Is there a decline in the number of apps applying to grad school? With the economy being where it is and higher education having the rep as a waste of money etc, do you think students are shying away from the programs?
The data generally show that the number of graduate applications increases when the economy is not doing well. For instance, according to several professors I've talked to, the number of chemical engineering applicants to top departments increased significantly over the last several years.
On the contrary, the bad economy means that more people will apply to graduate school. People think that hiding out in graduate school when you can't find a job is a good idea, so people apply to avoid the market. And higher education doesn't widely have a rep as being a bad deal.
