The college application landscape has changed drastically over the past few years. The adoption of the Common Application and optional ACT and SAT testing policies have made it easier for students to apply to more colleges at once. In fact, for the 2022-23 school year, college applications reached 7 million, which is up 30% from 2019-2020. At the same time,17% of students are applying to 10+ schools. And more applications means more competition and lower admissions percentages.
In fact, the notoriously low admissions percentages are usually associated with Ivy League Schools are now happening more widely. Over the past three years, Tulane University, which was once considered a “safety school” by many, has only admitted around 10% of applicants, and NYU admitted 8% of over 120,000 applicants for the class of 2027.
Despite more applications being submitted, there has been a significant drop in actual enrollment throughout the pandemic, and schools have yet to fully recover.
The gap between application and actual enrollment numbers, which marks a 10%-15% drop in the pool of college-aged students. As a result, even top-ranked colleges who rely on tuition for funding, are on track to enter the fall semester without full freshman classes.
To solve this problem, hundreds of well-respected schools are trying to entice students who may have come late to the game or aren’t excited about their current admissions prospects.
For example, the University of Colorado Boulder, which ranks as #103 on Forbes list of top colleges, has fallen short of its goal of 6,000 entering freshman. The school offers impressive physics and chemistry programs that have churned out four Nobel Laureates. Students who enjoy the outdoors will love the artsy city of Boulder and all its hiking trails and scenery that draws in visitors from all over.
Students who want to experience a larger school and cheer on division I sports teams, can still apply for the University of Arizona in Tucson, which claims the #131 spot on the Forbes list. The university is located in the desert south of the Santa Catalina Mountains and boasts a long history in American space exploration along with a strong space science program. Students can also take classes from the famed linguist, Noam Chomsky, who serves as a laureate professor in the linguistics department. Other large public schools that are also still seeking students include the University of Tulsa, the University of Oklahoma, the University of South Dakota, and the University of Kentucky.
Smaller, liberal arts colleges are also looking to fill out their freshman classes in the fall of 2023. Lawrence University is located in Appleton, Wisconsin and is best known for its music conservatory. Students will enjoy a 9-to-1 student:faculty ratio and plenty of personalized attention. Saint Mary’s College of California is a larger liberal arts college set on a gorgeous and expansive 420 acre campus a short drive east of San Francisco.
Students who are interested in learning more about schools that are still accepting applications can visit the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) website, where their list is updated daily! Prospective students can also can search options according to location, financial aid, student body size, etc. and get direct contact information for admissions counselors at each school.
Keep in mind that just because some schools are still recruiting students for the fall, doesn’t mean that they are desperate to fill spots. For applicants, it is important to not be overconfident when you speak with school representatives. In addition, you should ask about financial aid options. Since the May 1st deadline has passed, schools may have spent their financial aid budget, and students might not receive the same financial aid package as earlier applicants.
Bob Massa, co-founder of the consulting firm Enrollment Intelligence Now, had a few tips for students in this Forbes article when reaching out to potential schools this late in the year, “Find out the name of the admissions officer who is responsible for recruiting in your region and reach out to that person, alerting them to your application, telling them why you are applying now and why you think their college would be better for you than the school you would otherwise attend—making sure never to ‘bad-mouth’ the other school. Or, if the student got shut out, meaning they didn’t get in anywhere, then be honest and say that. Ask to set up a time when you can visit the campus and meet with the admissions officer. Help them see that you really want to be there.”
While many of the high-profile universities have received a record number of applications and are entering the 2023-2024 academic year with a full freshman class, there are many top-ranked schools that are still accepting applications. For students who were accepted into their top choices, there is still time to research hundreds of options and find the right program and location.