Higher Education: Colleges Ditch Ivory Tower for Open Door

Skidmore College has begun a new recruitment strategy that involves faculty members rather than just admissions staff. The private institution in Saratoga Springs, New York, is asking professors to meet with prospective students, open their labs, and invite applicants to sit in on classes. This shift marks a move away from traditional, high-pressure admissions tactics toward a more welcoming approach.

Colleges are changing how they interact with applicants because they are struggling to fill seats. Marc Conner, the president of Skidmore, stated that the institution depends on students visiting campus and then choosing to enroll. Even though Skidmore's application numbers have risen, Conner said the school faces the same headwinds as other institutions in higher education.

The financial pressure on universities is driving these operational changes. A survey by Niche found that two-thirds of admissions leaders had trouble meeting enrollment targets in at least one of the last two years. Ninety-seven percent of those leaders expect competition to increase. The supply of traditional-age freshmen is projected to decline by 13 percent over the next 15 years, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

Institutions are using various tactics to lower barriers for students. Some universities are waiving application fees and offering additional financial aid for students who visit campus. Public universities in 17 states now admit high school students who have not formally applied. More than 150 private colleges make direct admission offers to students who fill out the Common App, a standardized online application used by about 1,200 institutions.

The odds of getting accepted to college have increased for most applicants. The National Association for College Admission Counseling reports that nearly 8 in 10 first-year applicants to public colleges and 7 in 10 to private colleges are admitted. This is up from 68 percent and 65 percent, respectively, about 10 years ago. Only 33 colleges and universities in the country admit 10 percent or fewer of their undergraduate applicants.

Colleges must admit more students than they need to account for lower enrollment rates. This metric, known as yield, has dropped significantly. Federal data shows that yield declined from 32 percent in 2014 to 22 percent in 2024 at public institutions. At private, nonprofit colleges, yield fell from 24 percent in 2014 to 18 percent in 2024. This means colleges often admit around five times as many students as they need to secure a full class.

Faculty members are being brought into the recruiting process to help improve these numbers. At Washington College in Maryland, faculty members meet with visiting applicants on designated Fridays during the admissions season. Johnnie Johnson, the vice president for enrollment management at Washington College, told faculty that every student who enrolls equates to programmatic funding and raises. He noted that faculty are aware of colleagues at colleges that have closed or cut programs.

The new approach is already generating engagement at Skidmore. More than three-quarters of admitted students who visited campus last year for reasons other than a weekend open house requested to sit in on a class or meet with a faculty member. This resulted in 300 personal visits. Becca Johnson, the chair of the Psychology Department at Skidmore, said she has received feedback from families indicating that these personal interactions help distinguish the school from others on their lists.