More respondents chose a "college with the best program for my (my child’s) career interests" (38%) than they did a "college with the best academic reputation" (11%) as the two top factors in the selection process, according to The Princeton Review's 2023 College Hopes & Worries Survey Report.
To begin with, do away with the essay: They’re vague, hard to score and more than a third of students admit to making them up. After all, asks one academic integrity researcher, “What’s their incentive for telling the truth?”
As academic preparation seems to be the key factor to closing the college enrollment gap between students of different races, students that come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds still seem to need help.
At least 1,835 U.S. colleges have implemented test-free or test-optional admissions in the hopes of developing a more diverse pool of applicants, although student access to high school AP or IB courses will remain a factor in their acceptance.
"A diverse student body enriches the social environment while also bringing unique perspectives to classroom conversations. Eliminating race-based college admissions will have devastating results," expert says.