College applications show deepening inequities in access

Applying to college is stressful in normal times, but this year students felt the extra stress of having to deal with pandemic-related restrictions that made many of the usual steps, like working with high school counsellors, visiting campuses and in-person interviews, nearly impossible, write Yon Pomrenze and Bianna Golodryga for CNN.

Many students today “aren’t getting access to ... counsellors to support them through the college application process and the financial aid application process”, says Mamie Voight, interim president at the Institute for Higher Education Policy. “We have had such deep inequities within our higher education system over the years and the pandemic has brought them into stark relief,” she continued.

Recognising the added burden on students, many colleges in the United States have made standardised testing, like the SAT, optional. But this move, while making things easier for students, resulted in a massive surge in applications at some selective colleges. But many colleges are seeing the opposite. Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, with a student body that is 40% first-generation college students, saw a 10% enrolment drop last fall, and a further 18% drop this spring.
Full report on the CNN site