Every year around May 5, NACAC (National Association of College Admission Counselors) publishes “a list of College Openings Update: Options for Qualified Students (formerly the Space Availability Survey) is a voluntary listing of NACAC member postsecondary institutions that are still accepting applications from prospective freshman and/or transfer students for the upcoming fall term.” This list gives the names of colleges still accepting applications for FAll 2016 enrollment.
Please be aware that this list is updated daily so a college may appear today, fill the spot and not be on it in a couple of days. The list is only available until July.
Please feel free to move this post if there is a better forum for this information.
Good luck to those students still applying to colleges for Fall 2016
I checked those forums and it seemed like the recent posts were by juniors and this kind of information is relevant to current seniors. Plus it seems like parents have been talking about this list coming out so that is why I posted it here. I think I am going to post it also in the financial aid section since I remember seeing a few posts about it this past week.
Antioch is on it? Is it no longer totally free? It seems like when it came back it had a zillion apps for few spaces.
A few surprises on that list, fairly selective LACs and a state flagship or two.
I was surprised to see Grove City College on the list, because it’s known for its very low tuition and good academics. It’s a Christian school in Pennsylvania. When my son was looking at schools, several of our friends recommended us, but warned us it was hard to get in. He ended up not applying there, because he wasn’t impressed with the track program.
The actual list reminds people to check back-not because slots are gone quickly but because more show up from schools whose yield, something they have not necessarily calculated yet, is not what they thought it would be. So there may be more schools added.
This is the thread in the College Search forum- Colleges With Openings for Fall 2016 [NACAC Annual List] The list is posted with responses from parents. One poster filtered the list with schools listed that have openings for freshman, have dorm space and financial aid available.
What’s the story with colleges wanting transfer applicants but not freshman year applicants… lower numbers of matriculated students from previous years; lower retention; money?
I was surprised to see that Penn State, Univ. of Arizona, Hampshire, Birmingham-Southern, New College of Florida, and Guilford are still accepting freshman applications. There are quite a few LACs around the USNWR low-mid 100s ranking on the list.
@dadof1 - My guess is lower than expected retention rates.
@Overtheedge University of Arizona has a late application deadline. I wouldn’t be surprised if the last time it actually hurt for warm bodies was during World War II.
@dadof1 many schools have late transfer deadlines. If I remember correctly, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) does not require a deadline on when transfers must enroll by like they do with incoming freshmen (May 1 without extenuating circumstances).
Also, yikes, Sweet Briar College is on the list again. For those who don’t know, Sweet Briar almost shut down although the alumni rallied to save it. According to the [Inside Higher Ed article](Sweet Briar falls short of initial enrollment target, but leaders remain optimistic) about it, only 125 students accepted and deposited. The college initially tried to target a goal of 250 students for the class of 2020 but later settled on a class of 200 as the goal.
I think a school like Sweet Briar would be on the list even if it had gotten the 250 acceptances. They want as many students as possible, have the room, so why not try for 251, or 290?
Schools accepting transfers but not freshmen are trying to balance. Freshmen can’t fill a senior level seminar or upper level math class. Too many freshmen and future years will need more upper level courses. Schools like to be balanced for courses, housing, leadership, jobs on campus, all kinds of reaeons.