Current Events In College Admissions.
By: Belinda M. Gonzalez-Leon, Ed.D., MBA
Educational Consultant
Currently, three big issues in college admissions may affect your student. Namely, the ongoing FAFSA saga; the revolution of direct admissions; and the lack of diversity in the last college freshman student class. How does this affect your student? What should you be doing about these situations?
Last year, the Department of Education (DOE) tried to roll out a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The easier and shorter form was plagued by overwhelming technical issues that caused families to spend months trying to submit. This year, the DOE has announced that FAFSA will be delayed until approximately December 1st because of continuing problems. However, they plan to open up to a limited number of students in October.
The plan is for this small test group to identify the remaining issues so that the DOE can work on the corrections and on December 1st open a perfect FAFSA to everyone. There is even hope that it can open before December! To be part of the October group, students must fill out FAFSA with the assistance of local community organizations (such as your local college). What’s a future college student to do? Be alert to announcements about upcoming workshops to complete FAFSA in early October. Remember, an early application helps get financial aid awarded sooner and better!
This year students will also receive an increased number of Direct Admissions offers via the Common Application (Common App). Last year, some 60 colleges offered Direct Admissions through the Common App and now it’s almost 120 schools! Students will get a notification that a school is offering them a free application or scholarship or a firm recommendation to apply to their school. The request comes because the school has found that the student is a good match because of a high test score or good GPA. The school offers admissions without much fanfare because the student meets the key admissions criteria. Some of these schools are very good – others, not so much. Here’s a sample list:
Florida
Eckerd College
Saint Leo University
Stetson University
Georgia
Brenau University
Georgia State University
Oglethorpe University
Massachusetts
Fisher College
Hampshire College
Lasell University
Merrimack College
Regis College
Salem State University
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Western New England University
Westfield State University
The University of Massachusetts is a well-known and respected public university, but you may not have heard about Eckerd College. If your student is offered direct admissions, closely analyze the school’s tuition, grants, and scholarships, as well as the majors offered. Direct admissions is an easy entry to college, but you must investigate the deal you are being provided closely and carefully.
Also in the news: Harvard, Brown, and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). The diversity of ethnic backgrounds in their student body decreased compared to previous years. This directly relates to the Supreme Court’s decision that universities can no longer implement affirmative action, which previously required schools to ensure a percentage of accepted students were minorities, particularly Hispanic or African American. The concerning decrease may represent an opportunity for minority students to have a slight advantage during the next admissions cycle.
What’s a parent to do? Stay on top of the news. Pay attention to announcements about FASFA by following the DOE on LinkedIn. Check in with your student to see if admissions offers are being received via the Common App. Ensure your student works with their favorite English teacher to craft a well-written college essay. Talk to the college counselor at school. Most importantly- make a friend at the college(s) your student wants to attend. Stay in touch with those individuals so that you always know the important steps to take towards admissions and they can help guide you through all these complications. Breathe and take one step at a time. It can and it will get conquered.