Some colleges and universities report a high number of applications for entry in the fall of 2024, based on the dynamics of recent years.
The public University of California system—which has ten campuses, including UC Berkeley and UCLA— mentionted 250,436 applications for fall 2024 admissions, with overall application numbers up 1.5 percent compared to the previous year.
The increase in applications is primarily due to an increase in submissions from transfer students, California residents and individuals from historically underrepresented groups in higher education.
The University of California system — of which UCLA is a part — reported a record 250,436 … [+]
“The increase in applications underscores the quality of educational experience and long-term social mobility that a UC education can provide underrepresented students,” said Michael V. Drake, president of the University of California, UC. Website.
Elsewhere, Northeastern University received a record 98,373 applications for fall 2024. Applications to this university have increased by 53 percent, or by 33,914 applicants, over five years.
Bates College, a small liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine, reported a record 10,029 applications, marking the third consecutive year of all-time high applications.
“Bates continues to recruit successfully and broadly both in the U.S. and internationally, and the Bates message continues to resonate wherever we go,” Leigh Weisenburger, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, said in a Bates News history.
Applications overall are on the rise. A joint application March 2022 report, which surveyed 853 member schools, revealed a significant increase in applications submitted by 21.3 percent between 2019-2020 and 2021-2022. This jump was particularly sharp among students of color and first-generation applicants.
Although applications showed steady growth from 2014 to 2020, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, an acceleration has been observed in recent years. Students applied to more schools during the pandemic because of concern about the future, and that trend continues to some extent, experts say. In addition, voluntary testing policies adopted during the pandemic also lowered barriers for applicants.
However, in recent weeks, some universities have reinstated SAT/ACT submission requirements, including Dartmouth College, Brown University and University of Texas at Austin. Yale University will do it again demand students to submit standardized test scores with their applications, although the university will accept Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test scores in lieu of the ACT or SAT.
Some experts say the reinstated SAT requirements could have a negative impact on application development.
“Reinstating SAT requirements will likely lead to a slight decrease in the number of applicants to top schools, particularly among those who feel their strengths are not adequately captured by standardized tests,” says Aaron Andrikopoulos, Co-Founder of AJ Tutoring in California. Bay Area.
He adds, however, that research from universities such as Brown University suggest that reinstating these requirements could benefit some students, especially those from lower-income backgrounds who might not submit test scores even when those scores could improve admissions prospects.
In addition, test scores could provide valuable insights into a student's readiness for college-level work. “My experience working with students shows that the SAT and ACT closely align with high school curricula, providing a common metric to assess students from diverse backgrounds,” Andrikopoulos says.
