New information from the Common Application offers another glimpse at the pandemic’s implications for equity in higher education, showing a decline in applicants who requested fee waivers and those who would be the first in their family to earn a college degree.
Topics: Higher education
Biden picks education secretary with passion for making schools more equitable
President-Elect Joe Biden has nominated Miguel Cardona, the head of Connecticut’s public schools, to lead the Department of Education. Cardona’s personal experience as a first-generation college student is expected to shape his approach to higher education policy.
College admission essays take center stage as schools rely less on SAT/ACT
With college application deadlines rapidly approaching, colleges and universities say the movement toward test-optional policies could end up placing more emphasis on applicants’ personal essays.
New book gives inside look at the college admissions process—and how it favors the privileged
In his new book, Who Gets In and Why, Jeffrey Selingo examines the selection process at Davidson College, Emory University, and the University of Washington—and the college admissions system more broadly.
How will admissions officers evaluate applicants this year?
College admissions teams face uncharted territory as they prepare for a wave of applications with missing grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities. Some welcome the chance to reconsider what makes a student outstanding.
Without travel, usual criteria, college admissions teams mulling approach
As college admissions teams look toward the fall semester, they are finding that the traditional methods used to recruit and evaluate high school students may be of limited use.
How could COVID-19 affect college attainment in the long-term?
While many observers have been focused on the pandemic’s short-term implications for fall enrollment, others say the disruption could last for years, potentially widening socioeconomic gaps.
Vulnerable students will need high-touch support this fall, experts say
Colleges and universities are grappling with how to reopen campuses in ways that both minimize the spread of COVID-19 and meet the needs of vulnerable students.
COVID-19 forces a closer look at the transfer student experience
The COVID-19 pandemic is poised to put the college transfer process to the test as strained finances and ongoing uncertainty prompt some students to change plans.
Experts urge colleges to embrace this chance for educational innovation
As colleges and universities consider how they will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, a number of higher education experts are urging institutions to resist a return to business as usual.
UC president urges system to drop SAT/ACT requirement
University of California President Janet Napolitano this week shared a plan to phase out use of the ACT and SAT in admission decisions—the latest installment in a closely watched debate over the system’s testing requirements.
Concerns about fall enrollment give rise to a new recruiting environment
As the pandemic causes students to reconsider their college plans, admissions counselors at some institutions are intensifying their enrollment efforts—emboldened by a newly relaxed code of ethics.