The purpose of April 2022 60-Second Survey was to perform initial research on enrollment management at the graduate and/or professional level. This data will serve as a benchmark and may shape content for a comprehensive research study. Based on this sample, institutions face a profusion of strategic enrollment challenges associated with graduate…

In January 2023, UCAS announced their intention to reform the personal statement to a series of short questions. This built upon UCAS's work with students and providers in 2022/23, as well as academic literature that has documented the challenges and inequalities that surround the personal statement, including the Higher Education Policy Institute…

We analyze eight letters of recommendation written by high school teachers for first-generation college students, so as to illustrate narrative strategies that can make letters more effective in providing support for students' college applications. Amidst recent criticisms of the limited utility of letters in college admissions, we argue that they…

The decision to enroll in college is not a single choice but rather the final step of a much longer process in which students make a series of choices regarding how to think about, research, and decide on enrolling. Traditionally, enrollment managers have used the enrollment funnel as a model to focus resources and efforts on acquiring and…

Admission to highly selective institutions offers a pathway to upward social mobility, particularly for low-resource students. However, entrenched wealth disparities in the United States present serious challenges for admission officers at highly selective institutions. Utilizing individualized holistic review (IHR), including letters of…

As part of the higher education community, we are not merely observers but key players in shaping students' experiences as they transition from high school to higher education. While this is a time of great excitement and possibility, it is also a significant challenge for many young people. How can admissions professionals help students manage…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify and describe how exemplary Millennial leaders in admissions/enrollment management use power and influence to create ethical organizational climate and to describe essential tactics Millennial leaders in admissions/enrollment management use to sustain an ethical climate.…

This paper explores how fairness was conceptualised by those responsible for admission to highly selective undergraduate courses at 17 universities in England. Fairness was conceptualised principally with reference to the traditional "meritocratic equality of opportunity" paradigm, which holds that university places should go to the most…

The November 2019 60-Second Survey (provided in the appendix) inquired about the use of territory management for undergraduate and graduate students. For the purpose of this survey, territory management has been defined as follows: "Territory management is the assignment of an admissions representative to a population of targeted students.…

This article discusses the role of a mentor. A mentor guides another person in making sound decisions, whether it is career or professional work ethic; it is someone invested in the other person's success. The article provides examples of national and regional opportunities that exist for people seeking mentors, as well as ideas for mentors…

2019 was a bit different from previous years for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Research. Since they had six larger-scale research projects (of which several were calendared over the summer months), they did not want to overly burden their members with surveys. This resulted in four 60-Second…

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Character Collaborative worked together to develop a survey of secondary school counselors and college admission offices. Survey questions were designed to better understand the nature of any character development programs offered by secondary schools in the US, and to…

The January 2020 60-Second Survey was designed to serve two purposes: (1) to benchmark institutional-level use of enrollment management and strategic enrollment management (SEM) plans; and (2) gather individual interest in enrollment management research (Appendix A). The survey was open to all American Association of Collegiate Registrars and…

College admissions leaders increasingly desire to incorporate non-cognitive factors like grit into admissions decisions. Consequently, we examined the validity of the short grit scale (Grit-S) using data collected on undergraduates attending 38 colleges. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), we found that Grit-S does not possess adequate model…

Tina Falkner is the Director of the Office of Student Finance for Academic Support Resources (a large unit comprised of the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Student Finance, the Office of Classroom Management, One Stop Student Services, Continuity and Compliance, and an internal web development team) at the University of Minnesota. Prior to…