<p>From 1999 to 2011--according to the Times--enrollment soared from 15 to 20 million. Now, it's dropping due to an improving economy, fewer 18 year olds, and a leveling off of high school graduation. </p>
<p>For the elite schools, it makes no difference, but for lower tiers a problem, as it turns from a seller's into a buyers's market. </p>
<p>Harvard may have had a yield of 82 percent, but two schools mentioned in the article--Loyola of New Orleans and St. Mary's of Maryland saw their yield dropping by a third. </p>
<p>These and other schools are contacting people who may have already decided to go elsewhere with offers of more aid. Others schools are reaching out to people before the application process even begins with unsolicited offers of admission.</p>
<p>After May 1, I got e-mails from three or our colleges saying, Weve still got spots, and were looking for people to fill them, and I dont remember getting any in the past, said Lisa Bleich, an admissions consultant in Westfield, N.J.</p>
<p>I had a client who had committed to one school, and then changed her mind and said she wanted to go to the University of Pittsburgh, where she had also been accepted, she said. They werent actively looking for more, but they agreed to take her, when a few years ago, they would have said, No, we dont have any space. </p>
<p>Nice to see the advantage turning to the student. </p>
<p><a href="http://nyti.ms/16fIokQ%5B/url%5D">http://nyti.ms/16fIokQ</a></p>