- Introduction -

College | Kind of a big decision...

College. A symbol of the American dream; a prevailing trope of relentless care free debauchery; the quintessential step into independence from childhood... Young adults spend 4-5 of their most developmental years in an environment that largely shapes not only what, but who they become.

Needless to say, when it comes to choosing a college, this is not a decision that should be taken lightly. However, with climbing competition and plummeting acceptance rates, many young students are left with what feels like anything but a choice! In the last decade, the rigor of academia has grown exponentially. Even before graduation, the increase in standards holds roots all the way back to elementary school grades. According to educationdata.org, the percentage of public institution enrollment increased by around 30% from 1950 to early 2000 (2). This percentage increase is even more staggering, considering the significant increase in population over this time as well. This translates to around 2.2 million individuals in 1950, to 16 million in 2001! In theory, this increase boasts the conception of a more educated society, and greater access to higher education for all. However, unfortunately, this isn’t quite the reality.

With decreasing confidence in securing admissions, and the ease of online applications, many students apply to a large list of schools as a safeguard. All of these factors can become grounds for making a college decision based on availability rather than opportunity. Considering the significant financial ramifications of student debt, it is critical, that proper thought and intention is put towards making a decision. Additionally, the expense of applying to colleges begins far before literal tuition fees. Each application carries a hefty fee which makes mass-applying out of fear even more detrimental. According to BestColleges, most application fees tend to range between $56-$74 (variation dependent on institution and student type).

In the increasingly competitive era of higher education It is easy to get trapped by the pressure of prestigious, institutions and rigorous academia. However, when reflecting back on the pivotal years that are spent in college, it’s likely that one's reflective priorities will be vastly different than what they were coming in. This project aims to encourage individuals to evaluate preferences and priorities when selecting a school. The College Explorer, web app, combines meta-like preferences, such as location, tuition cost, and institution-type (sourced from the US Department of Education's database), with first hand student reviews sourced from ratemyprofessor.com. The app leverages sentiment analysis text classification combined with GPT summarization to explore what students have to say about colleges of interest. In this way, individuals can make informed decisions in their application process.

Not only has higher education become a more commonly assumed pathway, but it has simultaneously become less attainable. The merits and accolades that once came with extracurriculars, advanced courses, and high GPA‘s has now become the benchmark. In 1990 the average high school GPA was 2.68 (3). In 2021 this increase to an average GPA of 3.36 (a 25% increase in 2 decades). In fact, the competition and cost of college has become so significant that it has left many younger generations, questioning the value of higher education all together

SOURCES

  1. Appleby, Chloe. “How Much Does It Cost to Apply to College?” BestColleges.Com, 27 July 2023.

  1. Hanson, Melanie. “College Enrollment & Student Demographic Statistics.” Education Data Initiative, 1 Oct. 2023.

  1. Redlin, Penny. “Why College Admissions Are so Competitive.” Edvisors, 1 Aug. 2023.

- College Explorer -