Students accepted to both AU and George Washington University in 2013 chose to attend GW 83 percent of the time, according to a recent report published by the New York Times.
The original nationwide survey was conducted by Parchment, which was responsible for compiling college admissions materials online. Economists have determined a pattern of “revealed preference” in the decision making process for students accepted to two or more schools, from data gathered from 104,119 students from the class of 2013.
Despite the study’s findings, students seem committed to AU once they are enrolled, according to Jimmy Ellis, the manager of Student Success and Retention Office of Undergraduate Studies at AU.
“From [my] perspective, most of what I observe regarding the sense of commitment and satisfaction students have for AU is very high,” Ellis said.
AU freshman Danielle Siegal represents one of the minority of the 17 percent of students who chose AU over GW, and believes that AU did an excellent job promoting itself and its programs.
“I visited both GW and AU before making my decision, and I felt that at AU resources, opportunities and faculty attention are much more accessible and well-promoted,” Siegal said.
Sharon Alston, the vice provost for Undergraduate Enrollment, is conscious of the various factors that prompt students to go to a certain university and works with the rest of the Office of Enrollment to draw students to AU.
“The Office of Enrollment is always focused on bringing the best students to AU,” Alston said by email. “As a consequence, we spend a considerable amount of time reviewing and taking steps to address those issues that have to do with how students perceive AU in the college choice process.”
However, there might not be a significant issue with AU at all. When compared to other surveys assessing the ways students choose a school, the data is consistent. However, some areas of the country are underreported, and most students would not choose a school randomly.
Despite the data provided through this study, Allston and the Office of Enrollment team are excited about the enrollment of the current freshman class.
“This is unprecedented in higher education and is a direct reflection of the marketing, enrollment, and academic strategies the university has employed,” Allston said in an email. “We would anticipate that, as a result of these initiatives, we will continue to see increases in the percentage of students for whom AU is their first choice.”
