<p>Johns Hopkins University experienced a 23 percent increase in the number of applications over the prior year. This makes me wonder whether other universities are experiencing this problem. Can someone comment on other universities? I worry that we may be approaching a situation where a significant number of very qualified students will not be admitted to elite colleges because they are crowded out by even more remarkable students.</p>
<p>there has been a general increase in applicants to college this year.</p>
<p>will the trend continue next year? or is this year special for some reason?</p>
<p>"I worry that we may be approaching a situation where a significant number of very qualified students will not be admitted to elite colleges because they are crowded out by even more remarkable students."</p>
<p>I'm sure you are very concerned.</p>
<p>JHU wins the application game bigtime, wonder why though.</p>
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I'm sure you are very concerned.
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I see no reason for your comment. You don't add much to the discussion. </p>
<p>My concern is this. Our society depends greatly on having a highly productive workforce. If we have a substantial number of bright students who are capable of succeeding at the most demanding colleges, yet we cannot find room for them, the result is a lot of missed opportunities. Certainly these students will get into some college, but will they get into the colleges that will press them to meet their highest level of performance? My observation is that there seems to be too many extraordinary students who would have gotten into any elite college if they had applied ten years ago, but today have to settle for a middle of the road college. JHU increased its class size slightly last year. If JHU did so every year for several years, I suspect it would continue to turn away many very qualified students. I suspect the same is happening with other colleges. I think student body class size is an issue a lot of universities should begin addressing.</p>
<p>Alright I guess I'll bite.</p>
<p>Don't worry, economics can solve everything.</p>
<p>Let's say the current top 25 will see increases in applicants such that there will be not enough space for all qualified applicants. Problem? No. Simply, the current top 25 will be elevated to elite status and the top 50 will become the new Top 25 as the denied qualified students are forced to attend there instead.</p>
<p>Basically you will just see the "catipillar" move as the top 10 become SUPER elite, the top 25 become elite, and the top 50 become the top 25, etc.</p>
<p>However, I do not believe this is the case. Articles out there suggest most applicant increases are due to more students applying to MORE colleges rather than the increasing distinct applicant number. </p>
<p>Besides, after a decade, the student population will be in decline as less students apply to colleges/universities.</p>
<p>Look at the past when there were VERY few colleges in the U.S. and colleges like University of Pennsylvania were considered "mediocre".</p>
<p>I do not know how you can say "the result is a lot of missed opportunities". A look at colleges in the past and how they have grown will show that we have nothing to worry about.</p>
<p>Mediocre colleges (such as Upenn back in the past) will simply move up in status as more qualified applicants attend and raise its prestige.</p>
<p>"However, I do not believe this is the case. Articles out there suggest most applicant increases are due to more students applying to MORE colleges rather than the increasing distinct applicant number."</p>
<p>If this is indeed the case we will see a decrease in yield percentages this year.</p>
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JHU wins the application game bigtime, wonder why though.
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Perhaps because of the "Flutie Factor". Check the entry for "Doug Flutie" at Wikipedia.org:
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Flutie's 1984 "Hail Mary" pass, and the subsequent rise in applications for admission to Boston College, gave rise to the admissions phenomenon known as the "Flutie Factor." This idea essentially states that a winning sports team can increase the recognition value of a university enough to make it a more elite school.
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JHU, of course, won the national lacrosse championship in 2005, for the first time since 1987. While lacrosse obviously doesn't have the same national profile like basketball or football, it's a popular sport in certain circles. And beating schools like Princeton and Duke boosts JHU's image in those circles.</p>
<p>ACA, Penn was never considered "mediocre". Penn has been oneof the top 10 universities in the US since the 18th century.</p>
<p>No, there was a time it was considered a "real Ivy league" backup and now it's a REAL Ivy league school (4th). The same goes for WUSTL/etc.</p>
<p>ACA, Penn hasn't changed. It has always been a top university...and it will always be a top university. Whether the USNWR ranks Penn at #15 or at #5 doesn't change that fact. Penn isn't more respected in the eyes of recruiters or academe today than it was 50 years ago.</p>
<p>I'll bet the vast majority of that 23% increase haven't visited JHU but simply hit the "hail mary" button on the common app. For $40,000 plus I strongly suggest visiting because JHU and Baltimore's surrounding area will not appeal to all. Having visited JHU from suburbia it wasn't for my kid.</p>
<p>The yield for the next few years will mess with any university's rankings. As selectivity increases (although based upon false pretenses since it appears that everyone is now hitting the "hail mary" button for 3 reaches) yield will decrease. It will be an interesting balancing act for the administration.</p>
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Articles out there suggest most applicant increases are due to more students applying to MORE colleges rather than the increasing distinct applicant number.
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I have read this every year since I can remember. It simply cannot be true for such a long period of time. I know some schools experienced jumps when they went to the common application, but JHU already had the common application. </p>
<p>I agree that (in the long run) economics will take care of some of the overflow and lower tiered schools will to some extent improve in their quality. The problem is that during that transition there will be many talented students who are shoved into lesser schools with faculty, staff, etc. geared toward helping lesser students. We may end up denying the best education to some of the best students simply because they were born in the wrong decade. Isn't there some solution other than waiting for time to pass?</p>
<p>No, Penn was considered an Ivy safety school until perhaps 2000. Its clearly risen significantly, how much USNEWS had to do with that who knows. Alexandre likes to ignore things like prestige and selectivity, its why he still thinks Michigan is a top 10.</p>
<p>I reject the notion that if top-tier kid gets bumped down to a slightly-less-selective school, his education will sorely suffer (as will the fate of our nation) because that school just can't provide the right kind of education for a bright student like him. Neither am I alarmed if this ends up happening to thousands of students. </p>
<p>Face it, we're not talking about Westinghouse scholars getting bumped down to an open-access community college. There have always been extremely bright, driven, outstanding students at schools who aren't among the nation's most elite institutions. Not every smart kid in America is gunning for the Ivies. I'm not sure what you mean by schools that are "geared towards helping lesser students" -- but I think we're talking about the kinds of schools these top kids may get bumped to. These institutions can and do provide challenge and rigor to their brightest students. If their numbers swell on campus, I expect the academic culture at those colleges will shift commensurately and the schools will just become that much better at it.</p>
<p>Holy Cross applications are up 41% this year with 7,000 applications for approximately 700 spots. HC is investing more money in merit aid and should see continued strength in applicant pool. Also agree that Penn was considered the Ivy safety until a few years ago.</p>
<p>Slipper, Penn was indeed considered the "safety" ivy for a few years. I never denied that. My point is that Penn has been one of the top 10 universities in the nation since the late 18th century and to the most respected members of academe and corporate recruiters, it was always considered elite.</p>
<p>I think the original "Penn is mediocre" comment must have referred back to the period well before the Civil War, because that's the only time that we could say there were "few colleges" in the U.S. </p>
<p>When were you talking about, anyway? Back when Penn was the College of Phildelphia, it's true it wasn't great, but it was not much worse regarded than the other colonial colleges. It was more secular and a little more technical in its curriculum.</p>
<p>Elite yes, top, no. If you look at placements into top grad schools over time (Harvard Law for example), they have climbed considerably in the last 10 years for Penn.</p>