College admissions is a highly nuanced process, and data from each application cycle gives us crucial insights into the macro-level shifts that shape how colleges select students, such as applicant behaviors, institutional policies, demographics, and college application volume.
Students navigating the college admissions process continue to experience unique challenges and changes, including the announcement of an entirely digital SAT, continued test-optional policies, increasing application numbers, and each student applying to more colleges on average. All of this has led to an even more competitive year at the most selective colleges in the U.S., while other schools plan to admit more students than ever before in order to manage enrollment numbers.
Are you ready for Regular Decision notification dates? Admissions offices across the U.S. are working hard to get through hundreds of thousands of Regular Decision college applications for the class of 2030 in order to notify students of their decisions this spring.
Class rank has long been a key metric in college admissions, offering a snapshot of a student’s academic standing among peers at the same school. This metric can indicate consistency and achievement over time, especially when comparing students from different schools with varying high school grading systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way higher education institutions review applications, with many colleges choosing to adopt a test-optional application review process. While this was the trend for several admissions cycles, many colleges and universities have since reinstated testing requirements.
After many colleges reported all-time low acceptance rates, some students might be curious about their yield rates, or just how many of these admitted applicants have chosen to enroll. Yield is a priority for every college because it impacts their place on rankings lists and it can also influence their bond ratings. Additionally, yield rates help schools evaluate their admissions process and how attractive they are to prospective students.
Applying to college and choosing where to enroll is both a major milestone and an important decision. It’s bound to be a little stressful, but it can feel completely overwhelming if you’re not up to date on all the latest terminology.
With high school seniors in the thick of the college application process, speculation abounds about how college admissions committees make decisions, what it takes to get in, and whether student A is more qualified than student B. But what really goes on behind closed doors at college admissions offices?
When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in June 2023, colleges and universities across the country scrambled to find alternative solutions that promote diversity and inclusion in the admissions process. For many, this meant revising the supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-24 college admissions cycle to encourage students to write about their personal experiences based on race or ethnicity. These prompts act as a loophole to get around the affirmative action ruling.
While it might be okay to go into your weekend without an itinerary in place, the same can’t be said for college admissions. If you’re looking to minimize your stress levels while boosting your odds of getting accepted into your first-choice school, creating a college planning process is essential.
