Nov 6th 09 Posted by Eric Sickler in Featured Articles, TeensTALK

The 2009 Freshman Application Story

Moody’s Investor Service just released a “Special Comment” report on the findings of a recent survey of their rated private and public colleges and universities. Just more than 150 schools participated, but don’t let the smallish sample put you off; Moody’s interpretation and subsequent forecast will greatly shape the near-term financial future of higher education. Specifically, “…Moody’s anticipates new stress on revenue for a significant minority of private colleges and universities which could depress future operating performance.”

According to the survey, freshman applications to private colleges and universities rose 4.3% from fall 2008 to 2009. Fully 51% of private schools reported receiving fewer freshman applications than last year with the “biggest loser” reporting a 25.2% drop. One private school did, however, report a 175% increase in freshman applications. The median change in freshman apps was 0% among private colleges and universities.

Freshman applications to public colleges and universities rose 4.7% with 78% of schools receiving more applications than for fall 2008. On the high end of the scale, one public school reported a 47% increase in freshman applications. The median increase in freshman apps at public schools was 5.1%, with the biggest loser reporting a 20.5% drop.

From Stamats’ 2009 SUMMER TeensTALK study, we discovered that nearly one-third of college-bound teens (30%) applied to only one college or university during the last recruiting cycle, up significantly from 23% in 2007. The median number of applications submitted by college-bound freshmen was 3.2 for fall 2009 matriculation, down from 4.3 in 2002 and 4.2 in 2004.

It’s clear to us that significant numbers of prospective undergrads are making important application decisions long before schools begin any formal courtship through the admission or recruitment office. The rising number of “stealth” apps (a prospective student whose first recorded contact with a school is a completed application for admission) further corroborates this.

When considered together, these trends and survey findings frame up a very compelling case for schools to (1) challenge same-old, same-old search and application-generation strategies, and (2) to exercise extra creativity and innovation in terms of keeping institutional brands front-and-center when and where prospective students are whittling away at their college short lists.

You may be weary of “brandspeak,” but one-third of today’s college freshmen applied to a single school based primarily on their perception of that school’s brand (and less on the impact of that school’s recruitment efforts).

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NOTE: TeensTALK® is Stamats’ annual nationwide telephone study initiative of college-bound teens designed to keep our (and your) finger on the pulse of the trends, attitudes, lifestyles, and knowledge that influence their college selection decision-making process. Findings are based on 565 responses from college-bound high school seniors; sampling was completed at random (probability sample) to provide a rigorous data set for accurate assessment of the college selection process. Stamats offers a companion TeensTALK® Focus study for colleges and universities that want to conduct a comparison survey of their inquiry pools and assess their peculiar institutional undergraduate recruitment challenges and opportunities against the backdrop of national findings.

Photo by Jeff_Werner