“Can I Afford It?” vs. “Can I Get In”
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009The predominant theme at the Fall 2009 NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) conference in Baltimore was anxiety related to the economy. Concerns included tuition hikes, budget cuts and scholarship reduction.
The New York Times captured some of what was seen and heard. High school counselors shared stories about parents who in previous years worried about whether their children would be admitted to a particular college, were now focused about affordability.
Many fear that additional price increases and cuts in college and university budgets could impact class size and course offerings. There was speculation about significant dips in yield (the number of accepted applicants who then choose to attend the college or university.) Officers from some private colleges expressed concern that applications might decline significantly.
While many colleges and university reported receiving roughly the same number of applications in 2009 as they had in 2008, and that there were no significant dips in yield.
Click here to read New York Times article.
