National 2013 College Admissions Trends

Every year at about this time, I submit my Board of Trustees report on college admissions.

My report includes a summary of major trends in the college admission world for this year.

 

Major College Admission Trends

Highly Selective Admissions  “Arms Race”…Continues

The arms race in highly selective college admission continued this year.  Seven of the eight Ivies reported increases in applications and decreases in admissions.  At least twenty-two universities reported 30,000+ application totals.  Factors contributing to the arms race include growing first generation applicant pools;  growing international applicant pools;  the popularity/accessibility of the Common Application;  “attract to reject” marketing;  financial aid anxiety. 

Here are a selected handful of admission statistics reported by institutions:

                                                        Apps     Admit%

Stanford University                        38,828   5.69%

Harvard University                         31,785   5.79%

Yale University                               31,117   6.72%

Columbia University                      33,531   6.89%

Princeton University                      26,498    7.29%

University of Chicago                    30,369    8.81%

Dartmouth College                         22,416    10.05%

Duke University                             31,785    11.58%

Vanderbilt University                     31,056    11.97%

University of Pennsylvania            31,280    12.10%

Northwestern University                32,772    13.90%

Washington University                  30,117     15.01%

(St. Louis)           

USC                                               47,285     19.68%

·      The Times Choice blog provides more exhaustive statistics.  Click here to peruse statistics.

“Resource Aware” Schools vs. “Discount Aware” Parents 

There is a growing tension between colleges becoming more “resource aware” (aka “full pay hunting”) versus parents becoming more  “discount aware” (aka “coupon hunter”).

·      This WSJarticle illustrates how price and value are losing momentum among consumers. 

Popularity of Early Decision = Dissolving Advantage

More students are getting savvy about the “game within the college admission game” and applying into early decision pools;  however, schools aren't necessarily admitting more in early decision.  As a result, the strategic advantage of applying early is waning.  In 2007, for example, a student applying early decision had a 12-15% advantage;  last year it was 6%. 

·      Here is one related article.  And another related article. 

ACT Trumps SAT in Popularity

For the first time in US history, the ACT was more popular among high school test takers than the SAT.  Notably, this year, 90% of our seniors scored higher on the ACT than the SAT.  Colleges will take either the ACT or SAT for admission review (there are also 800+ colleges/universities that are test optional.  To peruse this list click here. Moreover, the ACT recently announced that they will be offering their test online (iPads) in the spring of 2015. 

·      Here is one related article.  And another. 

Casady's Class of 2013 College Acceptances and Matriculations

Today is College Day for our seniors!

It's a Casady School tradition for our seniors to wear their college t-shirt on this day as a way to publically announce to the community where they will be matriculating in the fall.

Our college counseling office couldn't be prouder of the Class of 2013 and the colleges they have chosen.

Statistics can never fully reveal the myriad of reasons for why a student chose the college they did.

Story is a much more effective medium.

And I wish I had the time and space to tell each student's story.

But I'll share some statistics nevertheless.

It's been well documented that this has been the most brutal year in highly selective admissions (click here to see 100+ admission statistics.)

Take, as one salient example, Vanderbilt University.

Vandy received 31, 056 applications.

Vandy only admitted 11.97%.

Vandy is a microcosm of what we saw across the entire college landscape.

We saw historic highs in applications - 99,000 at UC- Berkeley.

We saw historic lows in admissions - 6.72% at Yale, 5.79% at Harvard.

And yet, in the midst of such historic highs and lows, our seniors had historic success in terms of overall college acceptances.

188 applications (out of 265 total applications from our 60 seniors) were deemed worthy of admission at 71 different colleges and universities.

From Ivies.  To "Public Ivies".

From Big 12.  To Big 10.

From Pac-12.  To SEC.

From single sex schools.  To military academies.

From small, liberal arts colleges.  To mid-size private, research universities.

This small, senior class really embraced in a big way the spirit of adventure.

54% of our seniors will be matriculating out of state to 31 different colleges and universities.

The other 46% will stay in state to attend  5 different universities.

58% will attend public institutions.

42% will attend private institutions.

8% will matriculate to liberal arts colleges.

92% will matriculate to universities.

To date our seniors have been offered almost $4 million in scholarship monies.

Now to my favorite statistic.

12.

12 is the number of new stickers that we will be adding to our "Cyclone College Bound" map.

Each sticker represents colleges and universities that a Casady student has either not chosen in many years, or never chosen before.

12 is a number that says that our students are broadening the horizons of the possible in terms of great college fits for Casady students.

12 is a number that underscores the fact that more colleges are getting to know how exceptional students are that hale from Casady School.

Okay, with that said, it is time to roll out the Class of 2013 complete acceptance and matriculation list.

Acceptances are in blue.
Matriculation are in red.


University of Alabama (new sticker!)

American University
Arizona State University
University of Arkansas
Austin College
Barnard College (Columbia University)
Baylor University
Boston University
Bryn Mawr College
University of Central Oklahoma (3)
Centre College
University of Colorado - Boulder
Colorado School of Mines (new sticker!)
University of Denver
Duke University
Earlham College
Elon University
Emory University
Fort Lewis College
Furman University (new sticker!)
The George Washington University (new sticker!)
Georgetown University
Harding University
Hendrix College
High Point University (new sticker!)
Kansas State University
King's College
Lake Forest College
Langston University
Lindenwood University
Loyola Marymount University
Lyon College
University of Mississippi
Missouri Baptist University (new sticker!)
Missouri University of Science and Technology
University of Missouri-Columbia
New York University
Newman University
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oklahoma Baptist University (new sticker!)
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma State University (3)
Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
University of Oklahoma (19)
Oxford College of Emory University
Pepperdine University
Randolph College
Randolph-Macon College (new sticker!)
Rhodes College
Saint Louis University
University of San Diego
University of Southern California (new sticker!)
Southern Methodist University (4)
Southwestern University
St. Edward's University (new sticker!)
TAMU
University of Texas - Austin (2)
Texas Christian University
Trinity University
University of Tulsa
United States Air Force Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy 
United States Military Academy at West Point (2)
United States Naval Academy
University of Virginia
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
University of Wisconsin - Madison (new sticker!)
Vanderbilt University
Yale University (new sticker!)

On behalf of our entire office, we are SO PROUD of the Class of 2013!

And we wish each of you the best as you pursue your passions and interests in college.

Please come back and visit us and share your college experience.

We want to hear of all the ways the college you chose has been an excellent college fit!