• 76.5%  of trustees say colleges and universities should be held more accountable for students’ educational outcomes

• 35% say big-time college athletic programs are more of a liability than an asset

• 39.6% say colleges should award financial aid to shape the incoming class, even if doing so means less money available for need-based aid

Recently, national assessment data revealed that 69% of all U.S. 8th graders are performing at/below Basic* level in math. Seventy-three percent of U.S. 8th graders performed at/below Basic* level. Only 3% of U.S. 8th graders are performing at an Advanced** level in reading; 6% performed at an Advanced** level in math.

There is still much debate about the skills required for success in the jobs of the future. But, what is certainly true is that poor performance in math, reading and other subjects in middle and high school leads to many students taking remedial classes in college. In fact, 61% of all students enrolled in public, 2-year colleges, and 25% of students enrolled in 4-year colleges, take at least one remedial class.

Students who took any college remedial reading classes were less likely than their peers who took one or two remedial mathematics courses only or just one remedial course (not mathematics or reading) to complete a bachelor’s degree or higher (17 vs. 27 and 39 percent, respectively).

So, rather surprisingly, it turns out that reading is the most fundamental of all the fundamental subjects. Before reading the study by the National Center for Education Statistics I believed, as many do, that student performance in math, science and technology-related subjects was a more reliable indicator of future success, both in college and career. This study, coupled with the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress results, reveals that a greater focus on reading might actually serve us better.

*Basic – One of the three NAEP achievement levels, denoting partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade assessed.

**Advanced – denoting superior performance at each grade assessed.

Those applying to top-tier, non-Ivy schools are also feeling the burn.  UCLA reported accepting only 20.6% of applicants; UC Berkeley accepted just 20.2%, and UC Davis accepted a relatively generous 41.3%.  Even smaller colleges are getting into the fray: Amherst College accepted only 17.5% of 6,668 applicants, and California Institute of Technology accepted only 16% of 3,595 applicants.

This trend is alarming to many students who have worked hard to max out their grade point averages and test scores, and pack their resumes with leadership and volunteer activities.  In past years these overachieving students would have been shoe-ins to the Ivy League.  Not so today.

Today, Harvard rejects applicants with perfect 800 scores on the SAT math exam (1,100 of them this year).  Yale rejected applicants with perfect 2,400 scores on the three-part SAT, and Princeton rejected thousands of students with 4.0 grade point averages.

College admissions officers at top-tier schools cite three factors driving down acceptance rates: (1) increased  numbers of high school graduates (up 4% over last year and expected to continue to climb); (2) more high school students are enrolling in college immediately after high school (more than 60%); and (3) the average college student applies to more colleges (2% of all students applied to 11 or more in 2006).

But, the news isn’t all bad.  Expectedly, the highest rejection rates belong to the Ivys and the most competitive, top-tier schools, but the other 2,500 four-year colleges and universities are holding steady at an average rejection rate of 30% (That’s a 70% acceptance rate!).

And, despite the rising competition and ego-bruising rejection rates, students should not give up on being admitted to top schools.  Students’ revised college admissions strategy must include developing and emphasizing the “something special” factor.  Perfect test scores and 4.0 grade point averages must be complemented by a demonstration of personal interest in an intended major or career, and an focus on accomplishment outside the classroom.  In plain language, admissions officers want to see that students are not just stacking their applications with prom committees, student government and school-sponsored volunteer work; they want to see that the student has taken a leadership role in organizations or activities in which they are interested, that the student has interests that they are so passionate about that they not only devote time and energy, but also win recognition.

The dreaded college essay moves back onto center stage too.  Cliche’ as it sounds, a great essay can help separate the overachievers from the super overachievers.  Students should use the essay to really emphasize who they are, their interests, what they done to further those interests and any recognition they’ve received for their efforts.

If that’s Strategy A, then Strategy B is to apply to less competitive schools.  While that may sound like giving up, it doesn’t have to be.  Advisors have been telling students to apply to “stretch”, “reach” and “safety” schools for years.  Strategy B simply asks that they apply to more  “reach” and “safety” schools, in addition to their “stretch” schools.  Strategy B is an opportunity to learn about smaller and more specialized schools that. while they may not be Ivys, are well-respected, and even noted, for certain majors or programs or in certain regions.

Students generally apply to the Ivys for the cache’ and the promise of more and better job opportunities upon graduation.  The truth is that studies have shown that there is no difference between the earnings of students who were accepted to Ivy League schools but attended other schools and those who attended Ivy League schools.  So, the cleverest of students can launch successful careers from even the most obscure campuses (Jack Welch attended UMass and the University of Illinois and Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and never earned a college degree).

However, the percentage of students who have the skills and qualifications to go to college has increased nearly ten percentage points to 34%.

The most interesting finding of the countless research studies is that very few students who are college-ready do not go on to college.