Colleges with Elite Status Continue to Admit Students from their Reserve Lists
In an unprecedented move, several universities in the United States have extended their waitlists into the summer of 2023, primarily due to disruptions affecting the ability of international students to start classes on time.
The U.S. State Department's pause on visa interviews from late May to mid-June, coupled with the implementation of new social media vetting rules, has caused significant backlogs and appointment shortages for students from countries like India and China, which supply over half of U.S. international students. This has led universities to delay final enrollment decisions and keep waitlists open longer to accommodate potential changes in international student enrollment.
The extension of waitlists is unlikely to be related to controversies or political pressure surrounding some universities, as students concerned about such issues typically would not apply or accept offers in the first place. Instead, this move reflects an evolving college admissions process impacted by external immigration policies rather than changes in domestic admissions strategies.
The expected decline in new international student enrollment, potentially 30–40%, means schools are retaining flexibility to fill seats later in the summer. Notable institutions such as Columbia University, Stanford, and Duke have extended their waitlists past traditional deadlines, with Columbia announcing it would close its waitlist on August 1.
The impact of these visa disruptions is far-reaching. International undergraduates are more likely to pay the full cost of attendance, making them crucial for universities looking to maintain their financial health. Some universities, like Rice University, have even offered one-time grants of $2500 to students on their waitlist to cover any expenses they may have incurred enrolling at other schools.
Education consultant Mark Moody, with nearly three decades of experience, explains that colleges use sophisticated data tools and employ savvy enrollment managers to estimate how many students they need to admit to enroll enough students and earn enough revenue to keep the operation afloat. However, Moody worries that more colleges will lean heavily into their early decision process to admit a larger percentage of their freshman class.
The college admissions landscape is expected to feel great pressure to admit more students who will help them hit their bottom line. College forums typically see discussions about the next admissions cycle in June, but this year, the waitlist chatter extended into July. Davin Sweeney, the director of college counseling at Avenues, a private school in Manhattan, says that counseling students and parents about how to deal with waitlists is a regular part of his job.
Independent school counselors have been discussing late admissions in June and July on listservs and group chats. Moody predicts that the college admissions landscape will be better for students with higher admit rates and more merit aid, especially if they're from full-pay families.
NAFSA predicts a potential 30-40 percent decline in new international student enrollment, a prediction that seems to be playing out in real life as Union College announces a steep decline in enrollment of international students. As the situation regarding international students continues to evolve, colleges and universities must adapt to ensure they can continue to attract and enroll the best and brightest students from around the world.
- In the midst of visa disruptions, universities are employing advanced data tools and strategic enrollment managers to estimate the number of students they need to admit to maintain their financial health.
- The extension of waitlists past traditional deadlines in some universities, such as Columbia, Stanford, and Duke, reflects the evolving college admissions process influenced by external immigration policies.
- With the expected decline in new international student enrollment, schools are retaining flexibility to fill seats later in the summer by offering financial incentives, like one-time grants, to students on their waitlist.
- As the situation regarding international students continues to evolve, the college admissions landscape might become more competitive for students with higher admit rates and more merit aid, particularly those from full-pay families.
