Whoops-No place to call home next fall!

There’s still hope. If things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped and your child finds themselves staring at an assortment of rejection and wait-list letters, you’ll want to read further.
Every year right after the May 1st National Response Deadline, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) puts together its Space Availability Survey. This year there are 375 colleges and universities that have either freshman or transfer space available for students who find themselves without a college home next fall. Visit www.nacacnet.org/space to see the wide range of colleges and universities that are still looking for qualified students.
Contrary to what one might think, these are not “loser colleges”. Since so many students are applying to a greater number of schools and can say “yes” to just one, colleges build in a cushion when they accept students, based on past enrollment figures. As an example, according to the 2012 edition of the Princeton Review’s The Best 376 Colleges, the University of Georgia received 17,408 applications and accepted 59% of the applicants. Of those 10,270 accepted students, 45% chose to attend, which means that 5,648 elected to go elsewhere. The number of students that accept a school’s offer is called their “yield” and this year the yield at many schools was lower than anticipated. So many colleges are left with the possibility of empty dorm rooms and less income to meet their budgets.
Over the last 10+ years the space availability numbers have ranged from a low in 2006 of 257 colleges and universities to this year’s high of 375.
Obviously the country’s most selective schools are not on the list, but the options are literally all over the map (48 states, Washington DC and eight countries), and with varying degrees of size, selectivity and academic specialties. The survey can be sorted by state and also provides valuable information such as: openings for freshmen and/or transfer students with an updated status report of “limited” if their numbers are small. The site also shares each school’s enrollment size, whether it is public or private (70% are private and 30% public), the appropriate contact person in the admissions office and even the availability of housing and financial aid.
Here are just a few of the more interesting schools from this year’s list: Agnes Scott College, Eckerd College, Guilford College, Juniata College, Sara Lawrence College, University of Arizona and Villanova University.
Being on the “Space Available List” does not mean automatic acceptance; each institution will review its applications. Colleges and universities will update their space availability regularly and the list will be maintained through the end of June.
Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@collegeadmissionsstrategies.com; http://www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com.