What I do know is that there have been numerous recently released reports reminding us that applications are up, especially to the more selective colleges. The math is simple: More applications for the same number of seats equals a lower admission rate. There are simply fewer seats in selective colleges than there are qualified applicants to fill them.
Reports released from Common App show these key findings:
• Through February 15, 2022, 1,161,560 distinct first-year applicants had applied to 853 colleges using the Common App, an increase of 13.9% from 2019-20.
• Total application volume through February 15 rose 20.8% from 2019–20 (5,379,496) to 2021–22 (6,500,894). Individual applicants are applying to more Common App member schools, on average, in 2021– 22 than in 2019–20 (+6.1% from 5.46 to 5.60 applications per applicant).
• Geographically, growth in applicants was positive across all regions except for New England and the Mid-Atlantic. In California, applications were up 8% from two years ago.
• The number of distinct international applicants has increased at nearly triple the rate of domestic applicants since 2019–20 (33% versus 12%). China, India, Canada, Pakistan, and Nigeria were the leading home countries for international applicants.
• Highly selective schools, those accepting less than 50% of their applicants, experienced larger increases in application volume over 2019–20 than their less selective counterparts.
Bigger and potentially more unsettling news is emerging from the University of California system as well as from some of their campuses. UC announced, “For the second straight year, the records were shattered for first-year fall applications, as the elimination of standardized test requirements and greater online outreach paid dividends in drawing the largest and most diverse applicant pool ever despite pandemic challenges.”
UCLA reported it has “received more applications than ever before for fall 2022 admission, with substantial increases among in-state freshman applicants and top-performing students from California high schools. Overall freshman applications totaled approximately 149,700, about 10,000 more than last year, making UCLA once again the most applied-to four-year university in the nation. Roughly 91,500 applications came from California residents, an increase of 7,400, or 9%, over applications for 2021. The number of nonresident applicants grew by 5%, from 55,300 last year to more than 58,200.”
More concerning for our seniors is the news coming from UC Berkeley. In my inbox from Cal today was this note:
“UC Berkeley’s enrollment has made headlines this week – for another record year of admission applications (see below for details), and a court order requiring UC Berkeley to freeze student enrollment. As a result, it is currently estimated that Berkeley will likely need to reduce the number of admission decisions by at least 5,100. We know that this may be very unsettling to you and your students as they have worked a lifetime for the potential to attend this institution. We have appealed this ruling and are awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court of California; however, the timeline for that decision is unknown. While this news is unfortunate and disappointing, we want to assure you that we will do the best we can to mitigate the impact on students, including trying to extend as many admission offers as possible.”
Based on this data, those of us supporting these seniors need to remind them to not take anything personally and to keep their minds and hearts open. They worked hard building a college list that has a variety of schools offering them a wide array of opportunities. The truth is no school is the only one, perfect in every way. If the news isn’t what they wanted, it will sting at first, but it is not the end of the world.
What happened with me? Well, it didn’t take long before I was happy beyond belief where I had landed. It was the perfect place for me. Besides, I have always hated the color red.
And as for my friend who went to the number one school? Well, she is still my good friend, but I hate that she decorated our office in red. Things worked out for Boomer as well. He was neutered over a year ago, and today I took him to the Oceanside Harbor where he saw seals, seagulls, and met a beautiful female Golden.
It was totally badminton