Article in International Herald Tribune focuses on SUNY system whose 8 four-year technology schools have seen an 11% increase in applications. Here are some other institutions cited:
- The Connecticut State University System is projecting an 11 percent rise across its four campuses - the largest one-year increase ever - with Central Connecticut State up 16 percent by January.
- At Oregon State University, freshman applications are up 12 percent, and transfer applications are up more than 31 percent.
- At the University of Cincinnati, applications are still pouring in, but by early February they were outpacing last year's pool by 10 percent.
As I have posted earlier, these application increases are not limited to public schools. Private, elite institutions with strong financial aid programs have also seen sharp increases in applications, too.
One other interesting element in the story was the strategy that SUNY New Paltz and perhaps other schools may emulate this year regarding waiting lists:
"Given last year's surprise of 24 percent of accepted students actually enrolling - a big increase from the 20 or 21 percent in previous years - the college plans to send 4,500 acceptance letter this year, 1,000 fewer than usual, and keep an extra-long waiting list."
In an environment where models based on past performance seem increasingly irrelevant given the unprecedented nature of this economic crisis, I would suspect that other admissions directors might follow a similar path of longer waiting lists, given the limited resources most have to accommodate increasing student bodies.
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