Colleges Drop Application Fees to Court Fewer Students

The number of traditional-age freshmen in the United States is projected to decline by 13 percent over the next 15 years, a drop that is forcing colleges to rethink their recruitment strategies. As the pool of potential students shrinks, admissions offices are moving away from a secretive, intimidating model toward a more open and approachable one.

Federal data shows that the proportion of high school graduates choosing to attend college has fallen from 70 percent in 2016 to 63 percent in 2024. This decline is compounded by a shift in application habits. Students are now applying to more schools to hedge their bets, with Common App users submitting an average of more than seven applications each. This behavior has lowered the yield rate, or the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll. At public institutions, yield dropped from 32 percent in 2014 to 22 percent in 2024. At private, nonprofit colleges, it fell from 24 percent to 18 percent over the same period.

To combat these trends, some universities are waiving application fees and offering additional financial aid to students who visit campus. According to the Education Commission of the States, public universities in 17 states now admit high school students who have not formally applied. More than 150 private colleges also make direct admissions offers to students who submit the Common App, a standardized online application used by roughly 1,200 institutions.

Marc Conner, president of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, noted that the institution is not among those struggling to fill seats. However, he said the college depends on students coming to campus and converting visits into enrollment. "We depend on students coming to our campuses and, when they do come, getting them to enroll," Conner said. Skidmore has begun enlisting faculty to meet with prospective and admitted applicants, a role previously reserved for the admissions office.

Jess Ricker, the college's vice president for enrollment, explained that these interactions help students feel valued and part of a community. "It creates a feeling of what it would be like to be seen, valued and to find a place of belonging on a campus," Ricker said. This approach is part of a wider trend where two-thirds of admissions leaders reported trouble meeting enrollment targets in at least one of the last two years, according to a survey by the ratings platform Niche. Ninety-seven percent of those leaders expect competition to increase.

Owen Zaret, father of 17-year-old high school senior Alex Zaret, described the current process as a full-time job for his family. After visiting Skidmore, Zaret said he noticed a shift in tone from an "ivory tower approach" to one that signals, "We want you to be here." The Zarets have visited four schools and plan to visit at least six more, a process that requires significant time and effort from parents who are also working full-time jobs.

Johnnie Johnson, vice president for enrollment management at Washington College in Maryland, said some faculty initially resisted the recruiting effort. "Some faculty didn't want to be part of it," Johnson said. "They'd say, 'You go recruit and I'll teach.'" Johnson countered by explaining that student enrollment directly impacts programmatic funding and faculty raises. He noted that faculty members are aware of colleagues at other institutions who have seen programs cut or schools close.

The ease of admission has increased for the majority of students. The National Association for College Admission Counseling reports that nearly 8 in 10 first-year applicants to public colleges and 7 in 10 to private institutions are accepted. This is up from 68 percent and 65 percent, respectively, about 10 years ago. Only 33 colleges and universities in the country admit 10 percent or fewer of their undergraduate applicants. Despite this, more than 40 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds believe it is harder to get into college now than it was for their parents, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

At Skidmore, more than three-quarters of admitted students who visited the campus outside of a weekend open house requested to sit in on a class or meet with a faculty member last year. These interactions amounted to 300 personal visits. Becca Johnson, chair of the Psychology Department, said the feedback from families has been positive. One mother told her, "You're the first person from outside of an admissions office to contact us. And that was so meaningful for them in their decision."