Colleges court students with faculty tours

College admissions offices are changing how they speak to prospective students. Instead of a distant approach, staff now aim for a friendlier tone. This shift responds to a shrinking pool of applicants. Universities are working to make the process feel less stressful and more open.

Marc Conner, president of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, noted that colleges depend on students visiting their campuses. He said, "We depend on students coming to our campuses and, when they do come, getting them to enroll." Skidmore is part of a group of institutions enlisting faculty members to help recruit new students. Professors now open their labs and classrooms to applicants. This role was previously handled entirely by the admissions office.

The change is driven by national trends in enrollment. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education projects a 13 percent decline in the supply of traditional-age freshmen over the next 15 years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the proportion of high school graduates choosing college dropped from 70 percent in 2016 to 63 percent in 2024. A survey by the ratings platform Niche found that two-thirds of admissions leaders had trouble meeting enrollment targets in at least one of the last two years.

To attract students, some universities are waiving application fees. Public universities in 17 states admit high school students who have not formally applied. More than 150 private colleges make direct admissions offers to students who use the Common App. Jess Ricker, Skidmore's vice president for enrollment, said meeting faculty helps students feel valued and belonging on a campus. This distinguishes Skidmore from other schools on students' lists.

Acceptance rates have risen while yield has fallen. The National Association for College Admission Counseling reports that nearly 8 in 10 first-year applicants to public colleges get in, up from 68 percent a decade ago. However, federal data shows yield at public colleges dropped from 32 percent in 2014 to 22 percent in 2024. At private, nonprofit colleges, yield fell from 24 percent to 18 percent over the same period. This means colleges admit around five times as many students as they need.

Faculty members are joining the recruiting effort for financial and practical reasons. Johnnie Johnson, vice president for enrollment management at Washington College in Maryland, said that each student equates to programmatic funding and raises. He noted that faculty see colleagues at colleges that closed or cut programs. "They don't want to be next," Johnson said. At Skidmore, more than three-quarters of admitted students who visited the campus last year requested to sit in on a class or meet with a faculty member. That added up to 300 personal visits.