More applicants and more institutions create another “win-win” year for grad programs.
For the second consecutive year, Liaison’s GradCAS™ — the Centralized Application Service (CAS™) for graduate schools and programs — experienced impressive growth. And the momentum it generated in recent years continues to build in 2021. See our infographic for a recap of how our community reached new heights in 2020.
More Members, Applications and First Generation Students
- The GradCAS applicant pool grew by 75% from the 2018-2019 cycle to the 2019-2020 cycle.
- Application volume increased by 88%.
- First-generation students accounted for 52% of applicants, a 10% increase from their representation in the last cycle.
- Participating institutions increased by 63%, with notable new additions including the University of Pittsburgh, Texas A&M-San Antonio and the University of New England.
- GradCAS experienced no disruptions during 2020, despite the extraordinary challenges the year presented.
Look no further than St. Cloud State University for further evidence of these trends. SCSU saw a 19% rise in completed applications and a 25% year-over-year increase in yielded students for their first full term with GradCAS (Summer 2020).
New Resources and Opportunities for the Graduate Admissions Community
GradCAS also added several new live and on-demand webinars for grad school professionals, including:
- The Undergrad to Grad Connection: Establishing Programs to Boost Retention and Drive Enrollment
- Remapping Graduate Recruitment for 2021: Strategies to Identify and Engage New Applicant Pools
- Graduate Enrollment Without Borders: Overcoming International Challenges to Attract the World’s Best Students
On top of all that, Liaison’s acquisition of TargetX in October simultaneously broadened the reach of GradCAS and consolidated some of higher ed’s most popular tools under one platform — at a time when other companies were closing because of the pandemic.
You can’t argue with the facts: GradCAS helped more programs and applicants achieve their graduate admissions goals in 2020 than ever before, and can do the same for your institution in 2021. Connect with managing Director Judy Chappelear to learn more!