College Bound Brief #75**
Colleges compete with each other on the football field, the basketball court, and in the swimming pool. And now many of them have started competing with each other on the admissions front as well. Due to declining budgets, a demographic cliff, and fewer students going to college, many universities have started new practices to help secure their incoming class.
At first glance, this seems like a positive advancement for students graduating high school in the next few years – and it is: Students interested in applying to lesser-known, less selective colleges may now have more opportunities to not only gain acceptance but also to receive scholarships. However, students applying to more well-known institutions will still face stiff competition from fellow students.
In addition, the new practices colleges are implementing to help them attract more applicants have made an already very confusing, stressful, and expensive process even more so. Multiple dual enrollment options, colleges offering more spots during the Early Decision round, and colleges actively recruiting students after they have put a deposit in for another school make an already anxiety-producing process that much more stressful.
Source: Competition is intensifying among universities and colleges for a dwindling supply of students
**The Answer Class’ weekly email saves you time while keeping your family informed about the topics that matter most. We do the research and share weekly bits in plain language so that you can confidently and with ease navigate the often overwhelming college admissions process (which, by the way, starts long before senior year!). To subscribe, sign up here!