Complexity in College Admissions: Facts and Myths

1. Complexity in College Admissions: Facts and Myths March 28, 2010 1:00PM EST Presenters: Arlene Cash Brad Quin Bruce Walker

2. Advocacy & Policy Center Mission: To increase the number of students who earn a college degree and who are prepared to succeed in the 21st century. Approach:

3. Areas of Focus • College Admission & Completion • College Completion Agenda • Admissions in the 21st Century • Access & Diversity Collaborative • Community College Transfer & Retention College Preparation & Access • Arts at the Core • The CollegeKeys Compact™ • School Counselor Advocacy • Teacher Advocacy • Minority Male Achievement • Undocumented Students and the DREAM Act • The National Commission on Writing • College Affordability & Financial Aid • Cracking the Student Aid Code • Rethinking Student Aid • Trends in Higher Education • Education Pays • Simplifying State Aid Processes

4. Study Overview Objective: • Explore the topic of complexity in the admission process through research based on student and parent perceptions • Measure student and parent perceptions of complexity • Differentiate responses by income, race and ethnicity, first generation status and geography • Identify which subgroups find the process (or aspects of it) complex and why • Identify possible responses to key findings Survey Overview: • 600 students planning to enroll in a 4-year college • 300 parents of students planning to enroll in a 4-year college

5. A Closer Look: Fact or Urban Myth? Examined 7 Areas from the Student & Parent View: • Getting Information about College • Application Process: General • Application Process: Schools to which students applied • Application Process: Features of the application process • Application Process: By school type & size • Sources of Help During the College Application Process • Overall Perceptions of the College Application Process • Parents Experiences with the College Application Process • Demographics

6. Getting Information about Colleges

9. Application Process: General

15. Respondents’ Suggestions for Making the Process Less Confusing/Complex Top Four Suggestions: Students Top Four Suggestions: Parents Better communication between colleges and students, parents, high school staff/Better or more timely notification when items are missing: 11% Improve college websites/Make websites more user- friendly/ Better information on websites: 10% Better instructions/Step-by-step guides/Clear checklist: 9% Use a common application/Have everything in one place or on one website: 7% • Better instructions/Step-by-step guides/Clear checklist: 15% • Improve college websites/Make websites more user- friendly/ Better information on websites: 14% • Use a common application/Have everything in one place or on one website: 10% • Better communication between colleges and students, parents, high school staff/Better or more timely notification when items are missing: 9%

16. Application Process: Schools to Which Students Applied

18. Application Process:Features of the Application Process

20. How Confusing Were Specific Features of the Admissions Process? Top Three From a List of Standard Processes; Scale 1 Low, 10 High From a List of “special” processes; Scale 1 Low, 10 High Write an essay Students: 3.50 Parents: 3.14 Apply for admission to a specific college within the school Students: 2.64 Parents: 2.33 Submit samples of high school coursework Students: 2.49 Parents: 2.26 • Knowing how admission decisions are made • Students: 3.32 • Parents: 3.64 • Being able to find information they needed on a college’s website • Students: 2.68 • Parents: 2.24 • Completing the application form • Students: 2.62 • Parents: 2.47

21. Application Process:By School Type and Size

22. Does Complexity Vary by School Type or Size? Students: Rating 1 Low, 10 High Parents: Rating 1 Low, 10 High Public: 2.26 Private: 2.31 Small: 2.02 < 4,000 Medium: 2.52 4,000 to 9,999 Large: 2.32 >10,000 • Public: 2.55 • Private: 2.51 • Small: 2.54 • < 4,000 • Medium: 2.67 • 4,000 to 9,999 • Large: 2.55 • >10,000

23. Does Complexity of Specific Tasks Vary by School Type: Top 5 Public: Rating 1 Low, 10 High Private: Rating 1 Low , 10 High Write an essay: 3.21 Submit samples of high school coursework: 2.44 Have an interview with admissions staff: 2.41 Get letters of recommendation: 2.31 Apply for admission to a specific college within the school: 2.12 • Write an essay: 3.37 • Apply for admission to a specific college within the school: 2.51 • Submit samples of high school coursework: 2.48 • Have an interview with admissions staff: 2.43 • Get letters of recommendation:2.07

24. Does Confusion about Features of the Process Vary with School Size: Top 3 • Knowing how admission decisions are made • Small: 3.47 • Medium: 2.63 • Large: 2.57 • Knowing if all required materials were submitted • Small: 3.16 • Medium: 2.43 • Large: 2.54 • Being able to find information they needed on a college’s website • Small: 3.21 • Medium: 2.59 • Large: 2.62

25. Sources of Help During the College Application Process

29. Overall Perceptions of the College Application Process

31. Stressors in the Process: Top 3 Those factors that were not stressful (rated 1-5) Those factors that were stressful (rated 6-10) Different applications have different requirements/Difficult to gather all the required items: 34% Worried about deadlines/Difficult to meet deadlines: 26% Very time consuming/Hard to balance with work, school, and extracurricular activities: 18% • Was not complicated/All information needed in one place/Process was self-explanatory: 32% • Waiting for the answer was the stressful part/Not knowing if they would be accepted: 15% • Different applications have different requirements/Difficult to gather all the required items: 14%

33. Demographics

34. Student Demographics

35. General Demographics

37. Conclusions and Recommendations

38. Getting Information About College • Findings: • Parents and students offered college application process classes or seminars found them helpful • Recommendation: • Work with high schools to develop college information programs • Establish guidelines and evaluation to ensure programs are effective

39. Application Process: General • Findings: • College choice is only moderately complicated; multiple college choices increase complexity • College choice is generally made by student, or jointly between student and parent • First-generation students report making decision solely • Recommendation: • Develop materials targeted to first-generation students • Develop suggestions to help all students make wise decisions on college type, needs and goals

40. Schools which Students Applied • Findings: • Students apply to ~ 4 colleges/universities on average • Students most frequently apply to public schools and in-state schools • First-generation and lower-income students are less like to apply to private/out-of-state schools • Recommendation: • Investigate the barriers preventing first-generation and lower income students from applying to private/out-of-state schools

41. Features of the Application Process • Findings: • Applying to college was a fairly simple and clear process for students • More difficult when applying to numerous schools • Most students complete applications online • Knowing how admission decisions are made is most unclear • Writing essays and submitting recommendation letters were fairly simple • No major barriers identified for students from low- income families, first-generation or geographical location

42. Features of the Application Process • Recommendation: • Encourage colleges to be more transparent regarding the admission decision-making process

43. By School Type & Size • Finding: • Slight differences emerged based on type of size but not significant to provoke change • Recommendation: • Develop suggestions to help all students make wise decisions on college type, needs and goals

44. Sources of Help • Findings: • Students rely on parents and high school counselors • First-generation and lower income students are less likely to receive help from parents • More likely to receive help from school counselors, teachers, friends, and older siblings • Recommendation: • Encourage colleges to have informative, up-to-date, and easy to navigate websites • Assist schools with the development of additional basic information about the college application process

45. Overall Perceptions • Findings: • Moderately stressful to apply to college • Stress is based on outcomes not process • Secondary stress: • Different applications have different requirements • Balance between application process and high school life • Parents and students are confident about college choices • Overall, respondents felt the application process is easy and self-explanatory

46. Part II: Complexity Report • Objective: • To understand how much , when and why students – particularly those form disadvantaged backgrounds – fall out of the process or otherwise aim too low in pursing college, given their academic qualifications • If complexity in the application process is not a significant factor (see Phase I research findings), what other factors are impacting college attendance outcomes • Target Populations • Low-Income, low-socioeconomic status, first-generation • Release Date • Fall 2011

47. Upcoming Webinars Learning to Lead: Admissions in the 21st Century Webinar Series • Cracking the Student Aid Code April 28, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EDT • Leadership, Access and Institutional Mission May 18, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EDT • To download Complexity in College Admissions: Fact or Urban Myth and register for the upcoming webinars, visit http://advocacy.collegeboard.org.