Many Colleges Still Accepting Applications

May 18, 2010

Even as many colleges and universities place record numbers of prospective students on waiting lists, other schools still have room--and are still accepting applications.

Early this month, the National Association for College Admission Counseling posted a list of 240 colleges that are still accepting applications for fall admission for freshmen and/or transfer students. NACAC plans to update the list regularly through the end of August. The majority--77 percent--of the colleges on the list are private, while 23 percent are public institutions.

"It is important for students and their counselors to know that many quality institutions still have both space and financial aid available for those who have not yet completed the college admission and enrollment process," said Joyce Smith, NACAC's chief executive officer, in a press release.

U.S. News & World Report points out that students also have hundreds of other college options not included on NACAC's list, since the group only includes institutions that are among its members, which are four-year, not-for-profit colleges and universities. Students can apply to community colleges, for-profit institutions, and close to 1,000 four-year schools that are not members of NACAC.

Of course, many schools have received record numbers of applications this year and have been forced to limit enrollment. The University of California created a waiting list for the first time, as did the City University of New York, which has 11 senior colleges and six community colleges.

The New York Times reports that CUNY decided to place all students on a waiting list if they applied after May 7. Matthew Goldstein, chancellor of CUNY, explained to the board of trustees that the move was necessary in order to prevent the system from being overwhelmed by rising enrollments.

"We are doing the very best we can to balance the need to keep the university open and available to the students who wish to study here," he was quoted as saying in the Times. "But we will do it in a responsible way so that we can educate our students."

Compiled by CityTownInfo.com Staff