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…
