May, 2008

Recruitment & Retention - May, 2008 - Full Issue PDF
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Retention and College Counseling Centers
By Brian Van Brunt
Students with personal problems and psychological issues often struggle academically and are at risk for dropping out of school. Counseling has been shown to address these issues while having a positive impact on students remaining in school. Students who make use of counseling stay in school at a higher rate when compared to those who do not use counseling services.

Newswire
National Dialog on Student Retention: Dr. George Kuh will be the keynote speaker at a conference on bolstering student engagement and retention, sponsored by EducationDynamics, on June 3 in Atlanta. According to conference organizers, participants will discuss challenges and best-practice solutions for student retention, and will leave the conference with actionable steps that can be applied at their institutions to engage and retain more students.

SAT-Optional Admissions: Reasons to Take Another Look
By Jonathan P. Epstein
SAT-optional policy announcements often cite potential biases in the test, differential scoring by income and by race, and a desire to remove “SAT pandemonium” from the admissions process. Many announcements include statements such as, “The best predictor of success is your high school achievement,” or “You can decide for yourself if your scores adequately reflect your abilities and potential for success in college,” and “Standardized tests have long been scrutinized for possible cultural, ethnic, gender, and class bias.”

Looking at the Costs of Student Acquisition and Attrition
By Craig Heldman
According to recent data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the average per-student recruiting expenditure for four-year colleges and universities was just under $714, making the cost to recruit just 3,000 students each year over $2 million. However, as colleges and universities are facing more difficult financial times, recruitment budgets continue to shrink. While colleges and universities across the country are looking for ways to cut costs, more and more administrators are realizing just how much saving potential lies in retention.

Are We Prepared for “Seismic Demographic Shifts”?
By Linda H. Fitzhugh
While admissions administrators pore over the latest Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) research report titled Knocking at the College Door, we also assess if we are adequately prepared to open the proverbial door. Divided into two main components, the report provides projections of high school graduates by state and by race/ethnicity.