Big Changes in Early Admissions

The New York Times: "In a proposed agreement announced this month to answer Justice Department antitrust accusations, the National Association for College Admission Counseling said it would allow its member college and university counselors to recruit students even after they have committed to another school and would permit members to encourage students to transfer after they have already enrolled ... Now, colleges will be free to offer perks, like special scholarships or priority in course selection, to early-decision applicants, students who are less likely to need tuition assistance and use the process to secure a spot at their first-choice schools ... Institutions will also be able to continue recruiting students beyond a widely applied May 1 deadline that is typically imposed for students."

"The changes stand to shake up the admissions process in the next year, affecting some colleges’ ability to predict the size of their freshman classes while allowing some students to benefit from competitive financial aid packages, or even bargain for assistance right up until they walk onto a campus ...In a statement, Makan Delrahim, the assistant attorney general who leads the antitrust division, called the settlement 'a victory for all college applicants and students across the United States who will benefit from vigorous competition among colleges for their enrollment'.”

"Higher education experts anticipate that the changes will be mostly felt by smaller or less-selective institutions, many of which are already forecasting enrollment losses because of a looming 'demographic cliff' from falling birthrates and diminishing interest from foreign students. Institutions may also have a harder time predicting their fall enrollment, and that uncertainty could affect their ability to pull from waiting lists or project how many students they lose over the summer."

Applicant Advice: Check. Your. Email.

Chicago Tribune: "Email is not the default for most teenagers, but it remains the primary avenue for colleges to communicate with prospective and current students. That can mean aggravation for college-bound teens and their families at the time of year when schools send critical admissions and financial aid information mostly via email ... If students aren’t in the habit of sifting through their clogged accounts, they could be missing looming deadlines, to-do notices to complete their applications and announcements about financial aid, scholarships and awards."

"This dynamic can be confounding for adults because teenagers typically are nimble with technology. But some say email aversion has less to do with mastering the mechanics of it and more to do with learning executive functioning skills they need for college and beyond. Thus, it falls to teachers, counselors, mentors, parents or even email-weary older siblings to send up flares, smoke signals, whatever it takes (other than email) to get the message across: Check. Your. Email."

"One suggestion is students should establish a separate, dedicated email account just to gather the college information ... Another idea is create a shared email account both a student and parent can access. Continue to use that throughout college to collect important notices — like tuition payments ... All else failing, it could come down to old-fashioned pestering by parents — and patience. Some parents text or Snapchat their teens to tell them to check their email. As a last resort, some screenshot emails and text those to their kids."

Which Colleges Are Most Underrated?

Patch: "The University of Mary Washington lacks huge brand recognition but employs a roster of top-notch professors and offers a high-quality academic environment for its students. For these reasons and other metrics, UMW topped a new list of the most underrated colleges in the country. Released by Great Value Colleges (GVC), the list highlights schools that stand out for what they offer in higher education, but whose size and other factors can preclude them from rising to the top of big-name national rankings."

"UMW was ranked the most underrated college, with Ithaca College in New York, Yeshiva University in New York City, Santa Clara University in California, and St. Olaf College in Minnesota rounding out the top five." Others on the list include: Muhlenberg, Bentley, Babson, Providence, George Washington, Virginia Tech, Clark, Trinity, Fairfield, Elon, Rutgers, Emerson, Sarah Lawrence, University of San Francisco and UMass Amherst.

Though UMW doesn't make the top 50 of any of the general best college lists, according to GVC, it has an impressive statistic that many institutions on those lists can't hope to match: an 87-percent four-year graduation rate. Eight UMW faculty members have won Fulbright Awards, and 86 percent of faculty members have a doctorate or an equivalent level of degree. In another metric that makes UMW stand out among lesser-known schools, the university also gives out $41 million in financial assistance every year.