There is no doubt college applications and decisions are a stressful time of the year for seniors worldwide. However, in recent years, there has been a spike in applications, which also means more rejections.
Many colleges and universities have become increasingly more difficult to both apply and be admitted to throughout the years. According to The Huntington News, Northeastern University, in Boston, Massachusetts, has seen a record breaking number of applicants totaling over 98,000 applicants for the class of 2028. Additionally, a plummeting acceptance rate has been reported from 29% for the class of 2023 to 6.7% for the class of 2028.
According to research done by the Common App, the average number of schools a person applied to through Common App increased by 8% from 2019 to 2020. Similarly, in 2014, students submitted roughly 4.63 college applications on average. In 2022 that number then grew to 6.22. This increase will only continue to rise throughout the years as the college application process grows more competitive.
In terms of competitiveness, given the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020, 55% of Common App schools required standardized test scores and in 2023, only 4% did. However, as the pandemic slowly turns into something from the past, more schools will begin to require test scores again, placing more mental burden and stress on students around the world. Ivy League school Dartmouth University had been test optional since the pandemic through the current senior class of 2024 applicants; however for the next year, they will resume requiring standardized tests. Like Dartmouth, many other schools will also follow.
When the time comes for college decisions to be made, financial aid also comes into the picture. The FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, for 2024 has been revamped and is proving to be a burden to parents and students all over the country. The modifications were created in hope of making it easier for families to fill out the form and to extend financial assistance to low-income families. Despite these changes, the form is proving to be more of a burden than helpful.
Senior Angelina Setteducate expresses her frustrations, “I’m really upset that FAFSA no longer takes having siblings in college into account. One college tuition is already a lot of money, and it’s disappointing that multiple aren’t even considered.” Many are also frustrated because of the lack of accessibility, errors in submission, issues with social security and more. Parents are also saying that something with such high stakes shouldn’t be so difficult to fill out. Additionally, with the high call volume faced by the FAFSA call center, it is hard to get in contact with a representative for assistance.
