Any hunches on why colleges are extending application deadlines?

[distancia]

At first I thought it was just one or two, but over the past few weeks I have noticed that MANY colleges, both private universities and smaller LACs (liberal arts colleges) have extended their application deadlines this year. We have been receiving emails, telephone calls, and postcards notifying us that "application deadlines have been extended!"

 

Does anyone think this is due to the poor economy? The trend toward marketable degrees--say, a BSN in Nursing from the local comm college versus a BA in Philosophy? A smaller pool of qualified applicants?

 

EDITED TO ADD: Yes, I can see that the weather might play a small part, but 2-month extensions? and waiving or reduction of application fees?

Edited March 3, 2011 by distancia

[Jane in NC]

n/m

Edited March 3, 2011 by Jane in NC
misread the OP

[readwithem]

Off the top of my head, I'd think it has to do with the weather more than anything else. I read the post office in Atlanta was closed for a full week. A package I sent to my college daughter took 2 1/2 weeks to arrive, 10 days longer than the post office predicted.

 

So I think they're taking into account that many schools have had lots of snow days this year - here in the DFW area, schools have been closed for a total of 5 days. :eek:

 

ETA I just read Jane's reply and I may have misinterpreted your question. I thought you were saying they had extended the deadline for students to submit applications.

[Jane in NC]

 

ETA I just read Jane's reply and I may have misinterpreted your question. I thought you were saying they had extended the deadline for students to submit applications.

 

Oops--I misunderstood. Let me erase my question.

[TravelingChris]

I know that one college my dd was applying to did extend their deadline for about a week longer. Why? Because they were closed for the five days before the deadline due to an ice storm (I believe).

 

My d has also been getting lots of emails like we extended our deadline just for you from a number of schools. SHe even forwarded one to me= she isn't applying to Drexel-- she didn't like Philadelphia that much and she isn't going into engineerin

[Musicmom]

Ds got lots of these kinds of emails last year. One college was still sending "It's not too late!" emails to him into the summer after he graduated! I chalked it all up to lesser schools (none of these were top-notch) trying hard to attract good students in order to build their reputations. With the deadlines being extended again and again and again, I wondered too if they were trying to maintain a presence in hopes they could "catch" some good students that got rejected by their first-choice schools. Just speculation...

[creekland]

Ds got lots of these kinds of emails last year. One college was still sending "It's not too late!" emails to him into the summer after he graduated! I chalked it all up to lesser schools (none of these were top-notch) trying hard to attract good students in order to build their reputations. With the deadlines being extended again and again and again, I wondered too if they were trying to maintain a presence in hopes they could "catch" some good students that got rejected by their first-choice schools. Just speculation...

 

:iagree: We had this happen a lot last year too, but never with top notch schools. They may have been hoping to fill slots with those rejected from other schools or students who had procrastinated applying elsewhere.

[distancia]

Ds got lots of these kinds of emails last year....I chalked it all up to lesser schools (none of these were top-notch) trying hard to attract good students in order to build their reputations. With the deadlines being extended again and again and again, I wondered too if they were trying to maintain a presence in hopes they could "catch" some good students that got rejected by their first-choice schools. Just speculation...

 

That's my guess, also--except I'm seeing some of these come through from 2nd- tier schools, not just the 3rd- and 4th- tier (and lower) schools. Last year I did not see this happening; it was all lower tier schools.

 

I'm thinking that maybe the applicants (students) who, in better economic times, could afford to go to the 2nd tier private schools are choosing strong state schools, where they can get more merit aid? I know our state offers some pretty substantial merit aid to students whose SAT scores top 1300 CR/ MA, and then the schools themselves are offering stackable merit scholarshipson top of that.

[OLG]

When ds was named a National Merit Finalist we got an influx of requests offering deadline extensions and free apps so maybe this has something to do with it? There were good schools and lower tier schools in the offer last year.

 

Do think that the economy this year very well might be a factor.

[Nicole M]

The small liberal arts college where I work is down 100 first year students this year, and we are tuition dependent. We were fine at the beginning of the economic downturn, in fact, because we aren't a huge-endowment school. But yes, colleges are not just desperate for more students, but more students who can pay more. I'll ask around, though, and see if I can get the skinny from my admission peeps.

[prairiewindmomma]

Admission peeps at the private universities here say it's all about the money; more people are going to state u and the private universities are desperate for more students. Here professors are being laid off, class schedules are being consolidated (no more super small sections), and they've even dropped the thermostat down to 62 in the buildings.

[creekland]

College confidential had a thread not that long ago talking about how applications were way up for schools who offered good aid, so it makes sense that a bit of it is about the economy and the money.

 

It's going to be very, very competitive out there for certain schools while many of the others are desperate for students. Money definitely makes a difference.