NEW YORK, March 8 (UPI) -- U.S. colleges and universities are grappling with how many students will attend their schools amid the nation's economic downturn, experts say.
The New York Times reported Sunday that schools typically rely on statistical models to predict which students will take them up on their admissions offers. But this year, given the nation's economic woes, experts say they are not counting on traditional modeling.
"Trying to hit those numbers is like trying to hit a hot tub when you're skydiving from 30,000 feet," said Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid at Kenyon College in Ohio.
The newspaper said schools are relying on new methods to gauge prospective students' interest. At Wake Forest in North Carolina, the school is using Webcam interviews, while other colleges say they are taking a closer look at admissions essays.
School admissions officers told the Times that this year is more of a students' market.
"It's like the dot-com bubble burst for higher ed," said Barbara Fritze, vice president of enrollment at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. "We've been in this growth mode for a period of time. Now there's a real leveling going on."
