Early Application Data Are Rosy, if Complex

Early numbers suggest this fall’s application cycle could bring admissions offices a much-needed infusion of optimism after a fraught and transformative year.  Preliminary data from the Common App—which counts about one-third of America’s four-year undergraduate institutions as members—show a sharp increase in applications submitted before Nov. 1, a jump of 41 percent over the 2019–20 application cycle. Applications from minority students increased 67 percent, an especially significant upswing for the first application cycle after the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions in June.