Indicator: College applications

Definition

Grade 12 students submit a well-balanced portfolio of at least three college applications.

RECOMMENDED METRIC(S)

Percentage of grade 12 students who submitted at least three college applications

Type(s) of Data Needed

Administrative data or surveys

Why it matters

Before students can attend college, they must first apply. Research shows that students who apply to at least two colleges are more than 40 percent more likely to enroll in a four-year college than those who apply to only one. There are disparities by race, ethnicity, and income in the rates at which students apply to college. One study found, for instance, that students from low-income households were less likely to apply to college and less likely to apply to multiple colleges than their peers. As another example, among Chicago Public School (CPS) students who aimed to achieve a four-year degree, Black and Latino students were least likely to apply to and enroll in college.

What to know about measurement

For schools that do not already systematically record if or where students apply to college, this metric will require a new system for tracking the number of applications each grade 12 student submits or linking to existing data. Currently, about 40 percent of high schools use Naviance, an online tool that allows schools to track and manage students’ college application and admission processes. In 2020, almost one million students submitted college applications through the Common App, which serves more than 900 colleges and universities. Linking to existing administrative data sources such as Naviance and Common App is likely to result in more accurate data and be less burdensome to school staff than collecting data through student self-reported surveys.


To define this indicator, we drew on recommendations from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We see submitting three applications to a well-balanced portfolio of postsecondary institutions as a foundational goal and encourage schools and districts to consider setting more ambitious goals. In particular, we note examples such as OneGoal, a nonprofit organization that encourages students to apply to at least seven colleges or similar postsecondary programs, and the Knowledge Is Power Program’s (KIPP) College Match Framework, which tracks the percentage of students who apply to at least six “likely/target/reach” colleges and nine total colleges, but allows regions to set different targets for students with a grade point average (GPA) below 2.0 or ACT score below 16. A well-balanced portfolio includes postsecondary institutions of varying selectivity levels, where students face different likelihoods of admission based on their academic profile, and should also reflect students’ needs, interests, and aspirations.

Source frameworks

This indicator appeared in four source frameworks reviewed for this report, including Education Strategy Group’s From Tails to Heads framework. Our proposed measure draws on work by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

References

The framework's recommendations are based on syntheses of existing research. Please see the framework report for a list of works cited.