Published by The Chronicle of Higher Education
Nearly 60 percent of institutions have moved their deadlines to later this spring, gauging from the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s directory. That list includes only about 500 colleges but shows the range of options they’re considering, said Nanci Tessier, a consultant with the Art & Science Group and a former enrollment manager at several institutions.
More data from NACAC:
About 16 percent of colleges on the list have not moved the enrollment deadline but are extending it for students on a case-by-case basis.
At last update, 6 percent of colleges were undecided on the date, and 5 percent did not extend the deadline at all.
The uncertainty will not affect colleges equally. More-selective institutions are contending with the same delays but are more able to make late aid offers to fill their classes, Tessier said. In other words, students on the wait list who get in even as late as June might still accept, even if they had committed elsewhere.
Get ready for a meltier than usual summer. As more-selective colleges extend additional offers, other institutions will see a ripple effect.
Quotable: “The stronger your position in the market,” Tessier said, “the more likely you are to fill your class, even if it’s later in the summer.”