Colleges strive to convey an aura of elitism, a carefully curated image of exclusivity. That’s not on accident. Colleges love it when you’re in awe. It drives enrollment. Behind the smoke and mirrors, colleges are struggling to meet enrollment numbers. One by one, states are implementing guaranteed admissions, shhhhhh……
You’ve been hearing me shout for years that “getting into college is easy, it’s getting out that’s hard!” The message is important, because as long as you’re distracted by admissions, you’re not focuing on what you should be focused on: college graduation.
I know you’re asking “What? That’s crazy, I only have a 10th grader, how can I focus on college graduation?” That’s exactly what I’m asking you to do. Learning how to get your student graduated will be worth each and every minute invested.
If your student starts college this fall, they have about a 50/50 chance of graduating in SIX YEARS. Not four. Graduation rates are not reported for “on time” rather they are reported for 150% time. In other words, half of all who enter will still not have graduated from their 4-year program after 6 years. The numbers for 2 year degrees is even less. Most students will become exhausted and quit. Others will be frustrated by advising errors, schedule impossibilities, or have maxed out their borrowing ability. One way or another, your student will leave college – and if you work hard to help guide the process, you can beat the odds and they can leave with a degree.
If you’re a Homeschooling for College Credit fan, you already know that bringing the college degree goalpost closer (earning college credit) while still in high school is the winning strategy. Still, even those of us with nerves of steel let little bits of fear set in during 11th & 12th grade. It happens to me too! And then days like today happen.
It always brings me deep satisfaction when I read about enrollment incentives. Not because I want colleges to trick your students into enrollment, but because it further assures us that getting into college will continue to be easy, at least in the foreseeable future. Programs like the one I’m writing about today should give you hope and encouragement. Beyond the admissions tour hype, colleges desperately hope to meet their numbers. (Why else are they building waterparks?) When you can put that fear to rest, you can adjust your focus. Step back from the “getting in” panic and transition to the confidence of being sure your teen is solidly going to “get out” with their degree. If you’re not fully in that place of peace just yet, here is the latest in a string of enrollment opportunities that will benefit students in the coming years.
Story Source: Inside Higher Education: Direct Admission Spreads
Direct quotes are from the full story linked above. My commentary is in yellow, and the use of bold emphasis is mine.
“Universities of Wisconsin announced the launch of a direct admissions initiative last week at 10 of the system’s 13 universities. High school students in the state who meet the minimum academic requirements—which will be based on grade-point average and class ranking—will receive automatic letters of acceptance starting next July.”
“Wisconsin is just the latest entrant in a wave of state higher education systems to take up the experimental practice. The University System of Georgia launched its own direct admissions program on Oct. 7, and Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education announced an initiative in August. All told, there are now 10 states with system-level direct admissions; some say that number is likely to multiply in the coming year.“
That’s the key. We have 1/5th of all states already doing this. If it works (brings in numbers) then other states will do it too.
“Direct admission forgoes the application process altogether—unlike guaranteed admissions plans, such as the top 10 percent plans in Texas and Tennessee, in which students must apply to claim their spot.”
“A regional comprehensive university is basically already accepting everyone with a GPA of a certain level anyway, so why make them apply?” said Mary Churchill, an associate dean at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education. It’s a no-brainer.”
“But Amon and Perdue both said the core group their systems are looking to reach with direct admissions is the students who never even bother setting up a Common App account. That’s a large pool: nearly 40 percent of Georgia high school graduates don’t pursue any postsecondary education, according to USG spokesperson Kristina Torres. A similar number in Wisconsin don’t go to college.”
Translation: they are going to reach out to everyone! They are even going to send invitations to those who didn’t apply.
“Direct admissions is still in its infancy, and its impact on enrollment remains uncertain. Its initial introduction in Idaho and South Dakota, beginning in 2015, showed small but solid enrollment returns. But 2022 was the first year of widespread experimentation with the practice, including a pilot program with the Common App. So far those programs have produced mixed results: a study of the Common App pilot showed that while the policy reliably boosted applications to participating institutions, it didn’t have much of an impact on yield.”
The “impact on enrollment” and “yield” they are talking about is whether or not your student matriculated into their program. In other words, did your student pick them?
“In Idaho, the program has led to an average yearly increase of about 100 to 200 students per participating campus.”
“This is absolutely not about enrollment … We started this because we believe higher education is valuable for everyone,” he said. “It’s a tap on the shoulder for students to say, ‘Hey, you can do this.’“
Wink wink. That’s almost believable if it weren’t for the next statement:
“It’s really an awareness-raising campaign for states that are concerned about high school graduates not going on to a postsecondary education,” she said. “And it’s much cheaper than most marketing campaigns. It basically gives you all the access to prospective applicant data you’d get from purchasing a PSAT list, without actually needing to purchase the lists.”
“the initiative’s affordability is part of what has made it increasingly popular. Idaho’s direct admissions program costs about $30,000 a year to run—a much cheaper option than many recruitment and enrollment strategies.”
And there it is.
“Poaching across state lines is growing, and competition between states for students is getting more intense every year,” she said. “State systems are just going to get more creative and more entrepreneurial, and I think direct admissions is going to be an essential piece of that.”
If you liked this, or maybe you’re not convinced. Here is another HS4CC post to help you realize the leverage your family has in this process.
Getting in is Easy?
I frequently say “Getting into college is easy. It’s getting OUT that’s hard.” This always sound impossible- how can I say such a thing? Simple. Data. Rather than trusting my opinion, let’s look at a breakdown that shows just how hard it really is to get into college.…
