You’ve probably read articles that paint a doom-and-gloom picture for students applying to college. With all the media hype surrounding the selectivity of the college admissions process, it’s no wonder students, parents and educators are so stressed!
To help you separate fact from fiction, we’ve compiled some interesting statistics about college admissions and explain what they mean, and how they can affect, your students.
Fact: Sixty percent of high school graduates are enrolling in college within a year of graduating from high school.1
What it Means: Instead of making the jump to college right away, a significant percentage of graduating high school students are seeking a different path to success. Some take time to travel, work and volunteer before enrolling in a community college or four-year university. No matter when your student decides to enroll in college, make sure it's the right time for them.
Learn More: Gap Year: Are You Ready to Take Break?, Should You Take a Year Off After Graduation?
Fact: Over 33 percent of first-year students attend college 101-500 miles from their permanent home. Another 24.2 percent attend college just 11-50 miles from home.2
What it Means: Your students might have an urge to attend a school as far from their parents as possible. But, over half of students admitted to college actually decide to stick close to home. Remind students to include travel, moving expenses, and possible out-of-state tuition rates as part of the overall cost to attend a college or university.
Learn More: College Penny Pinching: Budgeting for Expenses, Saving Tips, FinAid Calculator
Fact: Twenty-nine percent of students who opted to remain on a wait list in 2006 were admitted. About one-third of colleges reported maintaining a wait list.1
What it Means: Remember that the wait list isn't always the place where college applications go to die. Nearly a third of all students who stuck it out on a wait list were rewarded for their patience.
Learn More: What to Do if You're Wait-Listed
Fact: Thirty-four percent of first-year students say they were admitted to their first-choice college but did not attend because of cost.2
What it Means: While cost is certainly a huge concern for many students, there are many other ways for them to cut down on the cost of admissions, like filing your FAFSA early, offsetting cost through benefits like federal work-study, and choosing to stay in state to take advantage of tuition breaks.
Learn More: Five Reasons to File Your FAFSA, Get a Job: Federal Work-Study, Get Paid to Stay In State? Students Speak Out
Fact: Over 67 percent of admitted students are currently attending their first-choice school and 22.8 percent are attending their second-choice school.2
What it Means: Ninety percent of admitted students report that they are currently attending their first- or second-choice school. However, it remains true that the 67 percent figure for accepted students deciding to attend their first-choice school is the lowest it has been in 18 years. Unfortunately, the reason many students are unable to attend their first-choice school is cost. Talk to your students about choosing colleges realistically, with an eye toward both their interests and their family's finances, but help them understand that their likelihood of entering a college where they'll be happy is still very high.
Learn More: Questions to Ask Your Counselor, College Choice Questions, The Collegiate Matchmaker
1 National Association for College Admissions Counseling, State of College Admission 2007
2 The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2006
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