2017 College Admissions Trends in Review

~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

The National Association for College Admission Counseling in association with the US Department of Education and the Higher Education Research Institute developed a report that reflects trends college admissions in 2017.

Here are some of the highlights of trends in 2017 that you may need to follow in 2018:

  • Number of Applications per Student:  The increase in number of colleges to which each student applies continues a nearly perfect upward trend.
  • Application Volume:  There was continued growth in college application volume in 2017.   The number of applications from firs-time freshmen and international students increased.
  • Top factors in admissions offices decisions:  The most important were grades in college preparatory courses, overall high school GPA, admission test scores and strength of curriculum.  Among the next most important factors were the college essay, counselor and teacher recommendations, extracurricular activities and class rank.
  • Student-Counselor Ratios:  The average student-to-counselor ratio was 281-to-1.  The number exceeds the 250-to-1 maximum ration recommended by the American School Counselor Association.
  • Postsecondary/college admissions counseling by school counselors: On average, the time that counselors spend on postsecondary/college admissions counseling: 21 percent.
  • Early Decision and Early Action Activity:  There is an increase in the  number of applicants applying Early Decision and Early Action.
  • International Applicants:  A greater proportion of colleges rated the essay/writing sample as considerably important for international applicants, likely because of the additional confirmation of English skills that the essay provides.

Knowing and understanding past college admissions trends will be helpful for high school juniors (class of 2019) when they are in the throes of the college admissions process.  Trends help us (Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group) to develop and implement admissions strategies so that our clients are accepted to their top choice colleges and universities!

Dr. Paul Lowe is the managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network.  He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliate, Ivy League Admissions Advisors help students gain admissions to ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities.  Through his admissions affiliate:  College Application Rejected, he specializes in  helping students who have been rejected deferred, or waitlisted.  For college students who wish to transfer because they desire a better college or they simply dislike their current college: College Transfer Admissions Advisors.

Published by drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, Sr. is the co-founder and CEO of Pinnacle Educational Center; and is one of the world's leading independent educational consultants and expert admissions advisors. Pinnacle Educational Center which has expanded into a network of admissions advisory services: Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group. As a global admissions expert, Dr. Lowe and his team help students gain admissions to top private schools, Ivy league and highly selective colleges, medical schools and BS/MD programs. Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students get into their top choice private school and colleges after they have been waitlisted, deferred or rejected.