How I used Landscape for CBE application review

Some surprising data in our most recent post. Who’s going out of business? Almost exclusively for profit colleges. Enrollment declining? Yes, mostly among low income students and at less selective institutions.  And look at how ubiquitous online education has become across the entire higher education sector.

This large study of counselors’ letters of recommendation (LOR) includes a very handy diagram. For parents who don’t work in counseling or college admissions, I recommend reading the abstract, or at least the diagram. It sums up a niche issue that serves as a lens for A LOT of systemic problems. (Link in comments)

Better decisions come with access to more data not less. Sunsetting Landscape is a step backward for serving talented students from a wide variety of American communities.

Are high-achieving students from competitive schools penalized in college admissions? It's a common concern when families invest heavily in education. The key is remembering that high school is about education and personal growth, not just college acceptance. Regardless of location, strong students are generally viewed similarly by admissions offices. The advice? Don't downplay possibilities or self-select out of aspirational choices. Instead, broaden your scope and have a solid plan B. Disappointment often stems from lacking alternative options when the first-choice school doesn't pan out. A wider lens can alleviate that. #collegeadmissions #highereducation #highschool #studentlife #education #collegeprep

The Public Policy Institute of California released a blog last week that affirms, through longitudinal data, what many who work in the transfer space already know to be true: we still have a lot of work to do to strengthen transfer pathways for students. Even in a state like California–which has statewide transfer policies and structures in place–students who begin their college career at a community college are significantly less likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than their peers who start at a four-year institution. There are many factors that contribute to this, but one common issue we see across states is murky curricular pathways for transfer students. Creating clear transfer pathways that detail exactly what courses a student needs to take, and codifying those pathways in state, system, and/or institutional policy, is one step toward facilitating better transfer student outcomes. Community colleges are a crucial access point to higher education for so many students, and I look forward to continuing to work with partners across the country to make it easier for transfer students to achieve their goals. Check out the PPIC blog here: https://lnkd.in/etT7gcrz

I recommend reading this sharp commentary and call to action for reimagining the tertiary education system in Scotland by Roy Gardner, the Depute Principal and COO of City of Glasgow College. #Universities and #colleges should be valued as two sides of the same coin without which the society wouldn't function and the economy couldn't grow. We should be talking about an #education #ecosystem with flexible and seamless education pathways that lead not only to the production of cutting edge scientific breakthroughs, but also the application of that knowledge in practice to the good of the society. Having worked with colleges as part of Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, there is so much untapped innovation potential in the sector waiting to be harnessed. The current funding structures, however, are preventing this from being fully realised, and often stunting promising initiatives.

How Colleges Can Reduce Admission Cancellations Effectively. Every year, institutions face the same challenge — students confirm admissions but later cancel. This directly impacts enrollment, finances, and brand image. Here are 6 strategies that actually work: 1️⃣ Early Engagement & Personalized Communication 2️⃣ Financial Aid Transparency & Support 3️⃣ Campus Experience & Community Building 4️⃣ Mentorship & Peer Connection 5️⃣ Clear Academic Pathways 6️⃣ Flexible Deposit & Deferral Options 👉 Admissions isn’t just about filling seats. It’s about building trust + relationships with students and parents. 💡 My view: Colleges that treat admissions as a long-term relationship, not a one-time transaction, see much higher retention. — ✨ Curious to know: What do you think parents value the most during admissions? Placements Infrastructure Branding Fee flexibility (Comment your thoughts ⬇️) #AdmissionsStrategy #EducationMarketing #Branding

It’s obviously critical that college is affordable. But it’s arguably just as important that students believe it’s affordable, because perceptions shape our choices and actions. That’s why I found this recent Inside Higher Ed piece so interesting (linked in comments). It highlights how students’ perceptions – of trust, value, and affordability – shape their relationships with higher ed. The reference back to Lumina Foundation's data on the "cost-value paradox" especially stood out: lots of students think college is worth it, and yet still think it costs too much. That perception of unaffordability can have a big impact on enrollment. In our work with Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), we saw how many high school students assume college is out of reach financially. That can lead them to miss key preparation steps (like taking certain courses or building college application lists), even though they might qualify for substantial aid. The piece also noted that trust in higher ed increases once students are actually enrolled. That may be partly confirmation bias ("I’m spending so much, it must be worth it"), but it also shows how our perceptions change over time: the concrete cost of college is huge compared to ambiguous, long-term value, but gaining personal experience can shift the cost-benefit analysis. Affordability matters – and so do perceptions. If students don’t believe college is within reach, they’ll act like it isn’t. We need good policy to change the price tag, and we need good behavioral design to change the perception. #BehavioralScience #HigherEd #StudentSuccess #Enrollment #FinancialAid

Inside Higher Ed (9/8, Alonso) reports that dual enrollment programs, which allow high schoolers to take college courses, have seen a dramatic rise, with participation increasing “from 300,000 in the early 2000s to 2.5 million in 2022–23.” Researchers are investigating the impacts of these programs, which have shown that participants tend to apply to more colleges and are more likely to receive scholarships. A new report from the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College “highlights new details of how dual-enrollment students fared after high school.” Lead researcher Vivian Yuen Ting Liu said, “The hope was that if dual enrollment can help this historically underserved group in higher education, maybe this can be a new tool for policymakers.” A study in the Journal of Student Financial Aid found dual enrollees “were 1.5 times more likely to receive a scholarship compared those who hadn’t in their first year in college.”

As college tuition costs continue to rise, more students are turning to community colleges for an affordable and flexible pathway, which is a start, not a finish line. Associate Professor Raquel Muñiz reminds us that access to resources such as academic support and career readiness is essential for students to reach the finish line. She highlights key factors for policymakers to consider in addressing this growing trend by meeting and expanding local college community resources for young adults on their educational journey. Explore Associate Professor Raquel Muñiz's insight in this recent WalletHub article: https://lnkd.in/e68AaZvV