State of College Admission 2018 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 2017-18 Admission Trends Survey Surveyed admission and institutional research offices at 1,266 four-year colleges Received 493 partial and complete responses 2017-18 Counseling Trends Survey Surveyed 16,252 secondary schools ending in grade 12 Received 2,251 responses

College Applications

Number of High School Graduates: Actual and Projected, 1991 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 2016 to Fall 2017 Percent Change First-Time Freshmen 4% Transfer Students 3% International Students 8% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

College Application Fees (First-Time Freshmen) 94 percent of colleges with applications fees will waive the fee for students with financial need. Percentage with Fees Mean Fee 73.4 $49.57 Type Public 93.8 $49.88 Private 61.2 $49.29 Enrollment   Fewer than 3,000 students 58.2 $44.51 3,000 to 9,999 89.1 $50.10 10,000 or more 91.7 $57.45 Selectivity Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 84.3 $60.59 50 to 70 percent 71.4 $46.47 71 to 85 percent 68.7 $45.24 More than 85 percent 76.9 $40.17 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

Applications and Enrollment, by Selectivity: Fall 2016 (First-Time Freshmen) Average Acceptance Rate for Four-Year Colleges: 65.4 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 19.5% 11,969 36.0% 20.9% 50 to 70 percent 36.6% 5,936 33.4% 35.6% 71 to 85 percent 27.7% 5,648 24.1% 32.0% More than 85 percent 16.2% 2,635 6.6% 11.5% Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2016-17). 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 61.7% Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students 64.7% Transfer Yield Rate 53.5% Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students 27.7% INTERNATIONAL International Selectivity Rate 51.7% Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with International Students 64.5% International Yield Rate 30.4% Overall Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with International Students 27.8% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

Recruitment and Yield Strategies

Percentage of Colleges Using Early Decision, Early Action, and Wait Lists All Survey Respondents 21.2% 35.9% 39.5% Type Public 5.6 28.4 33.0 Private 30.4 40.3 43.3 Selectivity Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 52.3 32.6 75.3 50 to 70 percent 18.9 40.8 37.6 71 to 85 percent 11.3 36.0 37.0 More than 85 percent 9.3 24.4 18.6 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

Key Statistics for Early Decision (ED) Colleges Mean Applications Received through Early Decision 4.7% Early Decision Selectivity Rate 62.3% Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies 50.7% Early Decision Yield Rate 87.9% Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies 25.8% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

Key Statistics for Early Action (EA) Colleges Mean Applications Received through Early Action 43.2% Early Action Selectivity Rate 73.6% Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 64.1% Early Action Yield Rate 22.1% Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies 23.2% Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

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—50 percent of waitlisted students, on average. Mean Percentage All Survey Respondents 24.7 Selective Colleges and Universities   Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants 14.0 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

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 All Courses 80.9% 10.4 5.8 2.9 Grades in College Prep Courses 70.8 17.5 8.8 Strength of Curriculum 52.3 30.8 14.5 2.3 Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT) 51.2 29.4 12.9 6.5 Essay or Writing Sample 16.7 36.9 20.8 25.6 Counselor Recommendation 10.8 46.1 28.7 14.4 Student’s Demonstrated Interest 15.5 21.4 34.5 28.6 Teacher Recommendation 7.1 46.4 29.2 17.3 Class Rank 9.3 27.9 36.0 26.7 Subject Test Scores (AP, IB) 3.6 34.9 40.8 20.7 Portfolio 4.2 28.9 28.3 38.6 Extracurricular Activities 5.4 7.2 27.5 59.9 SAT II Scores 14.3 53.0 Interview 1.8 17.8 41.4 39.1 State Graduation Exam Scores 6.6 3.0 19.9 70.5 Work 8.3 17.9 72.0 Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2017-18.

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