tam warner minton, tammy warnerTam Warner Minton, MS

According to an article in the US News and World Report they do. In this difficult economic year, students who do not need financial aid have a better chance than usual in getting into the school of their choice, but only if they are “borderline”. Don’t get me wrong, full pay C students are not getting into elite schools!

An IECA colleague of mine, Judy Zodda, is quoted as saying,”If they are borderline admits and full pay, they are getting in this year. That was not true three years ago.”

Here is the list of the six big trends in the 2010 college admission season:
1. SAT’s don’t, and won’t, count as much in admissions. More and more schools are going test optional.
2. Students will be choosing better performing colleges as the Dept of Education will be notifying students of the retention and graduation rates of the colleges they apply to. This will make colleges more likely to improve those numbers through good teaching and better interaction.
3. The “public ivies” will become more appealing to students….usually, the news is always about the ivies. This year, the state flagships and public ivies are the hotter ticket.
4. Wealthy, solid students will and are being recruited by out of state universities who need out of state dollars. This helps the universities with budgeting issues.
5. Rich international students are being recruited big time! yes, some will take the seats of American students. Why? To fill budget shortfalls so colleges can keep services and academics up to par.
6. Many lower socioeconomic class students are choosing community colleges this year, and the trend may continue as long as the economy is down. Many students just cannot afford to go off to college as financial aid packages often do not meet full need.

For the full article, click HERE.