Common App Trends – Dec 1, 2022

Common App’s leadership just reported tremendous growth in applications since 2019 when the pandemic began. Since then, applicants, applications, and applications per applicant have increased substantially; an underrepresented minority (URM) and first-gen applicant groups have increased at faster rates than their non-URM and continuing-gen counterparts. 

Standardized test score reporting rates saw a steep decline from 2019-20 (75%) to 2020-21 (45%), rising a bit in 2021-22 (48%). Through December 1, 2022, score reporting seems to have leveled off. The stark differences in test score reporting by demographic group continued through December 1 of the current application season.

57% of domestic applicants live in the top 20% of wealthiest ZIP codes, compared to 6% from the 20% of economically least wealthy zips. That’s comparable to prior years’ early application periods but is a slight shift from November 2022 when 61% of applicants resided in the most affluent zip codes. Perhaps this reflects increased application activity for regular decision deadlines from a more socioeconomically diverse applicant pool than during the early decision/early action period. 

Here are the key findings from Common App’s trend report (through December 1, 2022):

Trend

% change

2022-2023

2019-2020

# First year applicants applying to 841 returning Common App member colleges

↑ 24%

952,985

768,459

# Applications

↑ 36%

4,099,861

3,020,732

Average # applications per applicant

↑ 10%

4.3

3.9

# URM applicants

↑ 37%

238,822

174,026

# First-gen applicants

↑ 43%

> 2x rate of “continuing gen” applicants

# Common App fee waiver requests

↑ 56%

> 3x rate of non-fee-waiver applicants (↑ 15%)

# International applicants

↑ 62%

Leading countries: China, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Canada

# Domestic applicants

↑ 21%

# Applications to public member colleges

↑ 47%

2,128,626

1,447,591

# Applications to private member colleges

↑ 25%

1,957,855

1,565,081

# Applications to most selective member colleges (< 25% admit rate)

↑ 33%

535,668

404,014

# Applications to highly selective member colleges (25-49% admit rate)

↑ 40%

620,170

443,914

# Applications to more selective member colleges (50-74% admit rate)

↑ 39%

1,323,052

949,490

# Applications to less selective member colleges (≥ 75% admit rate)

↑ 32%

1,602,886

1,211,955

Below you’ll find graphical representations of these data…