I can always tell when families of high school juniors start to feel the pressure of the admissions process.
It's right now—December.
Families know that they need to get through the holidays. Yet, they cannot help but worry about what is to come after the new year. Taking the SAT or ACT. A college list. AP exams. Summer plans. Essay writing. And more.
I have already seen an uptick in the number of questions in my younger Application Nation group from parents of juniors. And, there is a steady influx of families every single day adding their names to our waitlist for Application Nation - Class of 2026. We will be launching the group in January. We have never had this many families waiting to get into our new group.
There is uncertainty in the air about college admissions. The last time I saw this much uneasiness was almost five years ago when the pandemic hit. Families need sound advice more than ever before. Here are the five trends that will directly impact our current high school juniors and my recommendations on how to get ahead of them:
1. More colleges will close their doors. Some colleges will merge with others to stay afloat. And we will learn of colleges showing signs of financial distress.
Inside Higher Ed reported last week that there were 16 colleges that closed in 2024, two more than last year, and a number of mergers as well. Declining enrollments over the last decade led to the demise of almost all of these colleges. It will only get tougher for colleges. Starting in 2025, there will be a drop in high school graduates. Families need to research the financial health of a college before it makes it onto the student's list. I recommend looking at a college's Moody or Fitch ratings, college newspaper, community newspaper, or any other objective assessment of a college's finances. For example, Fitch gave the University of the Arts a "D" rating the same year it closed. We can expect more closures and mergers in 2025, and many more colleges showing clear signs of financial distress.
MY ADVICE: Do your research on the financial health of each college you are interested in. If there are signs that they are not doing well, don't even add them to your list.
2. More highly selective colleges will reinstate standardized testing.
The list of colleges switching from test-optional to test-required is growing. MIT, CalTech, Brown University, Yale University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, and others went back to requiring testing in the last few years. Cornell University and Stanford University will reinstate standardized testing next year. I have mixed emotions about this trend. As a former dean of admissions of a longstanding test-optional college, I was optimistic when most colleges adopted a test-optional admissions policy during the pandemic. However, I quickly realized that the elite colleges, in particular, started to use this policy change as a way to help themselves instead of helping students.
MY ADVICE: Don't be fooled. Test scores matter more than colleges say they do. For your best shot of admission, report your scores if they are at least in the middle 50% range for the college's admitted pool of students.
3. Ivy backlash.
Yes, there will always be families that want their children to attend an Ivy League university. But there is growing distrust of Ivy League and Ivy-type institutions. Lawsuits, protests, a lack of transparency about who gets admitted and why, less than 5% acceptance rates, and an abundance of elitism have turned off many folks. The most popular colleges right now are large, public universities, mostly in the South. These institutions are a fraction of the cost of an Ivy League school, have warmer climates, tremendous honors programs, and more socially balanced and fun atmospheres.
MY ADVICE: If you are applying to large, public, southern universities, be aware of their dramatically decreasing acceptance rates. Many of these colleges are now considered "very selective," and a few are even "highly selective" institutions, especially for non-residents who apply.
4. Smaller percentages of male-identifying students applying to college will make it easier for them to get admitted, especially for certain majors.
This is a longstanding trend that rarely gets much attention from the media. But if you are a male-identifying applicant, you tend to have a better chance of admission than a female-identifying applicant because females outnumber males in the college process. There are some exceptions, though. If a male student applies as a business, economics, computer science, engineering, or other related major, competition is stiff as these majors tend to still be dominated by men. However, listing other majors, especially within the liberal arts, can increase a male student's chances as long as there is evidence to support the major listed on the application. Female-identifying students remain the majority in an applicant pool and on a college campus, making it more difficult for them to get admitted, especially for the liberal arts (which includes biology, chemistry, and other popular pre-med majors).
MY ADVICE: Males should be open to considering the liberal arts. There is no better education to prepare you for your future as it doesn't limit you to only one professional track. Females need to have well-balanced lists, especially if they are applying to the liberal arts. This is a sad, but true reality.
5. The test prep industry is about to explode with demand.
With a growing number of colleges reinstating the SAT/ACT and some test-optional colleges clearly favoring students who report high scores, this is your PSA to find a strong test prep option now. Whether it is a class, self-study, Khan Academy, test prep books, or private tutoring, investing in test prep is one of the smartest things a family can do. Private tutoring tends to cost the most. However, a talented tutor can often garner strong results.
MY ADVICE: Invest in test prep, not only financially, but time-wise. When a student commits to preparing for the SAT or ACT, they tend to see better results.
READ MORE: 3 Things to Know About Your PSAT Score
The college admissions process is evolving faster than almost any other industry in the U.S. A student's strategy that worked even a few years ago is already passé. Fortunately, we have such an incredible cross-section of students in Application Nation that we see national trends before anyone. With 49 states and two dozen countries represented in the group, we know what is coming down the pike well before a college makes an announcement. While we may not always agree with what a college says or does, at least we are prepared for what is to come.
