Dive Brief:
- According to Inside Higher Ed's 2015 survey of college and university admissions directors, admissions officers are having trouble filling classes, they’re focusing on international and out-of-state student recruitment, and many believe they are losing students because of debt concerns.
- The survey also found most respondents have not made any preliminary plans based on the threat to affirmative action pending in the Supreme Court.
- Furthermore, most admissions officers do not support new application formats that do not require transcripts, and a majority favor requesting information about disciplinary or legal records — though few schools offer training to help admissions teams consider those records.
Dive Insight:
Inside Higher Ed’s annual survey received responses from 265 admissions directors at a mix of public and private institutions. There were some differences based on sector. Public school admissions officers, for example, are more likely to believe it is never okay for top administrators to intervene on behalf of well-connected students. Among private school directors, 32% agree. Overall, one in four admissions officers have reported such pressure during admissions decisions.
Interestingly, about half of respondents from private schools believe colleges hold Asian applicants to higher standards, and 33% of respondents from public schools say the same. In a separate question, virtually no one admitted to engaging in that practice themselves.