The Rising Tide Of Online College Applications

Motivated by a number of factors, growing numbers of college hopefuls are turning to the Web to submit applications, though concerns about the medium persist. For colleges and universities, online applications generally mean easier processing with fewer mistakes. Many institutions waive application fees–which can run as high as $75–for students who apply online. As a result, most institutions are seeing higher percentages of applications filed online, and many students are applying at more institutions. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 57 percent of students applied to college online in 2004, compared to 35 percent one year earlier. The Higher Education Research Institute reported that in 2004, more than 16 percent of students applied to seven or more schools, up from less than 10 percent in 1994. Some schools do not waive fees for online applications, however, among them Yale University and Harvard University. And despite growing confidence in the Internet, some students remain skeptical that their materials have been received.

William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions at Harvard, said, “Students will send it electronically, then they will fax it to you, and then they will send it snail mail.”

Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2005 (sub. req’d)