Survey reports more students forego "dream schools"

Long Island Newsday

June 9, 2009

A new survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling offers some information about the role the economy played in college choices for this fall's freshman class, finding that 71 percent of high school guidance counselors reporting that more students were skipping over their dream schools in favor of more affordable options.
Also, nearly 60 percent of the 658 high schools that completed the survey said a larger number of students planned to enroll in public colleges, compared to 2008. Thirty-seven percent reported more students enrolling in community colleges, presumably to save money.
Not surprisingly, counselors at public high schools were more likely to report student behaviors changed as a result of economic concerns than those at private schools, and those at schools with higher percentages of students eligible for free or reduced priced lunch were the most likely to report increases in the number of students delaying college or attending commuity college.

-- Karla Schuster