Current high school seniors are going to have an easier time getting into college than in past years due to the decreasing number of applicants, the Los Angeles Times reports.
According to the Times, the graduating high school class of 2014 is "the smallest group in years" to apply to college. Higher education admissions experts predict that — except for top schools like those in the Ivy League — many good and traditionally competitive colleges will offer admission to more students.
Why is the group of applicants so small? It's simple, at 3.2 million, this will be the smallest high school graduating class in years, according to a report by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education cited in the Times. The number of high school graduates met its peak from 2010-2011 with 3.4 million with the children of Baby Boomers graduating.
"It's a great time, I think, to be a high school student, and to dream and to reach for those schools they might not have considered in the past ... More doors absolutely will be open for students nationally," one college admissions official told the Times.
Additionally, the Times reports, "many colleges face uncertainty about filling a freshman class and getting enough tuition revenue," which could lead to schools more actively recruiting students — including by offering high amounts of financial aid.
Overall, the admissions environment this year should make for a relatively easy for potential applicants. "Students and families are a little more in the driver's seat than they were a few years ago," according to one admissions researcher.
