This white paper is the fourth installment in Blueprint for Enrolling a Diverse Student Body, a four-part research series about how to identify, engage, and recruit students from underrepresented populations.
Many high-achieving underrepresented students do not enroll in college. Qualified underrepresented students are held back by three key concerns: They may doubt their ability to afford college, to be admitted and succeed academically once enrolled, and to fit in on campus. Even when these students attempt to apply and enroll, they may encounter procedural barriers and receive insufficient support to navigate the lengthy and complex admission and enrollment process.
In the near term, colleges and universities should enroll more of these qualified students. To do so, enrollment managers (EMs) must alleviate student concerns and minimize the process barriers that undermine their enrollment. Download the white paper or explore the nine best practices below to craft an application process tailored to the needs of each underrepresented applicant.
This resource is part of the Improve Recruitment of Underrepresented Students Roadmap. Access the Roadmap for stepwise guidance with additional tools and research.
Even qualified candidates fail to enrollEven the most qualified underrepresented students are more likely to enroll at less selective institutions and community colleges or to opt out of higher education altogether. Analysis of data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 by the Education Trust found that high-achieving black and Hispanic students are less likely than similarly qualified…