Researchers found applications’ essay portion appears to be a significant sticking point. Almost 1 in 4 prospective students, 24%, began at least one college application but wound up not submitting any during the 2018-19 application cycle, according to an August working paper published by Brown University’s Annenberg Institute. Research indicates the essay portion of many applications is a sticking point. Students who completed a valid essay response were 51 percentage points more likely to hit submit than those who did not, at 94% versus 43%.
