BY NADIA RAMLAGAN
KY NEWS CONNECTION
Kentucky is one of a handful of states that’s been awarded a $150,000 grant from Lumina Foundation to test changes to the college admissions process.
Colleges nationwide are struggling with enrollment post-pandemic, and over the next decade fewer traditional-age students are expected to enroll.
Lilly Massa-McKinley, Ph.D – executive director of the Kentucky Student Success Collaborative – said a major part of the redesign will involve student voices as key elements helping pinpoint the biggest challenges they may experience during the admissions processes.
“What’s confusing to them,” said Massa-McKinley, “and then their feedback will help inform the strategies and the updates that our group puts forward as a result of the process.”
According to a 2023 poll from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, more than half of students said applying to college was their most stressful academic experience to date.
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education President Aaron Thompson, Ph.D, said admissions involved more than mailing an acceptance letter; it’s providing comprehensive wrap-around services from the start to prepare students for success.
“When we think of admissions like we’re doing with this great admissions redesign,” said Thompson, “is looking at it as a continuous process, and not just one that stops at the front door.”
Melanie Heath, strategy director for participation for Lumina Foundation, said Kentucky rose to the top when it came to new ideas to simplify admissions and make the process more accessible.
“Another thing that Kentucky is looking into that feels really cutting edge,” said Heath, “is they’re wanting to explore the use of AI on the back end in their admissions office to alleviate capacity issues for admissions officers.”
Overall postsecondary enrollment in Kentucky was up nearly 6% between the 2022 and 2023 fall semesters, according to data reported by the National Student Clearinghouse.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.