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"Stealth" Applications For Immediate Release: 
Stealth Mode: The first contact Earlham College had with Anina Estrem was when they received her online application. RICHMOND, Ind. — Anina Estrem first discovered Earlham College through the College's Web site. She remembers scanning the front page looking for the link to the equestrian program. Estrem read the equestrian co-op meeting minutes and remembers thinking that "this is an unusual way to run a barn," noting for the first time the consensus decision-making process, a hallmark of Quaker life at Earlham. That first virtual impression interested Estrem, and soon she became one of the growing number of students nationwide whose first contact with their college or university comes with a computer-generated college application. Admissions offices often call these students "stealth applicants." Traditionally, admissions offices know applicants well before the school ever receives an application. An admissions counselor often meets prospective students at a high school visit or connections are made when a student requests information about the institution. When applications are received, the admissions office generally already has a good bit of information on the student on file. Now in her second year at Earlham, Estrem talks about her experience as a stealth applicant in very matter-of-fact tones, but this new trend in college admissions is changing the landscape of college admissions. "Drop-from-the-sky" applications are increasing enrollment pools and changing the traditional relationship between colleges and prospective students. Earlham College has seen its stealth percentage skyrocket from 17 percent of all applications received four years ago to 30 percent of the current year's applicants. The Internet Generation 
Earlham Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jeff Rickey views the growth of "stealth" applicants with interest. Jeff Rickey, dean of admissions and financial aid at Earlham, has been watching this trend with interest but not concern. He's seen Earlham's total applicant pool grow, which is due, in part, to the fact that the application process has become easier in recent years. "This has all come about because of the advent of the Internet," Rickey says. "Students can do their search and evaluation of colleges anonymously." That evaluation process may also include scouring surveys, guidebooks and other institutional research, much of which is now available online. At Earlham, where President Douglas C. Bennett has been a national leader in accountability and transparency in the presentation of data, the College gives its Web site visitors access to a great deal of data about the institution. This includes Earlham's Common Data Set, NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement) results, the Admitted Student Questionnaire and much more. The College's Web site also links to U-CAN, the first national consumer information tool developed by colleges and universities, for more information on Earlham. Stealth Applicants Have Lower Yield Rate For the current academic year that began in August, Earlham College enrolled 301 students from an applicant pool of more than 1,800. Of those enrolled students, 53 were stealth applicants. And while the jury is still out on the long-term performance of these students, Rickey says there is definitely a difference in an early commitment to the college. This commitment is shown by the yield rate, the percentage of students who actually enroll after being accepted by the College. At Earlham, stealth candidates yield 18 percent while the overall yield is 25 percent. Earlham Dean Finds
A staple of a traditional college choice process is visiting the campus. Estrem didn't visit Earlham's Richmond, Ind. campus before accepting its offer. Instead, she says she talked with many people in her hometown of Newberg, Ore., including her high school guidance counselor and an Earlham alum living in the area. She also says she "memorized the Web site" prior to her August arrival on campus. Stealth candidates have not had personal contacts with admissions officers, college visits or receptions — contacts that build a connection between the institution and the student. That connection is reflected in the yield rate. Rickey says many colleges include a punitive factor into the evaluation process or a "demonstration of interest" category, which helps weed out some students who might not be as committed. Earlham has not taken that step. However, adjustments have been made the last few years, as yield, thanks to stealth applicants, is now more difficult to predict. Rickey says that to remain fully enrolled, Earlham must now admit a larger number of students. In addition to more easily accessible data, Rickey says that the Internet has amped up many aspects of the admissions process in recent years. Tools such as the Common Application are making it easier for students to more easily apply to many different colleges. The application is an online generic form accepted at Earlham and more than 300 colleges and universities including Harvard, Yale, Kenyon and Miami University to name a few. E-Applications Mean More Applicants, Generally Earlham supplements the Common Application with an extra information form, according to Rickey. He says Earlham now receives about 80 percent of all applications electronically. The ease of sending Internet applications means that students are generally submitting more applications. Second-year Earlham student Chelsea Pasmore is one example. During her college search process, Pasmore submitted a total of 17 applications at various colleges and universities both near her hometown of Santa Clara, Calif., and other parts of the country. Pasmore cites many factors that played into her college search including financial concerns, college fit for her interests and location. At Earlham, the percent of students submitting more than seven applications in their search has grown from 18 percent in 2003 to 27 percent in 2007, according to the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) survey, and Rickey says his office usually sees at least one student each year that has submitted more than 20 applications. To make the search more complicated for Pasmore, she was accepted at 15 of those 17 colleges and universities. At that point, the financial aid and scholarship questions came into play, and soon, Pasmore was visiting her top five choices, including Earlham. During this time, she studied the Web sites of each institution. "I looked at the Earlham Web site a lot," she says. Aside from the application process, many institutions are trying to increase their web presence and reach by pitching their schools on sites such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, as well as with blogs and podcasts. Earlham is less inclined to be involved in the social networking phenomenon. Rickey doesn't feel those sites are appropriate for interacting with prospective students. "As far as social networking goes, I don't think they [prospective students] want someone like me contacting them about Earlham through Facebook," Rickey says. While yield rate is lower for stealth applicants, that fact seems to have little bearing on the experiences of Estrem and Pasmore. The lack of initial connection with the College has not hindered Estrem's growth and commitment to Earlham. Now a history major, Estrem anticipates a spring semester full of history classes. "The academics are right where I want to be," she says. She is also actively involved with the Equestrian co-op and says that many of her friends from home are envious of the opportunities she has to work with horses. Pasmore too, is very involved. As a psychology/biology major, she says, "Academically, Earlham is really good for me." A member of the Bonner Scholars program, Pasmore tutors local elementary students and teaches a cooking class at the Boys and Girls Club. She is also planning a new program through Hospice to help children who are suffering the death of a parent. Web Site Enhances Traditional Processes Earlham continues to enhance its Web site, include the recent addition of a high-tech virtual campus tour and will shortly launch a podcasting program, but despite all that transpires online, Rickey says that more traditional forms of communication may be more important than ever. The Earlham admissions office is very careful about how they "roll out" information to students. "We still use a lot of first class mail," he says. "We don't want to have to retract an offer because someone pushed the wrong button." — EC — Contact:
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Earlham
College · 801 National Road West · Richmond,
Indiana 47374-4095 |