Colleges recruit faculty to court students as enrollment pressure mounts

Colleges are enlisting faculty members to court prospective students, a strategic shift aimed at transforming the admissions process from a bureaucratic hurdle into a personal experience. This move responds to a national decline in the pool of 18-year-olds, which is projected to fall by 13 percent over the next 15 years. With fewer students available, universities are competing for attention by offering direct access to professors and classrooms.

At Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., more than 300 admitted students requested personal meetings with faculty or class observations during campus visits last year. Jess Ricker, the college's vice president for enrollment, stated that these interactions help students feel valued and establish a sense of belonging. This approach distinguishes the school from peers on applicants' lists, particularly as the institution's acceptance rate has tightened from 37 percent to 24 percent over the last decade.

The pressure on enrollment offices stems from changing student behavior and demographic shifts. The share of high school graduates attending college dropped from 70 percent in 2016 to 63 percent in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, students are applying to more schools than ever before, with Common App users averaging more than seven applications per person. This hedging behavior has lowered the yield rate, or the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll, from 32 percent to 22 percent at public institutions and from 24 percent to 18 percent at private nonprofits between 2014 and 2024.

Administrators argue that faculty engagement is essential to reversing these trends. Johnnie Johnson, vice president for enrollment management at Washington College, noted that professors initially resisted the role, viewing it as outside their teaching duties. He countered that each student represents programmatic funding and potential salary increases. Faculty now see the stakes clearly, with many citing colleagues at institutions that have closed or cut programs due to enrollment shortfalls.

Admissions data indicate that the process has become more accessible for the majority of applicants. Nearly 80 percent of first-year applicants to public colleges and 70 percent to private institutions are admitted, up from 68 percent and 65 percent respectively a decade ago. Only 33 colleges in the nation admit 10 percent or fewer of their undergraduate applicants, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Despite these favorable odds, more than 40 percent of young adults between 18 and 29 believe admission is harder now than it was for their parents' generation, a misconception driven by the visibility of elite institutions like Harvard and Stanford.

Skidmore President Marc Conner noted that while the college maintains an above-average yield rate of 24 percent, it faces the same headwinds as peers. The school now encourages all staff, from dining hall workers to groundskeepers, to engage warmly with visitors. Becca Johnson, the psychology department chair, reported that parents have told her these direct faculty contacts were a decisive factor in their children's final college choices.