According to the Washington Post, the most recent federal data reveals that 1.3 million applications were submitted for fall 2016 undergraduate admission to the 50 state flagship universities.  That is up 79% from ten years earlier.  What is driving this trend?  Out-of-state applicants, both domestic and international, have risen dramatically over the past ten years.  Many public universities look to these out-of-state applicants paying higher tuition to offset shortfalls in state funding. In addition, more in-state students are turning to their public institution as a more affordable option.  We will continue to examine the private colleges’ and universities’ response to this trend, if any, as well as how to advise our current families in response to this increasingly competitive environment.