Simplifying the College Admissions Process: A Practitioner-Engaged Intervention to Simplify College Admissions Information

Although the enrollment decline in U.S. higher education may be attributed to many factors, higher education practitioners should make every attempt to simplify the admissions application process for prospective students. This study: 1) analyzed the readability of undergraduate admissions information, 2) applied a text simplification intervention, and 3) engaged with experts working full-time in college admissions to review the simplified information for accuracy and thoroughness. Results suggest undergraduate admissions information can be simplified with statistical significance across readability level (p < 0.001), word count (p < 0.001), and token-type ratio (p < 0.001). Implications for research, practice, and college access are addressed.