How has the current economy impacted admissions offices?

College Admissions

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How has the current economy impacted admissions offices?
Nancy MeislahnDean of Admissions and Financial AidWesleyan University

How has the current economy impacted admissions offices?

Here is my video response to the question.

Bill PrudenHead of Upper School, College CounselorRavenscroft School

How has the current economy impacted admissions offices?

College admissions offices have not been unaffected by the economic downturn. Budgets have been tighter, travel has been reduced, and marketing approaches have reassessed and sometimes revised. However, it has not had a major impact on the basic decision making process. Indeed, there have always been variations in how different schools have treated the admissions and the financial aid processes, and while the financial aid side of things has certainly been impacted by the recent economic difficulties, the fundamental admissions decision making approaches have not really changed. A few schools that were pursuing need blind admissions policies have had to pull back from that approach, given reductions in their financial aid budgets coupled with greater needs, but beyond that the economy has not fundamentally altered the admissions process, so much as it has impacted the individual operations of different schools.

Annie ReznikCounselor/CEOCollege Guidance Coach

How has the current economy impacted admissions offices?

In recruitment, the economic downturn has forced colleges and universities to do more with less. Admissions offices, like all higher education departments, are expected to keep budgets as trim as possible. However, with development officers struggling to replace endowment losses, colleges rely more heavily on enrollment for annual operational budgets. Some strategies that colleges have employed: tuition increases, reduce tuition discount rate, shifting to a financial “need aware” admission process, adjusting in-state and out-of-state enrollment targets, and using scholarships to improve student enrollment.

Reecy ArestyCollege Admissions/Financial Aid Expert & AuthorPayless For College, Inc.

How has the current economy impacted admissions offices?

Some more than others, but surely much less than they’d like everyone to believe!