Admissions: February Freshmen

The best time to enter college is often the middle of the year—and by February, U.S. colleges will have space for at least 150,000 additional freshmen.

So estimates Manhattan's Student Admissions Center, which reports that many small liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, South and Southwest last fall accepted far more freshmen than actually enrolled, and began the semester with classes as much as 30% under strength. Dropouts will create more space. In Iowa, for example, 14 private and public four-year colleges report 1,205 midyear vacancies. At 42 similar campuses in Ohio. Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, the hole is...