Good news! According to a recent article in The New York Times, determined student applicants have a significant advantage this year in gaining admission to historically picky colleges. Why? Simply put, the economy stinks and many colleges are worried that you won’t choose to spend your tuition dollars with them.

Here's how this works to your advantage:

• Colleges are changing the way that they consider who to accept by paying more attention to signs that students are likely to enroll. In other words, the ball that they used to control is now in your court.
• Colleges are nervous that many of the students who have applied will turn them down for colleges that are closer to home. They are worried about whether you will accept their offer in April or May and enroll in classes in the fall.
• Colleges used to be able to charge more because there was more demand from applicants for limited spots and families were more financially confident (i.e. willing to pay for higher tuition with less aid). This year, financial aid offers from private colleges, especially, are expected to be more generous to turn student applications into “bargain hunter” enrollments.
• Show your top college choices that you are genuinely interested. Because many of us are spending less money on travel, you may have not been able to make a campus visit. Contact an admissions officer to let them know you are seriously interested in enrolling, so you can be added to their “most likely to enroll” list.

Remember my previous blog post about how getting accepted begins with getting noticed? The article in The New York Times reminds us that admissions officers do pay attention to students who pay attention to them. Here are a few signs that show you are enrollment material:

• How many times did you call?
• How many times did you visit their college website?
• Did you visit the campus once, multiple times, at all?
• Did you apply early?

My advice: Run with this ball- hard! You have a unique advantage. For the first time in a long time, the rules of admission decisions are bending in favor of the students who show that they are most likely to enroll. If you show you are serious about achieving your college goals, you will find that the college admissions officers are serious about enrolling students like you.