1. Want access to education? Better hope your parents are bringing home the big bucks.
In its Indicators of Higher Education Equity: 2016 Historical Trend Report, the Pell Institute and the COE share a disturbing stat: Students from American families with the highest incomes are almost five times likelier than students from the poorest families to earn a bachelor’s degree by age 24. This is part of the why of what we do at Liaison — to address barriers to access that keep those from different socioeconomic statuses from the opportunities available to their wealthier classmates.
2. Law students are on the move.
Law school enrollment is down, motivating many of these schools to take an interesting approach to recruitment. Specifically, many schools are increasingly focusing on attracting overachieving 1Ls (first-year law students), taking advantage of the fact that there are few incentives to keep these students at the schools where they begin their studies.
We covered law school enrollment in detail during Raising the Law School Recruitment Marketing Bar, yesterday’s webinar that highlighted Liaison’s research into law school student inquiry response strategies. This ABA article continues that conversation and emphasizes the importance of having access to industry-wide and school-wide admissions data in order to understand enrollment trends.
3. Let’s try cultivating kind classes.
Like other admissions officers, Rebecca Sabky reads thousands of applications from intellectually curious, talented and promising candidates each year. What one quality always captures her attention? It might surprise you, but it’s kindness. In this New York Times article, she shares an interesting approach to choosing recommenders that helped highlight this trait in one applicant.
4. Swipe right on the most attractive financial aid package?
While it’s not quite a version of today’s most popular dating app, a DC-area entrepreneur is working on an app that will help students quickly and easily discover what college is their best financial fit. The concept, which is detailed in this Forbes article, is interesting on its own, but what caught our attention was the closing quote because we couldn’t agree more: change is coming to the higher ed industry.
Recommended Reading
Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Diversity, and Faculty Gatekeeping
Do they have a copy at your local library? WorldCat will tell you.
Who gets into grad school and why? In this 2016-published title, Julie Posselt answers this question and steps behind the curtain of what can be a secretive industry.