Coronavirus puts in another challenge as if going into the finest college was not challenging enough.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many incoming first-year students decided to postpone getting into college instead of starting their online education. Due to that decision, a report exhibits that universities and colleges are under their enrollment figures for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Based on the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data, the undergraduates’ enrollment for this year dropped 4%. The incoming first-years had the highest drop as much as 16% from the previous fall.
Universities and colleges are even more worried regarding targeting enrollment figures with several undergraduates abstaining this semester, and many international students can’t travel and enter the United States.
As claimed by the National Association for College Admission Counselling’s CEO, Angel Perez, that could lead to a higher acceptance percentage for the 2021-2022 academic year.
“Most have seen a loss of students. What may happen next year is that institutions will be looking for more students to fill their classes… At the very top tier, you are not going to see a lot of movement, but those institutions, as well, are very concerned about enrollment.”
CEO Angel Perez
Even though the admissions counselors have conveyed their concerns about the dropping enrollment, it does not mean that college acceptance rates will escalate throughout the board.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center disclosed that the enrollment dropped the highest at community colleges and seconded by public four-year schools. For-profit and private colleges are the ones who only marked an enrollment gain this 2020.
“The most selective universities [are] where you will see the least impact. The Harvards of the world are not going to have a lot of trouble filling their seats… [Indeed] selectivity for this year’s college applicants promises to be tighter than ever, partly due to the coronavirus.”
New York-based Lakhani Coaching president Hafeez Lakhani
According to the email which the school sent after Harvard declared that all 2020-2021 academic year course instructions would be on online delivery, they permitted 340 students or 20% of the new class to postpone from the 2024 class to the 2025 batch.
“Meaning 340 spots, of roughly 2,015 potential acceptance letters, are already taken. This is a trend at numerous selective universities, including at Princeton, who even paused its Single Choice Early Action Program this year, as it did not need to fill early spots due to deferrals from last year.”
Hafeez Lakhani
In most colleges and universities, the duration for the early admission applications is until November 1.
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