“… Colleges that are the subject of a negative long-form news article typically see a 10% drop in applications the following year, according to a working paper published earlier this year. That’s about the same effect on applications as if the school dropped 10 spots in the U.S. News and World college rankings, the study found.” …
Interesting that the article focused on the tippy-top schools in our country which had “negative long form news articles,” because the biggest hullaballoo this year was at low-to-middling Mizzou. Those top schools might see a barely noticeable flutter in applications, and will bounce back fast. Mizzou is another story, and one which would have been smart to include or highlight to make a point in the article.