State of College Admission 2015 Report

Purpose Provide up-to-date information on the admission process for first-time freshmen, transfer students, and international students Provide information on the status of college counseling in public and private secondary schools

Methodology in Brief 2014 Admission Trends Survey Surveyed admission offices at 1,253 four-year colleges (NACAC members) Received 335 responses 2015 Admission Trends Survey Surveyed admission and institutional research offices at 1,380 four-year colleges Received 687 partial and complete responses 2014 Counseling Trends Survey Surveyed 10,000 secondary schools (NACAC members and a random sample all public schools) Received 1,360 responses

College Applications

Number of High School Graduates: Actual and Projected, 1990 to 2025 Projection data from the US Department of Education show that the number of US high school graduates will be reaching a plateau after 25 years of steady growth. 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

Increases in Student Application Submission: 1990 to 2015 (First-Time Freshmen) Over the past 25 years there has been a significant increase in the number of college applications first-time freshmen submit. Notably, 36% of first-time freshmen in 2015 submitted 7 or more applications compared to only 9% in 1990. Source: Eagan, M.K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Ramirez, J.J., Aragon, M.C., Suchard, M.R., & Rios-Aguilar, C. (2016) The American Freshman: Fifty-Year Trends, 1996-2015. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

Growth in Applications Fall 2013 to Fall 2014 Percent Change First-Time Freshmen 6% Transfer Students 4% International Students 23% Between the Fall of 2013 and Fall of 2014 there was, on average, 6% growth in first-time freshmen applications; a 4% increase in transfer applications; and a 23% increase in applications from international students. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

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 Public institutions, as well as highly selective colleges and those which enroll more than 10,000 students, reported the highest application to admission officer ratios. Note: Both admission counselors and mid/senior level admission officials were included in the analyses. 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 The majority of colleges, approximately 83%, charge application fees. The average fee is $44. 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% Overall, the average acceptance to four-year institutions is 65.8%. Despite highly selective institutions representing less than 20% of the postsecondary sector, they receive over 35% of all applications submitted. 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.

Average Selectivity Rates, by Prospective Student Group Mean TRANSFER Average Number of Transfer Applications Received 1,379 Transfer Selectivity Rate 61.0% Overall Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students 65.3% INTERNATIONAL Average Number of International Applications Received 863 International Selectivity Rate 33.9% Overall Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with International Students 64.9% The overall transfer acceptance rate (61%) is on par with the overall admit rate (65.8%) for first-time freshmen. On average, the admission rate for international students (33.9%) is considerably less than the overall selectivity rate for all freshmen applicants (64.9%). Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Recruitment and Yield Strategies

International Students Percentage of Colleges Attributing “Considerable Importance” to Various Recruitment Strategies Recruitment Strategy First-Time Freshmen Transfer Students International Students Website 84.4% 81.9% 87.7% E-mail 82.7 77.3 79.0 Hosted Campus Visit 77.0 49.6 26.3 High School Counselor 60.8 13.8 35.3 High School Visit (Overseas for International Students) 10.0 4.0 23.8 Direct Mail 54.6 29.2 9.4 College Fairs 52.5 29.9 20.5 Social Media 38.2 26.6 30.7 Community Based Organizations 16.9 8.6 6.4 Test-Optional Policy 13.9 8.3 9.7 Alumni 12.5 10.7 Conditional/Provisional Admission Program 5.1 3.8 9.6 Top recruitment strategies for first-time freshmen, transfer, and international students overlap and include: advertising via the college website and connecting with prospective students via e-mail. For first-time freshmen and transfer students, colleges also rely on a hosted campus visit. 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 The majority of institutions surveyed neither have Early Decision and Early Application policies nor utilize wait lists. Very few public institutions offer an Early Decision plan. Highly selective institutions were the most likely to offer these programs as well as to use wait lists. Note: - = No institutions in category. Italicized figures should be interpreted with caution due to low sample size. 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% A very small portion of all applications submitted to colleges and universities –6.1%– are received through Early Decision plans. The overall acceptance rate among institutions with Early Decision policies is 51.4%. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Key Statistics for Early Action (EA) Colleges Mean Applications Received through Early Action 40.2% Early Action Selectivity Rate 72.9% Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 66.0% Early Action Yield Rate 25.8% Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 25.1% The Early Action acceptance rate (72.9%) is slightly higher than the overall selectivity rate (66.0%) for institutions with this policy. Approximately 40% of applications submitted were received through Early Action. 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 Approximately 32% of students are admitted off a wait list. Unsurprisingly, the probability of being offered acceptance is greater from institutions with higher selectivity rates. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

Factors in the Admission Decision

Considerable Importance Percentage of Colleges Attributing Different Levels of Importance to Factors in the Admission Decision (First-Time Freshmen) Considerable Importance Moderate Importance Limited Importance No Importance 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 The top four admission factors for first-time freshmen are: 1) Grades in College Prep Courses 2) Grades in All Courses 3) Strength of Curriculum 4) Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT) Note: -- = No institutions in category. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014.

Factors in the Admission Decision: Transfer and International Overall GPA at prior postsecondary institutions Grades in transferrable courses International English proficiency exam scores Besides high school GPA and the strength of the high school curriculum, the overall GPA at the prior postsecondary institution and average grades in transferable courses were factors deemed of “considerable” importance in the admission decision for transfer students. Approximately 85% of respondents considered English proficiency exam scores to be “considerably important” in the admission decision for international students.

More Information Read the Full Report www.nacacnet.org/soca Contact NACAC’s Research Department research@nacacnet.org 703-299-6854