State of College Admission 2017 Report

Purpose Provide up-to-date information on the admission process for first-time freshmen, transfer students, and international students Provide information on the status of college counseling in public and private secondary schools

Methodology in Brief Fall 2016 Admission Trends Survey Surveyed admission and institutional research offices at 1,383 four-year colleges Received 604 partial and complete responses 2016-17 Counseling Trends Survey Surveyed NACAC member secondary schools plus random sample of all public high schools (11,139 total) 2,266 usable responses

College Applications

Number of High School Graduates: Actual and Projected, 1990 to 2027 Note: Includes both public and private high school graduates. Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2017). Digest of Education Statistics. Table 219.10. Washington DC: NCES

Increases in Student Application Submission: 1990 to 2016 (First-Time Freshmen) Source: Eagan, K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Zimmerman, H.B., Aragon, M.C., Sayson, H.W., & Rios-Aguilar, Rios. (2017). The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2016. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. Eagan, M.K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Ramirez, J.J., Aragon, M.C., Suchard, M.R., and Rios-Aguilar, C. (2016). The American Freshman: Fifty-Year Trends, 1996-2015. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

Growth in Applications Fall 2015 to Fall 2016 Percent Change First-Time Freshmen 7% Transfer Students 1% International Students 13% Between the Fall of 2013 and Fall of 2014 there was, on average, 6% growth in first-time freshmen applications; a 4% increase in transfer applications; and a 23% increase in applications from international students. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

College Application Fees (First-Time Freshmen) Percentage with Fees Mean Fee 78.5% $47.62 Type Public 96.2 $48.24 Private 66.7 $47.03 Enrollment   Fewer than 3,000 students 65.2 $41.64 3,000 to 9,999 90.4 $50.13 10,000 or more 95.6 $56.23 Selectivity Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 90.7 $58.75 50 to 70 percent 70.8 $45.45 71 to 85 percent 82.1 $45.25 More than 85 percent 78.4 $40.50 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

Applications and Enrollment, by Selectivity: Fall 2015 (First-Time Freshmen) Average Acceptance Rate for Four-Year Colleges: 66.1 percent Selectivity National share of institutions Average number of applications per institution National share of applications National share of full-time, freshmen undergraduates Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 19.2% 11,924 36.7% 21.5% 50 to 70 percent 35.9% 5,772 33.3% 34.7% 71 to 85 percent 28.7% 5,032 23.2% 31.1% More than 85 percent 16.3% 2,589 6.8% 12.8% Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2015-16). Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Data Center. Washington, DC: NCES. [Includes Title-IV participating, four-year public and private not-for-profit, degree-granting (primarily baccalaureate) institutions in the US that enroll first-time freshman and are not open admission.]

Key Statistics for Transfer and International Applicants Mean TRANSFER Transfer Selectivity Rate 62.1% Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students 66.0% Transfer Yield Rate 65.2% Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students 27.6% INTERNATIONAL International Selectivity Rate 54.5% Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with International Students 66.3% International Yield Rate 31.7% Overall Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with International Students 27.7% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

Recruitment and Yield Strategies

Percentage of Colleges Using Early Decision, Early Action, and Wait Lists All Survey Respondents 20.3% 34.0% 39.1% Type Public 5.1 26.1 30.8 Private 30.4 39.3 44.7 Enrollment Fewer than 3,000 students 25.1 31.5 33.3 3,000 to 9,999 20.8 39.0 44.4 10,000 or more 5.9 33.8 48.5 Selectivity Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 49.3 29.3 72.0 50 to 70 percent 21.6 38.4 39.6 71 to 85 percent 9.8 30.1 More than 85 percent 0.0 19.1 12.0 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

Key Statistics for Early Decision (ED) Colleges Mean Applications Received through Early Decision 5.8% Early Decision Selectivity Rate 59.5% Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies 47.9% Early Decision Yield Rate 86.6% Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies 25.2% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

Key Statistics for Early Action (EA) Colleges Mean Applications Received through Early Action 43.2% Early Action Selectivity Rate 71.1% Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 65.2% Early Action Yield Rate 24.8% Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 23.3% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

Mean Percentage of Students Admitted From a Wait List These acceptance rates are based on the group of students who opt to remain on a wait list, which was only 48 percent, on average. Mean Percentage All Survey Respondents 31.9 Selectivity   Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 14.1 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

Factors in the Admission Decision

Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Importance of Various Factors in the Admission Decision: First-Time Freshmen Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important Moderately Important Limited Importance Not Important Grades in College Prep Courses 76.9% 12.5% 9.3% 1.4% Grades in All Courses 77.1 13.8 6.4 2.8 Strength of Curriculum 51.8 35.3 7.3 5.5 Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT) 54.3 27.9 13.7 4.1 Essay or Writing Sample 18.9 35.9 22.1 23.0 Counselor Recommendation 14.6 46.0 25.8 13.6 Student’s Demonstrated Interest 25.5 32.1 28.8 Teacher Recommendation 10.9 46.4 28.0 14.7 Class Rank 9.2 24.0 34.6 32.3 Subject Test Scores (AP, IB) 6.9 30.6 31.9 Portfolio 6.2 5.7 27.6 60.5 Extracurricular Activities 7.9 36.0 36.9 19.2 SAT II Scores 2.4 6.1 21.2 70.3 Interview 4.7 17.4 State Graduation Exam Scores 1.9 7.6 21.9 68.6 Work 15.6 47.4 34.1 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

Top Factors in the Admission Decision: Transfer and International Overall GPA at prior postsecondary institutions Grades in transferrable courses International English proficiency exam scores

More Information Read the Full Report www.nacacnet.org/soca Contact NACAC’s Research Department research@nacacnet.org 703-299-6854