Drexel U. Brings On a New Wave of Applicants

With its "VIP Application," Drexel University set out to attract more students and enroll more. Amid a sea of paper, the plan is working. Admissions decision making has traditionally been a slow process, something that has added to the field's mystique. But early-answer programs show that the wheels can turn faster if need be.

Full text article by Eric Hoover is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/10/10.

Number of Foreign Students in U.S. Hit a New High Last Year

The number of foreign students attending American colleges hit an all-time high in 2008, capping three consecutive years of vigorous growth, according to new data from the Institute of International Education. Some 671,616 international students attended U.S. institutions in 2008-9, an increase of almost 8 percent from a year earlier. First-time-student enrollments grew even more robustly, by nearly 16 percent.

Full text article by Karin Fischer is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/16/09.

The Power of Race

New research on admissions at elite colleges shows the role of affirmative action, the extent and limits of cross-racial interaction among students, and significant gaps in academic performance. Based on these findings, and the reality that some states have barred affirmative action and that the U.S. Supreme Court's blessing for consideration of race in admissions came with a 25-year time limit, the authors suggest that it's time for a massive federally supported effort, equivalent in intensity to the Manhattan Project, to determine the source of academic achievement gaps and to develop plans to shrink them.

Full text post by Scott Jaschik is available via Inside Higher Ed, 11/3/09.

Troubled Barber-Scotia College Seeks Revival

Barber-Scotia, a four-year college here, is on the edge of extinction. The college lost its accreditation in 2004, and total enrollment is down to a dozen, 10 of whom are first-year students. The historically black college, which is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is saddled with nearly $11-million in debt and can afford neither to maintain many of the buildings on its historic campus nor to tear them down. Its supporters, however, are trying to resuscitate the college.
Full-text post by Eric Kelderman is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/18/09.

Colleges Sweat Out Admissions This Year

Facing a new financial landscape, colleges are struggling to figure out how many students to accept, and how many students will accept them.

Full-text article by Kate Zernike is available via The New York Times, 3.8.09.

Well-Regarded Public Colleges Get a Surge of Bargain Hunters

At SUNY New Paltz, as at many other well-regarded public institutions this spring, admissions calculations carefully measured over many years are being set aside as an unraveling economy is making less expensive state colleges more appealing.

The application deadline is not until April 1, but officials here conservatively predict 15,500 students competing for 1,100 spots, a 12 percent jump over last year.

Full-text article by Lisa W. Foderaro is available via The New York Times, 3.1.09.

New Data Predict Major Shifts in Student Population, Requiring Colleges to Change Strategies

Colleges and universities know that the composition of the nation's student body is headed for a major change. They've been seeing the evidence for years. Population data published by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education confirms that major shifts are under way.

The complete study "Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates by State, Race, Ethnicity, 1992-2002" is available via WIC's Web site.

Full-text article by Elyse Ashburn is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3.20.08.