RuffaloCODY

ASIAN-AMERICAN PARENTS AND THE LURE OF COLLEGE BRANDS

Admissions Lab — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:04:18 +0000

Without presenting any research to back-up her premise, author and attorney Allison Singh writes in the Huffington Post that many Asian-American parents fall prey to the lure of luxury brand colleges, thereby limiting the options being considered by their kids to a short list of big name schools. But fear not, she does attempt to support her argument by citing a conversation with one guidance counselor…

According to Singh, the primary reason for this laser focus on big name schools is the status associated with these schools, as determined by U.S. News and World Report rankings. Another reason, as if one is really needed, is that in many Asian countries, where a person attends college determines his or her entire career. Good to know.

Singh goes on to state that because higher education for many Asian-Americans is a family affair, rejection from the elites can be devastating, not just for a student but for his family as well. Furthermore, she confidently states that employers and graduate schools alike often prefer big state schools to elite private institutions. Good to know. Finally, she concludes by encouraging Asian-American parents to expand their college search.

RUMORS OF HIGHER EDUCATION’S DEMISE ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED

Admissions Lab — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:02:48 +0000

These days it seems that everyone is questioning whether attending college is really worth it. After all, record numbers of college grads are now unemployed or underemployed, and the rising costs of attending college have far outpaced the rate of inflation. But it turns out that the popular rhetoric isn’t necessarily supported by the facts.

In fact, such rhetoric is actually irresponsible, claims Devorah Lieberman, president of the University of La Verne. College graduates are still more likely to be employed than those who only attained a high school diploma.

COLORADO DOUBLES DOWN TO BOOST TUITION REVENUE

Admissions Lab — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:01:02 +0000

So what’s a state to do when the out-of-state enrollment cap it’s imposed on public institutions ends up limiting the ability of those institutions to maximize tuition revenues by enrolling out-of-state students? Well, in Colorado they simply decided to count high achieving in-state students twice.

A bill that was recently signed into law allows Colorado’s public colleges and universities to count each Colorado resident qualifying for a newly-created merit scholarship as two in-state enrollments. This will supposedly help the state retain more high-achieving students while also providing a loophole through which public institutions can enroll more out-of-state students without violating the cap.

Chad Marturano, legislative liaison for the Department of Higher Education, raised concerns about the effect of the change on disadvantaged groups. Marturano cited research indicating that increasing out-of-state enrollments may reduce minority and low-income enrollments.

STUDENT AID FRAUD MAY SWAY INTEREST RATES

Admissions Lab — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:59:35 +0000

As the debate rages in Congress over student loan interest rates, a new report by the Department of Education reveals that suspected student loan fraud has increased by 82% since 2009. The report may influence lawmakers who are currently considering legislation to control student loan interest rates.

According to the report, an estimated 34,007 students, out of a total of 54 million students receiving financial aid, are fraudulently collecting $874 million in student aid. Despite the relatively small percentage of violators, and the profitability of federal loan programs (which will generate $51 billion in net revenue this year), members of congress who oppose government-run loans cite concerns about increases in fraud and abuse as key reasons for their opposition.

FEAR OF ENTRANCE EXAM DRIVES CHINESE STUDENTS TO THE U.S.

Admissions Lab — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:57:42 +0000

In China, acceptance to college is solely dependent on a single admissions exam, the gaokao. Students with the best scores get to attend prestigious Chinese institutions while the rest are relegated to “far flung” colleges. However, a growing number of Chinese students are foregoing the exam entirely and turning instead to colleges in the U.S.

Some Chinese students who score poorly on the gaokao wait a year and then re-take the exam in hopes of gaining admission to a more prestigious Chinese institution. The primary reason is that the graduates of the lower-tier schools are much less likely to secure a good job in a major city like Beijing after graduation.

As a substitute for the gaokao, Chinese students are now taking the SAT. However, because the SAT isn’t offered anywhere on the Chinese mainland, students are forced to travel to Hong Kong.

EDUCATING LATINO PARENTS IS KEY TO LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:30:26 +0000

While Latino high school graduates are beginning to catch up to (and in some cases surpass) their white peers in terms of enrolling in college, they are still far behind where they need to be. That’s because their issues begin much earlier and, in many cases, prevent them from ever getting to the point of high school graduation.

The good news is that a higher percentage Hispanic student who did graduate from high school enrolled in college last fall when compared to white high school graduates. However, they are less likely to attend a four-year college, attend any college full-time, and complete a bachelor’s degree program.

Journalist Esther Cepeda argues that the achievement gaps between white and Hispanic students could be virtually eliminated if only the parents of Hispanic students had a better understanding of educational opportunities and took a greater interest in the success of their children.

ARE “HAVE NOTS” IGNORED BY ELITE INSTITUTIONS?

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:30:07 +0000

In anticipation of the Supreme Court’s decision on the University of Texas at Austin’s admissions policies, many opponents of race-based admissions are calling for colleges to focus on enrolling more low-income students as an alternative to affirmative action. But do the nation’s best colleges—public or private—really want to enroll larger numbers of socioeconomically disadvantage students? The research says ‘no.’

Enrolling more low-income students is easier said than done, and some universities, including those in the University of California system, are doing a better job than others. Budgets, early outreach programs, and legacy admits are just a few of the factors impacting the number of low-income students colleges are able to (or willing to) enroll. But generally, the more selective the institution, the lower the number of Pell-eligible students enrolled.

Pell eligibility is generally accepted as the most consistent way to represent socioeconomically-disadvantaged students. However, other factors that may be impacting enrollment include attendance at lower performing high schools and lack of English language skills.

YOUR WEBSITE MAY BE COSTING YOU APPLICANTS

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:29:50 +0000

Is your website easy to interpret and intuitive to navigate? Is it clearly and concisely worded? Is it thought-provoking and relevant? If your website isn’t all three of these things, potential students may leave without ever submitting an inquiry form, or completing an application.

To build a better website, you must understand who is visiting your website and what they’re looking for. Your content must also be relevant, exciting, and concise, and access to key functions must be easy.

You also have to ask yourself what you want from your website visitors. If the expectation is that they will submit an inquiry or application form, make that call to action obvious—and repeat it across multiple pages your visitors are likely to explore.

CAUTION: HAZARDOUS SUMMER AHEAD

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:29:35 +0000

The summer between high school and college can be a perilous time for college-bound students, but also provides an opportunity for learning. Many of these students will increase their alcohol use. Others will struggle with misconceptions about what college life has in store for them. And for some, the realization of what college will really cost finally begin to sink in. Proactive colleges are now putting programs and strategies in place to address these issues and many others that can impact the transition to life on campus.

Examples of summer programs designed to ease the transition to college include those that focus on educating parents, connecting incoming students with counselors or mentors, and/or sending text messages to maintain relationships with new students.

In addition, colleges are now sending a significant amount of material as part of the orientation process to help students understand the academic environment they’re about to enter so that expectations can be better aligned with reality.

SURPRISE! GRADUATING WITH DEBT IS A REALITY

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:29:09 +0000

Fidelity recently released a “Cost Conscious College Graduates Study” that examined how the cost of college and the resulting debt load impact college choice and future financial decisions. The essence of the report is summarized in this quote from Keith Bernhardt, Fidelity’s Vice President of College Planning: “The number of graduates reporting surprise by the level of student debt they have accumulated is a big concern and shows that there is a considerable need for families to better understand the total cost of college.”

According to the study, 70% of college seniors are graduating with debt this spring, and half of those students are surprised by the amount of debt they’ve accumulated. Other findings of the study:

85% of students report using some of their own savings to pay for college;
81% worked during the school year or during the summer to help pay for college; and
57% chose a specific major in order to receive a high-paying job.

“STRUCTURED INTERVENTIONS” GENERATE DOLLARS, REDUCE ATTRITION

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:47:54 +0000

If you could invest less than $200,000 in a set of students and end up with a return on that investment of more than $660,000 in tuition payments, while also solving a nagging attrition problem would you do it? That’s exactly what happened at Georgia State University based on some serious data mining and a willingness to invest in students who were “most likely to succeed.”

The approach has led to a series of “structured interventions” that are defined by finding a problem, combing the numbers to figure out a solution, testing the idea on a control group, and deciding whether to implement it across a broader group. One component of the program provides mini-grants – on average just under $1,000 – to students who would be dropped from the University because of their inability to pay what’s left of their semester tuition bill. The grants enable these students to re-enroll, persist and graduate, thereby boosting retention and generating additional revenue.

Georgia State also started awarding mini-grants to students who are already receiving financial aid but agree to tutor other students enrolled in classes with higher failure rates. This approach, according to author Jeffrey Selingo, suggest that “as states begin to finally reward colleges for graduating students, and not just enrolling them, institutions must reconsider the significant amount of money and effort they spend on recruiting students and finessing their aid offers to attract them to campus.”

THE REALITY OF COMPETITIVE COLLEGE ADMISSION

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:47:32 +0000

Much to the surprise of many parents—and guidance counselors—admission to the nation’s most competitive colleges requires more than straight A’s, perfect ACT scores, a boatload of extracurriculars, and a commitment to community service to get in. That’s the story of Tanner McArdle, the “complete package” who didn’t get into Stanford, his dream school.

In addition to having all of the important credentials in place, McArdle also scored 5s on all of his AP tests. He also applied early, had strong letters of recommendation, and was “personable,” all the things college seniors are told they need, but still he was denied.

While this story may come as no surprise to many of us who understand the many factors that are considered during the admission process, the situation proved to be very surprising—and disappointing—for Tanner, his family and his counselor. Does this suggest that the too much emphasis is being placed on a checklist of credentials that are needed for admission to a selective institution? Does it suggest that college officials are not clearly communicating about the qualitative factors that play into their decisions? Does it indicate that the emphasis being placed on a single ”dream” institution needs to be distributed across a set of schools that can all meet a student’s desired set of college characteristics?

COST TRANSPARENCY VIA A NET PRICE GUARANTEE

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:47:18 +0000

The University of Dayton was seeking a way to make the cost of college more transparent to students and families. The goal was to give families a clear picture of the costs they would bear so that they would be better prepared to bear them. The result is a guarantee: that students in this year’s incoming class will pay the same amount in each of their four years at Dayton.

In order to make that guarantee work, Dayton will increase its merit-based grants and scholarships every year to match any increases in tuition. As you might expect the plan has been popular with incoming freshmen and their parents. Is this an approach that other colleges might consider, or will budget constraints and poor planning limit them from matching this approach?

COLLEGE SEARCH, PART DEUX: THE ROOMMATE

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:47:05 +0000

By now, most students have made their final decisions about where they will be attending college come Fall. While parents will continue to navigate the many financial decisions yet to be made, many students still face one major decision related to enrollment: choosing a roommate.

Bryan Stromer, a high school senior and blogger for “The New York Times The Envelope, Please”, is facing such a decision. Stromer will be heading to Vanderbilt, and he can’t decide whether to match himself with a roommate via Facebook, or to let Vanderbilt pick one for him.

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DOES INFLUENCE COLLEGE CHOICE

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:46:58 +0000

New research by sociologist Alexandria Walton Radford has found that, while 79% of “well-off” high school valedictorians apply to at least one highly selective college, only half of middle- and low-income valedictorians do. The difference: students apply to schools they know about, and wealthier students are more likely to know someone who knows something about (or has attended) a highly selective college.

To bring rates of application, admission, and matriculation of middle and low income students in line with high-income peers, the author suggests high school guidance counselors do more to advise high-performing students of their college options.

EARLY INTERVENTION INCREASES COLLEGE ENROLLMENT

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:06:07 +0000

A new study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has confirmed what most us already knew: that providing college counseling to high school students in the freshmen year could significantly improve the number of students who go on to attend college. This was especially true among students whose parents didn’t attend college. Now the question becomes how to act on this information.

In the report, NACAC recommends that high school counselors spend more time on college readiness and applications. It also recommends that counselors talk to ninth graders – and their parents – about college. Those are great suggestions and definitely a good use of a counselor’s time. However, the reality in most schools is that counselors are already over-burdened with other critical responsibilities related to personal counseling, crisis intervention and student integration.

DECLINES IN ENROLLMENT REFLECT STRONGER ECONOMY

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:05:07 +0000

Fewer people sought to enroll at colleges and universities this spring when compared to the spring of 2012, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center that was released last week. That’s bad news for institutions of higher education, but it’s also a sign that our economy is improving and providing more opportunity in the workforce.

For-profit and community colleges saw the biggest decrease in enrollments, and enrollment of students age 24 or older dropped more than enrollment of traditional-age students.

FINANCIAL AID LITERACY STILL LACKING AMONG STUDENTS

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:04:08 +0000

A new report by America’s Promise Alliance reveals that, in spite of the abundance of financial aid resources, many high school students still don’t consider how they will pay for college until after they are accepted. This may be due in part to a lack of simplified financial aid information available to students and parents as well as a lack of transparency into how the financial aid process works.

A second study, this one by EverFi and sponsored by Higher One, shows that many college students have poor spending habits, potentially setting them up for higher levels of debt once they graduate. Taken together, both studies point to an alarming trend that could compound the student loan situation

THE GLOBAL REACH OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:02:38 +0000

Would it surprise you to know that more than half of all Internet users worldwide use Facebook, making it the most-used social network around the world? As you assess your school’s social media strategy, it’s also worth noting that Google+, YouTube and Twitter are a distant second, third and fourth in terms of usage. However, Twitter has the distinction of being the fastest-growing social network.

Other popular social networks include Sina Weibo, a Chinese social network, Qzone and Tencent. In addition, more and more users are accessing social networks via mobile devices, including smart phones and tablets.

THE HOPELESSNESS OF THE WAIT LIST

Laura Collingwood — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:01:04 +0000

Wait lists at some colleges have become the place to put those applicants colleges don’t want to admit, but don’t want to deny either. That practice is giving students false hope, says Jenna Johnson in the Washington Post.

The problem of wait-listing has become so bad that some school wait-list more applicants than they accept, leaving large numbers of students—sometimes thousands—in limbo. The schools with these exceptionally long wait lists counter that the practice is necessary, given that many college-bound students are applying to ten or more schools.

CALIFORNIA DIGS DEEPER FOR DIVERSITY

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:03:29 +0000

California voters abolished affirmative action in 1996. Initially, the number of blacks and Latinos enrolled in the state’s universities fell. However, by last fall, the percentage of black students enrolling at state universities had returned to affirmative action levels, and the percentage of Latinos actually surpassed the previous levels. So how did they do it?

The answer, to some extent, is “the old fashioned way”. In addition to adopting a more “holistic” approach to admission, one that gives disadvantaged applicants credit for overcoming their backgrounds, the state’s universities worked closely with underrepresented middle and high school schools to prepare them for the task of applying to college. What a great idea: start working with students at an earlier age to build confidence, address academic weaknesses and inspire them to aspire to greater heights!

The success of this approach has attracted both supporters and critics of affirmative action, an issue that has once again attracted attention as we await the Supreme Court’s decision on the University of Texas. Supports of affirmative action say that the efforts in California don’t go far enough and could be bolstered through the reintroduction of affirmative action policies. Critics of affirmative action site the success of the California program as an example of what’s possible in lieu of such policies.

ACT EMBRACES iPADS & PCs, MAKES PLANS TO GO DIGITAL

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:03:14 +0000

In a case of déjà vu all over again, ACT is going digital with its college admissions exam. The plan is to have the new version of the test in place by 2015, according to an announcement made last week. Veteran admission officers will recall that the College Board started down a similar path in the mid-‘90s but abandoned the project due to concerns about security and access.

Of course, that was a long time ago and technology has certainly evolved since then—particularly related to the use of mobile devices. Current technology options are allowing ACT to explore different options that could be incorporated into a digital test, including an interactive science portion. In addition, the company hopes that the new format will make scores available to test-takers faster – maybe even immediately after the tests are submitted.

HAS DISCOUNTING RUN ITS COURSE?

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:02:54 +0000

What does it mean when discount rates continue to rise but enrollments begin to decline? For a number of small private colleges, that’s exactly what’s happening and questions are being raised about whether discounting is still a viable strategy for shaping the size and profile of an incoming class.

According to a new report, the average discount rate among 383 private colleges participating in a NACUBO study reached an all-time high of 44% in 2011-2012. At the same time, more than half of those institutions reported that their freshman enrollment had declined.

The survey also found that the average freshman received a discount that covered 53% of tuition and fees. According to the study’s authors, the higher discount rates and falling enrollments, when taken together, may signal that discounting strategies are becoming ineffective as the economy strengthens.

ARE THE RIGHT STUDENTS BEING COURTED BY RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES?

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:02:34 +0000

A new study has revealed an interesting fact: As public research universities admit more out-of-state students to generate additional revenue through higher tuition rates, the number of minority students they are admitting has dropped off. Is this simply a case of conflicting priorities, or are these institutions making a conscious choice to sacrifice diversity in order to offset declines in state appropriations?

According to a paper that was recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, a number of public research universities – most notably those in the University of California system – have increased non-resident enrollment to raise funds in the wake of state budget cuts. The paper’s authors recommend that states institute a cap on out-of-state students to ensure that schools have room for more diverse in-state students.

ADDRESSING THE GAP IN CAMPUS TOURS

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:02:10 +0000

Last week, Lab Notes featured an article that focused on indecision about college choice and the fact that families are taking more time to reach a final decision on that “best fit” college. This article by James Lang, an English professor at Assumption College, reinforces that trend but also provides great insight into how this “indecision” can be addressed through improvements in our campus tours.

Not surprisingly, most colleges focus on the general college experience – dorms, food, extra-curricular activities, Etc. – during campus tours rather than the centerpiece of the experience itself: academics. While lifestyle factors are important to prospective students and their parents, teaching and research should also play a part in the tour, according to Dr. Lang. While this perspective isn’t surprising, coming from a college professor, it’s his recommendation as to how it gets incorporated that is intriguing.

Lang suggests admissions offices train their tour guides to share personal stories about their favorite professors and classes and be able to focus in on their “three most powerfully charged learning experiences”. Testimonials reflecting teacher quality and unique, memorable experiences are sure to have a bigger impact than a statistic about student-teacher ratios.

YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS STILL SPACE AVAILABLE

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:29:39 +0000

Well it’s that time of year again. While May 1^st may have come and gone, those intrepid researchers at NACAC are still on the case, exposing enrollment opportunities across the country. The association recently made available its annual Space Availability Survey: Openings for Qualified Students. This year, the survey says that 205 institutions are still accepting applications for a spot in this year’s freshman class.

As expected, the list is long and diverse with a mix of public and private schools, including the University of Florida, University of Arizona, University of Kansas, University of Maryland, Colorado State, Morehouse College, Marquette University, Loyola Marymount University, and Hofstra University.

THE DISTURBING CULTURE OF COLLEGE CONFIDENTIAL

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:29:27 +0000

Collegeconfidential.com has become a very popular social networking site for college-bound, college-enrolled, and college-done students, not to mention parents, counselors and admission officers. In an excellent exposé written for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Eric Hoover takes a close look at the good, the bad, and the ugly (and there’s lots of ugly) of this college admission site that attracted 44 million visitors in the past 12 months.

Depending on your perspective, College Confidential either exploits the anxiety surrounding the college admission and financing process or helps to minimize it. As with most social networking sites, opportunities to gain valuable information through interactions with students and professionals must be balanced with an abundance of criticisms, bragging, insults and socially unacceptable behavior.

Still, college support for the site continues to grow through sponsorships and advertisements. More and more schools now have staff that monitor and respond to posts while hoping to also minimize damage from disgruntled students who were either denied admission or experienced a less-than memorable enrollment period.

MORE APPLICATIONS, MORE INDECISION

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:29:15 +0000

“Decision Day” has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that all college-bound freshmen have made their final decisions. Despite the wealth of information available to students (and parents) and the increasing number of communication channels that support the college evaluation process, more students than ever are struggling with their college choices. Much of this indecision can be traced to the increasing number of applications per-student – and the related increase in acceptances that must now be evaluated.

When students do choose, sometimes from among seven or eight schools, they tend to be less satisfied in their decision than students in the past. Some students are even delaying their decisions by paying more than one deposit. This trend should worry admissions officers – “summer melt” could become a bigger problem.

AP PARTICIPATION: PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:28:52 +0000

Challenge Success, a project at Stanford University, recently published a white paper analyzing claims from the College Board related to the Advanced Placement (AP) program. The study investigated each of the claims published by the College Board through research reviews, interviews and published results comparing performances of AP participants and non-participants. They’re recommendation to students and schools: proceed with caution.

In addition to examining each of the College Board’s claims about the AP program, Challenge Success also listed a series of recommendations for students considering AP participation and school administrators deciding whether to implement an AP component. The four claims examined were:

The AP program gives students several advantages in terms of college
The AP program helps to narrow achievement gaps
AP programs enrich students’ high school experiences
Schools with AP programs are better than those without AP programs

In the final section of the paper, Challenge Success offers this advice:

Based on our review of the research and our own experiences working with schools and families, we urge educators to take a hard look at their schools’ practices and policies around the AP program, and we suggest that parents and students reflect carefully upon their reasons for considering AP courses.

MASSAGING THE NUMBERS

Laura Collingwood — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:27:53 +0000

Some call it a matter of “interpretation”. Others say it’s a necessary evil. Call it what you want, but the bottom line is that colleges have become adept at massaging (or manipulating) key admission statistics to present themselves in a manner that is conducive to success. But in some cases, colleges may be doing themselves a disservice, even when their efforts are well-intended.

Over the years, colleges have used all sorts of strategies in an effort to raise their prestige and their rankings. Some of these so-called “secrets” have become almost standard in the admissions arms race, but many can make it difficult for prospective students to truly understand the opportunity that’s available to them.

Among the more reviled admissions tactics:

“Fast apps,” “snap apps,” “V.I.P. applications” and “priority applications”
Use of the Common App (
Accepting a large percentage of early applicants
Rejecting qualified students without “demonstrated interest”
Test-optional policies
Reporting incorrect data