AU received 16,800 applications for admission in the fall 2010 semester, an increase of 12 percent from last year, according to Greg Grauman, acting director of the Office of Admissions.
The university is part of a larger trend in the D.C. area in which colleges and universities received an increased number of undergraduate applications this year, according to college admission offices and college Web sites.
The surge in undergraduate applications is partially due to current students’ positive feedback about their schools and families’ desire to choose from multiple options of financial aid packages, according to admissions officers at both AU and the Catholic University of America.
Applying to more schools allows students the opportunity to see what schools can offer them financially, according to CUA Dean of University Admissions Christine Mica.
Graduate and law schools also received more applications for economic reasons this year from college graduates unwilling to enter the job market due to the recession, The Eagle previously reported.
Though AU has not decided how many applicants it will admit for fall 2010, last year’s acceptance rate was 53 percent, according to Grauman.
At AU approximately 93 percent of need is met for financial aid. Last year the average aid package was $33,429, according to the College Board Web site. The total estimated cost of attendance was $47,386, according to AU’s Office of Admissions.
Grauman said he believes that the increase in applicants to AU is not just due to the economy, but also the result of positive experiences by current undergraduate students and the excitement of living in D.C., he said.
“Our current students are sharing their positive experiences with friends and former classmates, who in turn are choosing to apply,” Grauman said. “It is an exciting time to be in Washington, D.C., and prospective students know that if they enroll at AU, they will be at the heart of the action.”
CUA saw an even larger increase in applicants this year. Although the application deadline is not until February, they’ve already seen a 30.9 percent increase over last year, according to Mica.
“Families are eager to review financial aid and have as many options as possible before committing to college this year,” Mica said.
CUA was voted a “best buy” university by Fiske Guide to Colleges in 2009 and by WiseChoice, an online college guide. Fiske, a company that produces a series of college guides, designates “best buy” schools based on the quality of academics relative to the cost of tuition.
At The George Washington University applications are up 3 percent, and at John Hopkins University they have increased 13 percent this year, according to The Washington Post.
GWU was ranked third in the country for its “average amount of need-based aid” by the U.S. News and World Report’s magazine, “2009 America’s Best Colleges.” Need-based aid refers to money awarded to students based on their financial situation, not merit.
At GWU for the 2009-2010 academic year, the average financial aid package for full-time undergraduates is $35,780, and the average need-based scholarship or grant for full-time undergraduates is $22,321, according to a 2009 GWU press release. The estimated total cost of attendance at GWU is $55,625.
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