Three students from Winona State University (WSU) in Winona, Minnesota, presented at the Enrollment Planners Conference at the invitation of ACT. Adreianna Spear (second from left), Kyle Dimke, (third from left), and Lukas Gotto (fourth from left), along with Heather Gosse, admissions counselor and ambassador advisor (left), and Carl Stange, director of admissions (not pictured), talked about a program that encourages students who have been accepted at WSU to enroll in the university.

A new ACT report offers college administrators insights into their current enrollment management practices and effective strategies for improvement.

More than 1.6 million students—roughly half of the graduating class of 2011—took the ACT during high school. Of these students, a little more than 70 percent enrolled in college the following fall. The new ACT Enrollment Management Trends Report reveals information about the college choice process of these students and the data elements that reflect student enrollment intentions.

ACT released the new report at this year’s annual Enrollment Planners Conference (EPC). The report covers such topics as the students’ migration patterns, the time in which they first took the ACT, their participation in ACT Educational Opportunity Service (EOS), and their score-sending behavior.

ACT enrollment research has consistently found that student academic achievement as measured by ACT scores is an important indicator of enrollment behaviors. The research suggests that students with higher ACT composite scores make more appropriate and predictable enrollment-related decisions. For example, as scores increase, students are more likely to attend their first college choice as reported to ACT.

Other key findings:

• Student preferences on the ACT score reports accurately describe student enrollment intentions and provide colleges with actionable data to recruit students more effectively.
• Students’ testing and enrollment behaviors tend to differ by academic achievement level. As ACT scores increase, students are more likely to test in the eleventh grade, enroll in four-year institutions, enroll out of state or a greater distance from home, and attend the type of college they prefer to attend.
• A considerable number of students take the ACT for the first time in twelfth grade, and two-thirds of these students enroll in college in the fall after they graduate from high school, with the majority attending a four-year college.
• Students who do not meet any of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks have a lower likelihood of persisting in college and completing a degree in a timely manner.

“The report helped confirm what we’ve known for some time—we have to start thinking of student data as more than the composite score,” said Steve Kappler, ACT assistant vice president, educational services. “We encourage admissions professionals and enrollment planners to delve into the student score reports to learn how they can successfully recruit and retain students.”

EPC VOICES

“You know it’s a worthwhile conference when an old-timer like me can learn something new after all these years.”

Jim McCoy, vice president for enrollment management, University of New Haven, Connecticut

“The insights shared at EPC help enrollment and admissions professionals to better strategize as we prepare for the upcoming year.”

Amanda James, admissions counselor senior, University of Louisville, Kentucky

“The cutting-edge information I learn at EPC keeps me updated on the emerging trends in my field.”

Ron McFall, associate director, office of scholarships, Indiana University Bloomington

“I value ACT’s commitment to staying nationally integrated with legislation and education leaders to help validate its research.”

Carl Stange, director of admissions, Winona State University, Minnesota

“The data from ACT helps me educate my board, faculty, and leaders on important issues, such as college and career readiness.”

Scott Verzyl, associate vice president for enrollment management and executive director of undergraduate admissions, University of South Carolina