The Common App may not be the only platform through which students apply to college, but the 1,100 colleges and universities that accept its applications represent a major constituency of schools. Consequently, the findings in the Common App Deadline update, 2024–2025: First-year application trends through January 1 illuminate trends that likely pertain to the larger high school graduating class of 2025. The broad insights tell us a lot about how competitive college admissions is at this moment:
- Applicant and application counts are up 5% and 7% respectively.
- First generation, underrepresent minority, and low-income applicants are up.
- Rate of domestic applicant growth exceeds growth in international
applicants for the first time since 2019. - Roughly half of applicants have reported test scores by January 1.
- Some of the greatest growth is seen in applications to public university systems, urban schools, and schools in the Southwest.
- Somehow, New York remains the state with the highest application volume, while Texas is state with the fastest growing rate of domestic first-year applicants.
All in all, the Common App report highlights what feels like an overheated market: more students are submitting more applications while the numbers of schools and seats remain roughly the same. No wonder the 2023 NACAC College Admission Process Survey describes an environment where the application process feels so momentous and stressful:
About three-quarters of those who have applied/are applying to college (76%) say completing their applications feels like such a decisive moment in their lives, with a similar proportion (73%) fearing a small mistake in their application could limit their chances of acceptance. Half (52%) say this has been more stressful than anything else they have done academically.
That said, times are changing. College enrollment is expected to drop after 2025, sharply in some instances, due to long-term demographic shifts. However, seats at the name brand and highly selective schools only appear to increase in demand. The data tell us that applicants are in a challenging application environment today; history tells us the future of college admissions will likely defy prediction.
Mike Bergin