4 48.6 Race/Ethnicity 2.5 7.2 14.4 75.9 State or County of Residence 2.2 10.1 23.7 64.0 First-Generation Status 1.8 9.1 22.1 67.0 Ability to Pay 20.6 10.3 8.9 60.1 Gender 2.9 12.2 83.1 Alumni Relations 1.5 8.0 41.1 49.5 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Correlation Matrix: Institutional Characteristics and Importance of Student Contextual Factors (International Students) High School Attended Race/ Ethnicity State or County of Residence First-Generation Ability to Pay Gender Alumni Relations Private .19* .10 .07 -.03 .37*** .23*** Enrollment .06 .13 .16* -.18* -.01 -.19* Selectivity -.09 -.26*** -.23*** -.37*** -.02 -.35*** -.24*** Yield .01 -.08 .09 -.17* Note: N = 167. Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficients were calculated.. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014

All 3 Groups‒Freshmen, Transfer, and International Students Student Contextual Factors: Differences in Ratings by Institutional Characteristics and Prospective Student Population All 3 Groups‒Freshmen, Transfer, and International Students Private: ability to pay, gender, and alumni relations Smaller: ability to pay and alumni relations More Selective: race/ethnicity, state or county of residence, first-generation status, gender, and alumni relations Lower yield: ability to pay and alumni relations Freshmen and Transfer Students Larger: state or county of residence First-Time Freshmen Private: race/ethnicity Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Student Contextual Factors: Highlights by Prospective Student Group Ability to Pay (Percent Rating as Moderately or Considerably Important) 31 percent for international students 5 percent for domestic freshmen 9 percent for transfer students High School Attended (Percent Rating as Moderately or Considerably Important) 21 percent for international students 22 percent for domestic freshmen 7 percent for transfer Alumni Relations (Percent Rating as Not Important) 83 percent for transfer students 50 percent for freshmen (domestic and international) Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

College Counseling in Secondary Schools

Student-to-Counselor Ratios American School Counselors Association (ASCA) recommends a maximum of 250 students per counselor. National average at public schools is 476 students Only 3 states with ratios below ASCA’s recommendation: New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming. Five states with ratios higher than 700: Arizona, California, Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois Sources: American School Counselors Association (ASCA). Retrieved 9/29/2016 from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/ASCA%20National%20Model%20Templates/ANMExecSumm.pdf ; US Department of Education (2015) Common Core of Data State Nonfiscal Survey Public Elementary/Secondary Education: School Year, 2013-14 Version 1a. Washington, DC: NCES..

Rankings of Counseling Department Priorities Private Schools Public Schools College Preparation and Planning 1 2 Academic Achievement in High School Personal Growth and Development 3 Preparation and Planning for Work 4 Source: Counseling Trends Survey, 2014

Percentage of Time on College Counseling Private Schools Public Schools Source: NACAC Counseling Trends Survey, 2014

Professional Development for College Counselors in Secondary Schools At 37 percent of high schools, counselors were required to participate in professional development (PD); only 41 percent of these schools covered all associated costs. Some schools more likely to require likely to require PD and to cover all associated costs: Private Lower student-to-counselor ratios

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