Colgate University, a prestigious college located in upstate New York, has seen an extraordinary 103 percent increase in applicants compared to last year. 17,392 prospective students have applied, setting a record of applicants for the institute. Other distinguished universities have seen similar trends. According to the Common Application, the most renowned four-year institutions in America saw a record-high 17 percent rise in the number of applicants this year.

So, why is this peculiar trend happening? One significant factor is that many top universities are no longer requiring standardized test scores also known as the SAT. Such decisions have been favored by major American institutes due to the pandemic and the difficulty of properly conducting standardized tests. Jenny Rickard, the Chief Executive of the Common Application, has stated that the lack of standardized testing may mean that students “aren’t sure exactly where to aim, or they think this is their opportunity to try to get into a more selective institution.” Such hopeful assumptions could be no more than a mirage, devoid of the consideration of many other factors in getting accepted to college, such as extracurricular activities.

The problem does not end there. While well-known prestigious universities have drastic increases in applications, some colleges have seen the opposite. Small, less famous colleges have seen a sharp decline in applicants, with community colleges seeing an overall 20 percent decrease.

While a decrease in applicants may not necessarily lead to a fall in the number of enrolling students, the prospect of it alone is alarming for colleges that have already been facing financial challenges due to the pandemic. Some colleges have certainly seen the worst end of the possible consequences. MacMurray College, a 174-year-old liberal arts institution with little over 500 students in Central Illinois, unanimously decided to close in March 2020. Considering that prestigious universities have already been receiving plentiful applications, the closure of small colleges could come as disastrous to middle-class students seeking quality education at an affordable range.

The polarization of such trends epitomizes inequity between colleges, with already wealthy institutions becoming more prosperous and poor institutions struggling even more. The pandemic has worsened social and economic disparity in America; college application statistics are just one aspect that highlights them.

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