In Maryland, applications dipped at some private colleges, such as McDaniel and Goucher. At the state's most selective university, Hopkins, though, the numbers have remained consistent.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County saw a 2 percent rise in applications, and its fall class projects to be 5 percent larger than in 2008.
UMBC admissions director Yvette Mozi-Ross said she was pleasantly surprised that out-of-state applications did not drop, and said, "People seemed very concerned about financial aid and very savvy about financial issues."
The state's largest public institution, the University of Maryland, College Park, received only 1 percent more applications than in 2008, but that followed a 17 percent jump the previous year, so interest in College Park remains high.
Despite the mixed data, several high school counselors said students were more interested in public colleges.
At River Hill, one of Howard County's highest-performing high schools, applications to College Park and UMBC were up 10 percent to 15 percent, said guidance coordinator Philip Vangeli.
"I think a lot of students did apply to their dream schools, but then they looked at the total picture and decided that in-state was the best fit," he said. "I think the reputation of College Park is a big factor. Our students think they can get the same quality of education there as they can at most private schools."
The economy unquestionably affected the number of financial aid requests.
At Goucher, aid requests were up 64 percent. Hopkins, which costs about $53,000 a year, chose to reserve more money for returning students and admitted fewer applicants who need financial aid. Admissions officers project that 32 percent of the incoming class will be on grant aid compared with 38 percent a year ago.
It's a difficult choice faced by many expensive colleges that try to admit without regard to financial need.
"In general, colleges worked really hard to keep their financial aid budgets stable," King said. "But the problem is they're seeing so much higher demand."
Admissions officers also believe some students might not show up in the fall because of last-minute financial crises.
Despite the financial situation, however, college admissions officers and high school counselors agree on one constant - students are determined to attend college.
"I think people recognize that a college education is the best investment they can make in their own future or a child's future," King said.
