Biggest shift we have seen is the explosion of DE. Nobody did DE prior to COVID locally. Now kids are loading up on DE classes.
Research is another thing, but it’s mostly pay to play for local kids and often not done by students. For example, we know a girl with published physics researched before she took calculus as a senior and barely survived. But for over $5k, you can now be a published researcher. Apparently college admissions is oblivious to what’s happening.
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I don’t think they are oblivious and research is now totally ubiquitous. Anyone can pay for it, but I do think the most selective colleges are totally aware of which students are paying to play and which are doing elite level research and didn’t pay for the opportunity. This is discussed upthread.
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As Skimom used to say, “I wasn’t asking.”
Several posts deleted. Move on or start a new thread.
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This is an interesting thread!
Not mentioned above (unless I missed it, sorry!)
In the state that I know best (Maryland) the flagship (UM-CP) dramatically increased the size of its freshman class over the past 5 years (AI says from 4200 to 5800). This was done defensively to increase tuition $$ in times of financial uncertainty. This has served to hollow out the freshman class of some of the regional state schools in Maryland, where admission rates have shot up and class sizes have shrunk.
Anecdotally, I have heard that the same process has played out in some other state systems, with the flagship pulling students to the center away from the peripheries.
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Interesting. NYU has gone the opposite way - it’s now financially more generous, and has decreased the size of the entering class as a result.
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This has absolutely happened in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Indiana. U of M Twin Cities, UW Madison, and IU have all increased admissions. That combined with test optional policies mean that students who pre-pandemic would have gone to regionals are now going to the flagships. Anecdotally, social media posts of people loving student life at the big “rah rah” campuses have also pushed students in our area toward those campuses - I hear many more high schoolers using that in their decision-making.
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The original article is behind a paywall - https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/college-towns-economy-macomb-illinois-aae84dcc
"A Wall Street Journal analysis of 748 public four-year colleges and universities in all 50 states shows that full- and part-time enrollment at the most prominent state universities increased 9% in 2023 compared with 2015. At lesser-known regional state universities, enrollment fell 2%. The shift represents tens of thousands of students who have abandoned struggling college towns.
At the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the state’s flagship school, enrollment jumped 30% in 2023 compared with 2015. Enrollment at Tennessee’s 10 regional state colleges fell a combined 3% over the same period. In Wisconsin, enrollment at the University of Wisconsin in Madison jumped 16% and fell 9% at regional public campuses over the same period. Between 2011 and 2023, the economies of the metropolitan areas that include Madison and Knoxville grew faster than the U.S. as a whole."
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Very interesting. I actually think this topic is worthy of its own thread.
I am wondering now what factors are behind these shifts. I’m sure it isn’t just test optional policies.
Maybe it’s other factors too, such as:
- Students and parents pursuing higher ed believe that standards will be better at flagships and they want to put their money towards the public option with the best reputation either statewide or nationally.
- Kids are flocking to flagships because they feel they will have more fun than at a directional university.
- Fewer kids overall are going to college so the regional publics take the brunt of that loss.
- Flagships are spending more money on advertising/recruitment. It’s probably paying off, to the detriment of lesser known colleges.
- Private colleges and universities are simply too expensive. But kids and parents are looking for more affordable options that still provide the “going away to college” experience.
Probably a lot of factors combined. I’d love to know if anyone is studying the causes of the shift described in the WSJ article. Or maybe the article discusses that? I can’t access it.
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Here’s a gift link to the WSJ article:
College Boom Towns Go Bust as Enrollment Declines Batter Local Economies - WSJ]
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I believe this for sure. As more and more schools are announcing TCA approaching 100k/year, it’s pretty jarring. We’re fortunate that cost did not factor into our kids’ choice. But I’d be lying if I said that I am not glad my kids chose a school that’s still “expensive” (especially for OOS) but not at that cost level.
Interesting thread and posts.
I wonder if the hyper competitiveness of kids/families applying to only top 25 is contributing to lower enrollments at many schools. Are more kids taking gap years if they did not get into best brand school? Are more kids transferring to jump up to better brand?
Lots reported on New England kids looking beyond New England, specifically the South. At the same time, I have heard more kids from farther regions of the country are looking at NE schools. Tuition does not really cover the complete cost of education.. if alumni are not giving back, if grants and research are not funded, schools will make cuts, which has impact on admissions - lower enrollment yield, with admits still needeing financial aid.. Then, the most negative campaign to all international students about studying in the US is being broadcasted right now. The extra financial fill schools got from International full pay students goes away and towards Canada & UK.
I do not think Harvard, the Ivies, or any top tier school should be penalized punished etc in some of the cases we are seeing but I do think society is paying a price for heavily weighting .. just 20?!!! Schools as having the best students, faculty and programs… college confidential demonstrates the handwringing stress over admission for the golden ticket.. Employers/top firms also are only recruiting from just 10-15 schools… instead of tearing down the top I wish society would build up state schools & colleges and universities and community colleges that serve our communities better.
My apologies for going off in different directions here 
12 posts were split to a new thread: Canadian Universities and Visa Requirements