Is the College Application Process Accessible?
Many students choose to attend college after high school, some may pursue other options after graduation.
College applications have reached a record high, but is applying to college accessible for everyone as colleges claim? Many students across America are applying for a college education, but the ability to obtain this degree is getting more difficult every year. With increasing tuition costs and selectivity of colleges, the process is seemingly impossible for many students.
Over the past thirty years, college costs have doubled, putting financial pressure on families across America to pay exorbitant amounts of money for an education. These costs have increased at a rate higher than those for childcare, medical services, and housing prices. Some of the causes for this increase in tuition is inadequate funding from state governments for public education as well as increased administrative costs from colleges. Even with federal aid available to students, it is hard to access for a majority of people and the aid system does not reward colleges for having lower costs for families.
Another factor in accessibility is the selectiveness of colleges. Four years ago, there were 2.5 million high school graduates. This year, according to the federal Department of Education, there will be 3.6 million graduates. The increase in applicant pool size without an adjustment to the number of schools leaves many students scrambling to find options. 30 years ago, only a half of high school graduates were applying to college. Today, almost two-thirds of all high school graduates are applying to college. This is partly caused by the global economy, and the value society places on a higher education degree.
It is important to note that colleges benefit from a selective reputation. The more people apply to a school, the lower their admit rate is. This increases their rankings and benefits the college’s public perception. The more selective a college is, the more people that school attracts, lowering its admission rate even more. Schools such as those in the Ivy league, an elite set of highly selective east coast colleges, often market their selectivity as a benefit to the students. If a student is admitted to and attends a very selective school, it makes a student look good for post graduate opportunities. However, the education may be different, but the degree you may leave a selective Ivy league school with is the same as one from a local public university. The benefit to selective schools is the connections that come with the name and education you receive, not just the degree.
It is easier than ever to apply to college with new tools like the CommonApp, which is a universal application that many colleges in the United States accept. However, most schools require a fee to be paid when students submit their applications. These fees can range anywhere from $30 to $100 per application, and these costs add up. Students can try to qualify for fee waivers, but the process is often challenging and requires a lot of effort, dissuading students from trying. These costs may seem small, but added up they can be the barrier stopping students from applying to schools, especially students who are lower and middle class. Since college admissions have become more competitive, students try to apply to anywhere from 3-10 schools to increase their chances of admission, and the more schools applied to, the higher the cost. Students with fewer financial resources are less likely to increase their admissions chances due to their inability to pay application fees.
Not only are application fees a way to weed out middle and lower class students, but admissions chances are higher in certain application pools. Students can apply to a college in an early decision round, which is binding if a student is accepted regardless of what aid the school offers the students. Many wealthy families can allow their children to apply in the early decision pool, increasing their admissions chances simply because they can afford the school’s cost up front. Not only do wealthier students not have to rely on aid, but they are rewarded for spending more money instead of their efforts and merit in the early decision process with a higher chance of being admitted.
Overall, the college admissions process is complicated and ever-changing. There is lots of room for improvement, particularly with creating an equitable system where students of all classes can obtain a higher education. However, the CommonApp application as well as federal financial aid have been pivotal in making the college process a bit easier. In the next few years, the process may look different with different rules.