4. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS
4.3. Procedimiento de trabajo
strength of curriculum1 82% 83% 80% 78% 81% 79% 84% 78% 80% 76% 78% 80% 74% --
Grades in college prep -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 76
Strength of curriculum -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 62
Admission test scores 46 43 47 48 50 51 54 58 52 57 61 60 59 60
Grades in all courses 39 37 41 38 41 44 42 43 45 50 54 57 54 51
Essay 14 17 21 20 18 19 19 20 20 19 23 25 23 28 Class rank 42 40 39 36 34 32 32 34 31 35 33 28 31 23 Counselor rec. 22 20 19 17 20 16 18 16 17 16 17 18 17 21 Demonstrated interest -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 7 7 15 21 Teacher rec. 21 19 18 19 19 16 14 14 16 14 18 18 17 20 Interview 12 12 15 13 11 11 9 11 11 10 9 9 9 10 Extracurricular activities/work2 6 6 7 6 6 4 5 7 6 7 7 8 8 -- Extracurricular activities -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 8 Work -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 3
Subject tests (AP, IB) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 6 7 5 7 8
State exams -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 6 7 6 7 6
SAT II scores -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 5
-- Data are not available.
1On the 2006 survey, grades in college prep courses and strength of curriculum were listed as two separate factors. In previous years, one factor was listed as grades in college prep courses/strength of curriculum.
2On the 2006 survey, extracurricular activities and work were listed as two separate factors. In previous years, one factor was listed as work/extracurricular activities.
SOURCE: NACAC Admission Trends Surveys, 1993 through 2006.
Factors in Admission by Institutional Characteristics
The following section highlights differences among various types of institutions. It is important to note that nearly all institutions attributed some level of importance to each of the factors discussed below, and that the relative importance of factors did not differ widely. With few exceptions, colleges across the board viewed four factors—grades in college prep courses, strength of curriculum, admission test scores, and overall grade point average—as the top four factors in the admission decision. However, there is a benefit to knowing that the characteristics of each institution determined, to some extent, the way each factor in the admission process was
Figure 14. Percentage of colleges attributing "considerable importance" to factors in the admission decision: 1993 to 2006
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 19 93 19 94 19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 Pe rc en ta ge o f c ol le ge s Essay Class rank Admission test scores Grades in all courses
SOURCE: NACAC Admission Trends Surveys, 1993 through 2006.
viewed. For a complete comparison of institutions by individual characteristics, see Table 19.
Public and Private Institutions Differences between public and private institutions reveal that in many ways, private college admission is more
“holistic” than public college admission. These differences can likely be
attributed, in large part, to the volume of applications received by public colleges. Admission officers at public institutions were responsible for reading an average of more than 2.5 times the number of applications for Fall 2006 admission as their private school counterparts (see Chapter 6).
• Private colleges assigned a higher value than public colleges to many of the tip factors. These factors included the essay/writing sample, the interview, counselor and teacher recommenda- tions, work and extracurricular activities, and demonstrated interest.
• Private colleges also ascribed slightly more im- portance to strength of curriculum in comparison to their public counterparts.
• Public colleges were more likely to consider class rank to be considerably important, while private colleges rated it as moderately important.27
Institutional Enrollment
Similar differences existed between small and large institutions as existed between public and private institutions. Larger institutions also had to process a higher volume of applications in relation to the
size of their staffs, in many cases necessitating a more methodical process (see Chapter 6).
• Smaller colleges attributed more importance than larger colleges to the essay, interview, counselor and teacher recommendations, and demonstrated interest.
• Larger colleges placed slightly more emphasis on admission test scores than smaller colleges.28
Institutions by Selectivity Level
More selective institutions tended to place greater emphasis on both the tip factors and the evolving academic factors. Because applicants to the most selective institutions often have similarly high grades and test scores, these colleges need more information with which to evaluate each applicant. As a result, their admission process is more
“holistic,” like that of private and smaller colleges. However, they still reviewed far more applications 27 Correlations between private college status and attribution of importance in admission: essay/writing sample (.287), interview (.380), counselor recommenda-
tion (.349), teacher recommendation (.353), work (.174), extracurricular activities (.231), demonstrated interest (.297), p < .01; strength of curriculum (.122), p < .05
3 6 I STATE OF COLLEGE ADMIS SION 2 0 07
Table 19. Percentage of colleges attributing “considerable importance” to factors in the admission decision by institutional characteristics: 2006 (continued)
Grades in college
prep
courses Strength of curriculum
Admission test scores Grades in all courses Essay/ writing
sample Classrank Counselor rec. Teacher rec.
Total 75.9% 61.5% 60.4% 51.2% 27.9% 23.1% 21.2% 19.5%
Control
Public 73.6 60.2 67.8 53.4 15.6 35.2 6.6 6.6
Private 76.7 61.9 57.8 50.4 32.4 18.9 26.6 24.3
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students 72.9 57.3 55.5 48.0 29.2 16.6 24.1 22.9
3,000 to 9,999 90.6 73.6 67.9 50.0 30.2 43.4 20.4 16.7
10,000 or more 79.5 68.2 81.4 69.0 16.3 34.1 9.3 9.3
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent
of applicants 85.7 80.0 57.1 54.2 57.1 30.0 39.6 37.5
50 to 70 percent 75.2 62.0 63.4 53.0 24.0 27.6 20.0 18.8
71 to 85 percent 83.5 66.1 63.4 46.9 21.7 20.9 14.9 14.3
More than 85 percent 55.6 34.4 54.8 51.6 21.3 14.5 19.7 16.4
Yield
Enroll fewer than 30 percent
of admitted students 90.9 78.9 46.1 44.6 32.9 22.1 29.3 24.3
30 to 45 percent 82.1 67.3 66.4 57.2 22.1 21.1 15.8 12.6
46 to 60 percent 61.1 40.7 63.6 48.2 33.3 30.9 18.2 23.2
More than 60 percent 43.2 30.6 62.2 43.2 35.1 21.6 29.7 29.7
Table 19 continued. Percentage of colleges attributing “considerable importance” to factors in the admission decision by institutional characteristics: 2006
Demonstrated
interest Interview Extracurricular activities
Subject test scores (AP, IB) State graduation exam
scores scores Work SAT II
Total 20.8% 10.4% 7.6% 7.6% 6.3% 5.2% 2.9%
Control
Public 8.0 1.1 4.4 7.1 9.4 3.7 2.2
Private 25.3 13.6 8.7 7.8 5.2 5.6 3.2
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students 26.9 13.3 6.1 7.3 5.3 4.5 1.8
3,000 to 9,999 11.3 5.7 13.2 7.8 5.8 5.9 7.5
10,000 or more 2.3 0.0 9.1 7.7 12.2 7.9 4.7
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent
of applicants 26.5 8.3 20.0 10.6 4.2 16.7 8.3
50 to 70 percent 18.4 12.0 8.8 4.2 5.0 0.0 4.0
71 to 85 percent 16.8 10.7 2.7 9.9 7.2 4.5 1.8
More than 85 percent 25.8 9.7 4.8 5.2 8.2 3.4 0.0
Yield
Enroll fewer than 30 percent
of admitted students 20.3 13.3 15.4 6.9 2.6 5.3 3.9
30 to 45 percent 13.2 7.9 3.9 5.5 8.1 2.7 0.7
46 to 60 percent 23.2 10.9 7.1 14.5 7.3 7.4 7.3
More than 60 percent 43.2 16.2 8.1 5.6 2.7 8.6 5.4
for Fall 2006 admission relative to their staff size in comparison to less selective institutions (see Chapter 6).
• More selective colleges attributed greater impor- tance to both grades in college prep courses and strength of curriculum, in comparison to their less selective counterparts.
• Institutions that accepted fewer applicants also placed more emphasis on many of the tip factors compared to less selective colleges. These factors included the essay, counselor and teacher recom- mendations, extracurricular activities, and work. • The more selective institutions also placed slight- ly larger emphasis on subject test scores (AP and IB) and SAT II scores.29
Institutional Yield Rate
Institutions with high yield rates are those that enroll most of the students they accept. Although this is an important statistic from an institutional perspective, it is very difficult to generalize about institutions on the basis of yield rates. Very different types of colleges have similar yield rates. For instance, highly selective schools, such as those in the Ivy League, share similar yield rates with large, open-enrollment public colleges.
• Institutions with higher yield rates attributed less importance to grades in college prep cours- es and strength of curriculum than institutions with lower yield rates. The most likely cause of this finding is the behavior of high-yield, non- selective colleges, which accept almost all of the students who apply and enroll large num- bers as a result.
• Institutions with higher yield rates also attrib- uted somewhat less importance to some of the tip factors including counselor recommendation, extracurricular activities and work.
• Institutions with the highest yield rates were more likely to attribute considerable importance to a student’s demonstrated interest in attending.30
The Factors In-Depth
Grades and Strength of Curriculum
As previously discussed, grades in college prep courses, strength of curriculum and grades in all courses—in that order—are among the top factors that colleges consider in making admission decisions (along with admission test scores). Although overall grade point average serves as an indicator of a student’s academic success in high school, strength of curriculum—and particularly grades in college prep courses—are better indicators of a student’s likelihood of succeeding in college.31 College prep courses—which
include Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), dual enrollment, and other advanced/college-level coursework—are designed to approximate college-level work. Therefore, participation in a college prep curriculum and performance in the courses can indicate to college admission officers both motivation and ability to succeed in postsecondary education. In fact, results of two major research studies show that students who complete a rigorous high school curriculum are much more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than those who complete less rigorous curricula.32
Unfortunately, students across the nation do not have equal access to college preparatory curricula. 29 Correlations between selectivity and attribution of importance in admission: grades in college prep courses (.193), strength of curriculum (.260), essay (.248),
counselor recommendation (.200), teacher recommendation (.206), extracurricular activities (.282), work (.248), subject test scores (.142), p < .05; SAT II scores (.263), p < .01
3 8 I STATE OF COLLEGE ADMIS SION 2 0 07
According to results of NACAC’s 2006 Counseling Trends Survey, there were important differences among types of schools in both college prep offerings and mean enrollments (see Table 20). For example, private high schools were more likely than public high schools to have offered AP, IB and enriched curricula and also reported a higher percentage of students enrolled in these courses. Public high schools were twice as likely to offer dual enrollment but had only a slightly higher percentage of students enrolled.33 In addition,
larger schools were more likely than smaller schools to offer all four types of college prep curricula, but the average percentage of students enrolled did not vary greatly.34
Table 20. Percentage of schools that offer college preparatory curricula and mean percentage of 11th and
12th graders enrolled by school characteristics: 2006
Advanced Placement
(AP) Baccalaureate (IB) International Enriched curriculum Dual enrollment % of
schools
that offer enrolledMean %
% of schools
that offer enrolledMean %
% of schools
that offer enrolledMean %
% of schools
that offer enrolledMean %
Total 79.5% 27.6% 11.9% 13.1% 83.7% 38.8% 80.4% 11.0% Control Public 77.0 20.7 11.1 6.9 82.6 33.5 89.5 11.4 Private 88.7 50.6 14.9 30.7 87.8 58.2 44.4 8.1 Private non-parochial 84.7 57.1 14.6 42.3 84.2 61.3 35.3 7.9 Private parochial 95.3 41.0 15.5 12.9 93.5 53.8 58.3 8.4 Population of city/town Fewer than 25,000 70.9 19.9 6.5 4.1 80.0 33.1 85.3 12.9 25,000 to 249,999 90.3 29.9 16.2 8.9 88.0 39.7 80.7 7.9 250,000 or more 84.6 40.9 19.7 25.1 86.4 50.8 67.7 10.9 Enrollment
Fewer than 500 students 60.9 33.1 7.4 14.1 70.5 43.3 74.6 14.4
500 to 999 87.2 26.5 9.9 23.7 88.9 38.1 77.5 10.4
1,000 to 1,499 94.6 25.6 15.6 7.3 95.3 36.0 87.4 8.3
1,500 to 1,999 99.2 21.7 18.5 9.8 96.7 35.1 90.8 7.0
2,000 or more 97.1 24.7 24.1 8.4 96.1 35.0 93.3 8.2
Free and reduced price lunch 0 to 25% of students eligible 88.3 31.7 14.1 16.2 88.3 42.2 75.4 9.9 26 to 50% 70.3 18.1 11.0 6.9 81.0 32.4 91.9 13.2 51 to 75% 69.3 14.0 10.8 4.6 81.5 25.9 92.1 11.8 76 to 100% 50.6 17.0 8.0 9.3 50.6 26.2 77.5 10.3 Student-to-counselor ratio 100:1 or fewer 64.9 38.8 11.5 12.2 65.3 51.6 57.1 9.3 101:1 to 200:1 75.0 42.3 10.3 16.3 80.3 49.5 63.1 15.3 201:1 to 300:1 79.9 24.4 10.6 6.9 87.8 37.3 82.2 10.5 301:1 to 400:1 85.3 22.8 12.2 15.2 87.0 34.1 88.9 10.8 401:1 to 500:1 81.1 22.3 11.2 14.6 85.0 36.2 91.5 9.3 More than 500:1 79.1 25.5 22.0 18.3 78.8 33.5 86.0 9.9
SOURCE: NACAC Counseling Trends Survey, 2006.
There also was a negative association between the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch programs and both the likelihood of offering AP and enriched curricula and the average percentage of students enrolled in AP, IB and enriched curricula (see Table 20).35
Results of a Department of Education study also show that the percentage of students earning any AP or IB credits in 2003–04 varied substantially by race, socioeconomic status and parental education levels (see Figure 15).
33 Correlation between private college status and mean percentage of students enrolled in college prep coursework: AP (.559), IB (.394), enriched curriculum
(.392), p < .01; dual enrollment (-.071), p < .05
34 Correlation between enrollment and offering college prep coursework: AP (.251), IB (.160), enriched curriculum (.194), dual enrollment (.129), p < .01 35 Correlation between percent eligible for FRPL and: offer AP (-.306), offer enriched curriculum (-.239), percent enrolled in AP (-.380), percent enrolled in IB
Results of the College Board’s 2005–06 annual survey show the average number of high school course units (years of study) that colleges required and recommended for students interested in attending their institutions. On average, colleges required the most years of study in English (3.9), academic electives (3.4) and math (2.9). More selective institutions recommended more history, foreign language, math, and science units than less selective colleges (see Table 21, next page).36 These data do not
indicate the level of coursework that colleges required or
recommended, which also are likely to differ by institution type.
Standardized Admission Test Scores As reported earlier in this chapter, standardized admission test scores ranked as the second most important factor in admission decisions (along with strength of curriculum). Eighty- eight percent of colleges placed considerable or moderate importance on this factor. Larger colleges placed somewhat greater importance than smaller colleges on test scores (see Tables 17 and 19).37
According to the College Board’s annual survey, an average of 64 percent of enrolled students submitted SAT scores for Fall 2004 admission, and 51 percent submitted ACT scores. Students enrolled in more selective institutions were more likely to have submitted SAT scores and less likely to have submitted ACT scores in comparison to those enrolled in less selective institutions (see Table 22).
Figure 15. Percentage of high school graduates earning any credit for AP or IB courses by gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and parents' education level: 2003-04
17.6 22.2 43.6 16.3 24.2 50.9 14.9 52.8 15.7 25.3 32.6 27.2 32.8 0 10 20 30 40 50 6
High school or less Some college Four-year college degree or more Low est quarter Middle tw o quarters Highest quarter American Indian or Alaska Native Asian or Pacific Islander Black or African American Hispanic or Latino White Male Female
0 SOURCE: Planty, M., Bozick, R., and Ingels, S.J. (2006). Academic Pathways, Preparation, and Performance—A Descriptive Overview of the Transcripts from the High School Class of 2003–04 (NCES 2007-316). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. (Data excerpted from Table 3.)
Table 22. Mean percentage of first-year students who submitted standardized test scores by institutional characteristics: 2004
SAT ACT Total 64.1% 50.6% Control Public 63.1 54.0 Private 64.5 48.9 Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students 61.2 51.0
3,000 to 9,999 69.9 47.5
10,000 or more 66.4 54.9
Selectivity
Accept less than 50 percent of
applicants 80.9 37.4
50 to 70 percent 70.1 44.4
71 to 85 percent 61.3 53.2
More than 85 percent 48.6 61.5
Yield
Enroll fewer than 30 percent of
admitted students 75.8 39.4
30 to 45 percent 68.4 47.8
46 to 60 percent 55.1 58.5
More than 60 percent 50.4 58.7
SOURCE: College Board annual survey, 2005-06 (includes four-year, not-for- profit institutions).
36 Correlation between selectivity and course units recommended: history (.205), foreign language (.313), math (.172), science (.112), p < .01 37 Correlation between institutional selectivity and percentage of enrolled students who submitted test scores: SAT (.278), ACT (-.234), p < .01
4 0 I STATE OF COLLEGE ADMIS SION 2 0 07
Table 21. Mean number of high school course units required and recommended by colleges: 2006 (continued)
Total
academic units History English Foreign language
Req. Rec. Req. Rec. Req. Rec. Req. Rec.
Total 15.8 18.0 1.6 2.1 3.9 3.9 2.1 2.4
Control
Public 16.0 18.3 1.5 1.8 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.4
Private 15.7 17.9 1.7 2.2 3.9 3.9 2.1 2.4
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students 15.7 17.8 1.7 2.1 3.9 3.9 2.1 2.4
3,000 to 9,999 16.1 18.6 1.6 2.1 3.9 4.0 2.1 2.5
10,000 or more 15.9 18.4 1.5 1.6 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.6
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of
applicants 15.8 18.7 1.7 2.5 3.9 4.0 2.2 3.0
50 to 70 percent 16.0 18.3 1.6 2.1 4.0 3.9 2.0 2.4
71 to 85 percent 15.7 18.0 1.6 2.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.3
More than 85 percent 15.5 17.8 1.6 2.0 3.9 3.9 2.0 2.2
Yield
Enroll fewer than 30 percent of
admitted students 16.1 18.9 1.6 2.1 4.0 4.0 2.1 2.6
30 to 45 percent 16.0 18.4 1.6 2.1 4.0 4.0 2.1 2.5
46 to 60 percent 15.4 17.1 1.5 2.1 3.9 3.9 2.0 2.3
More than 60 percent 15.4 17.6 1.6 2.1 3.9 3.9 1.9 2.2
Table 21 continued. Mean number of high school course units required and recommended by colleges: 2006
Math Academic elective Social studies Science
Req. Rec. Req. Rec. Req. Rec. Req. Rec.
Total 2.9 3.3 3.4 3.5 2.3 2.7 2.4 3.0
Control
Public 3.0 3.6 3.1 3.1 2.4 2.8 2.5 3.1
Private 2.8 3.3 3.7 3.7 2.3 2.6 2.3 2.9
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students 2.8 3.2 3.6 3.4 2.3 2.6 2.3 2.9
3,000 to 9,999 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.4 2.4 2.7 2.5 3.1
10,000 or more 3.0 3.7 3.0 4.6 2.3 3.1 2.5 3.1
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of
applicants 2.9 3.6 3.0 3.6 2.2 2.7 2.4 3.1
50 to 70 percent 2.9 3.5 3.4 3.2 2.2 2.7 2.5 3.1
71 to 85 percent 2.9 3.3 3.3 3.3 2.4 2.7 2.4 3.0
More than 85 percent 2.8 3.3 4.0 4.0 2.5 2.7 2.3 2.9
Yield
Enroll fewer than 30 percent of
admitted students 2.9 3.6 3.2 3.4 2.2 2.8 2.3 3.2
30 to 45 percent 2.9 3.4 3.4 3.1 2.3 2.7 2.4 3.0
46 to 60 percent 3.0 3.3 3.2 3.3 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.9
More than 60 percent 2.9 3.1 4.0 5.2 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.9
Class Rank
Secondary schools have different ways of recognizing students for their academic achievement. In response to NACAC’s 2006 Counseling Trends Survey, 80 percent of high schools indicated that they recognized individual students with top numeric ranks, such as
valedictorian and salutatorian. A little more than half (55 percent) indicated that they recognized a group of students based on percentile rank— designating the top five or 10 percent as “cum laude,” “honors,” or some other form of distinction. Sixty-five percent recognized groups of students based on GPA cut-off points—designating all students with an “A” or “B” average as “cum laude,” “honors,” or some other form of distinction (see Table 23). Public high schools were more likely than private high schools to have engaged in each of the three types of ranking. Larger schools were more likely to have recognized groups of individuals based on percentile rank.38
38 Correlation between enrollment and: use percentile rank (.146), p < .01 39 Correlation between enrollment and: report individual rank (.113), p < .01.
Table 23. Percentage of high schools that recognized students based on class rank: 2006
Recognized individual students with top
numeric rank Recognized group of students based on percentile rank Recognized group of students based on GPA Total 80.0% 54.9% 65.4% Control Public 84.5 60.0 68.2 Private 62.3 36.2 55.3 Private non-parochial 52.4 38.1 55.7 Private parochial 78.6 33.0 54.6 Population of city/town
Fewer than 25,000 people 87.1 58.1 67.8
25,000 to 249,999 75.2 56.2 68.1
250,000 or more 69.3 45.9 57.1
Enrollment
Fewer than 500 students 74.4 44.2 61.6
500 to 999 84.3 56.5 63.2
1,000 to 1,499 85.2 64.1 71.1
1,500 to 1,999 77.4 66.1 69.2
2,000 or more 83.6 70.9 74.1
Free and reduced price lunch
0 to 25% of students eligible 77.0 51.9 63.6
26 to 50% 86.2 62.9 74.1
51 to 75% 87.5 64.5 67.6
76 to 100% 76.9 51.7 58.4
SOURCE: NACAC Counseling Trends Survey, 2006.
Secondary schools also had different policies about reporting class rank information to college admission offices, and these policies varied more widely by institution type. As shown in Table 24, 61 percent of high school guidance departments reported that they regularly provided the numeric rank for individual students. This practice was largely a function of the school’s public/private status. Nearly three-quarters of public schools reported that they regularly provided this
information. However, while 62 percent of private schools reported recognizing students based on top numeric ranks, only 10 percent indicated that they regularly provided individual ranks to colleges. Larger schools also were somewhat more likely to report that they regularly provided this information (see Table 24, next page).39
Only 26 percent of secondary schools reported that they regularly provided percentile rank for
42 I STATE OF COLLEGE ADMIS SION 2 0 07
Table 24. Secondary schools’ practices regarding the reporting of class rank information to colleges: 2006
Numeric rank for
individual students individual students Percentile rank for General grade distribution for graduating class Regularly
provided
Provided only if
asked provideDid not Regularly provided
Provided only if
asked provide Did not Regularly provided
Provided only if
asked provide Did not
Total 61.1% 13.0% 25.8% 26.3% 36.7% 37.0% 40.3% 20.8% 38.9% Control Public 74.3 14.8 10.9 31.0 39.3 29.7 35.9 24.5 39.6 Private 10.1 6.1 83.8 8.6 27.6 63.8 56.3 7.6 36.1 Private non-parochial 6.0 6.0 88.0 5.0 19.3 75.7 62.1 6.6 31.3 Private parochial 17.0 6.3 76.8 14.7 41.3 44.0 46.2 9.4 44.3 Population of city/town
Fewer than 25,000 people 74.7 15.0 10.3 29.2 38.8 32.1 36.6 25.2 38.1
25,000 to 249,999 56.2 13.0 30.8 26.9 34.9 38.2 39.5 17.6 42.9
250,000 or more 35.4 8.6 56.0 17.8 34.9 47.3 50.5 14.8 34.7
Enrollment
Fewer than 500 students 52.9 15.1 32.0 23.1 39.4 37.4 40.6 24.6 34.8
500 to 999 61.9 11.2 26.9 22.9 33.5 43.6 41.5 17.5 41.0
1,000 to 1,499 66.7 11.5 21.8 25.9 40.0 34.1 38.3 18.7 43.1
1,500 to 1,999 69.2 11.3 19.5 37.7 31.1 31.1 38.3 23.3 38.3
2,000 or more 76.9 12.8 10.3 40.4 34.9 24.8 38.1 15.2 46.7
Free and reduced price lunch 0 to 25% of students
eligible 55.1 9.3 35.7 24.1 32.4 43.5 40.2 17.5 42.3
26 to 50% 80.6 16.0 3.4 34.0 41.4 24.6 33.1 29.9 37.1
51 to 75% 69.4 25.0 5.6 31.9 47.5 20.6 40.7 27.4 31.9
76 to 100% 57.3 25.8 16.9 36.8 41.4 21.8 45.2 32.1 22.6
SOURCE: NACAC Counseling Trends Survey, 2006.
individual students. Public schools were more likely to report doing so in comparison to their private school counterparts. Forty percent of schools indicated that they regularly provided the general grade distribution for their graduating classes, which may be an alternative for many schools to providing individual student ranks. Private schools were more likely than public
schools to report that they regularly provided these grade distributions (see Table 24).
Demonstrated Interest
For the past four years, NACAC’s Admission Trends Survey has documented colleges’ attention to applicants’ interest in attending their institutions as a factor in admission decisions. During those four years, colleges have reported placing a greater level of importance on demonstrated interest (see Table 18). In 2006, 78 percent of colleges assigned some level of importance to a student’s interest in
attending the institution (21 percent considerable, 31 percent moderate and 26 percent limited) (see Table 17). As shown earlier in the chapter, private colleges and smaller colleges placed greater emphasis on students’ demonstrated interest during the admission process (see Table 19).
Likely methods that colleges and universities could use to ascertain a student’s interest include campus visits, content of open-ended essays, contact by students with the admission office, letters of recommendation, and early application through either Early Action or Early Decision.
Student Characteristics as Contextual Factors
For the first time in 2006, NACAC asked colleges to indicate how various student characteristics may influence how the main factors in admission are evaluated. These student characteristics included
race/ethnicity, gender, first-generation status, state or county of residence, high school attended, and alumni relations.40 As shown in Table 25,
institutions attributed relatively little importance to these student characteristics, even as contextual factors. However, they were far from irrelevant; about one-quarter of colleges rated race/ethnicity, first-generation status and high school attended as at least moderately important.
Table 25. Percentage of colleges attributing different levels of importance to the influence of student characteristics on the evaluation of factors in the admission decision: 2006
Considerable
importance importance Moderate importance Limited importance No
First-generation status 5.0% 20.9% 20.9% 53.2%
High school attended 2.6 21.9 23.4 52.0
Race/ethnicity 5.3 19.1 14.4 61.2
Alumni relations 2.9 18.4 33.3 45.3
State or county of residence 3.8 12.9 19.6 63.6