2025 College Admissions Shifts and Changes: What Tutors and Students Need to Know
The college admissions process is constantly changing, influenced by policy updates, societal shifts, and institutional priorities.
As we enter 2025, several notable shifts and changes are shaping how our students apply to colleges and how those institutions will evaluate applicants.
5 Major Changes to College Admissions in 2025
From test-optional policies to the reconsideration of legacy admissions, new developments are reshaping the way students must approach the college application process. Understanding these shifts is essential for our college-bound students, their parents, and even us tutors as we work together to navigate the college admissions process successfully.
#1. Test-Optional Policies and Standardized Testing:
Over the past five years, numerous institutions have implemented or adjusted test-optional policies, permitting applicants to choose whether to include standardized test scores such as the SAT® or ACT® in their applications.
Many of these policy changes were made in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and aimed to reduce barriers for students who may not have access to testing or who feel that their scores do not reflect their academic potential. However, we do know that those test-optional schools did not ignore the test scores submitted by applicants.
Despite the rise of test-optional policies, standardized tests have and continue to play an important role in college admissions. We’ve seen quite a few schools modify or reverse course and reinstate their mandatory test score policies for admissions, such as Cornell, Dartmouth, MIT, Georgetown, and Purdue as well as several other top colleges and universities.
#2. Impact of Affirmative Action Policies:
This brings us to the next major shift: affirmative action in college admissions has experienced significant changes.
June 2023 saw the U.S. Supreme Court overturn affirmative action policies, influencing how universities factor race into their admissions decisions. This decision has prompted institutions to seek alternative methods to maintain diversity within their student bodies, such as increased outreach to underrepresented communities and the reevaluation of admissions criteria.
It has also led educational organizations and colleges to create ways for underprivileged students to obtain equal access to higher education. For example, the College Board, sponsored by many member institutions like Colombia, Princeton, and Stanford, has developed an Access and Diversity Collaborative with the purpose of “upholding the principles of equitable access to higher education and promoting diversity on campus.”
#3. Reevaluation of Legacy Admissions:
The practice of granting preferential treatment to applicants connected to alumni, known as legacy admissions, is facing heightened scrutiny. Critics argue that this practice perpetuates inequality by favoring affluent, often less diverse applicants.
In response, some states and institutions have moved to eliminate legacy preferences. For instance, in September 2024, California enacted legislation banning universities from considering legacy status in admissions decisions, aiming to promote a more merit-based and equitable process. That makes California the fifth state to ban legacy admissions, following Maryland, Illinois, Colorado, and Virginia. That’s a massive step forward in the fight to end legacy admissions.
#4. Emphasis on Holistic Admissions:
Many colleges have made an effort to place greater emphasis on holistic admissions processes. As we’ve previously noted, that’s not to say that colleges are ignoring submitted test scores. That is to say, however, that those test scores are considered alongside a broad range of factors, including academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, personal essays, and letters of recommendation. The goal is to assess the whole person and their potential contributions to the campus community, rather than focusing solely on quantitative metrics.
College-bound students must highlight their personal and academic achievements by building a strong, comprehensive college portfolio that showcases who they are and what they have to offer their prospective schools.
#5. Declining Acceptance Rates:
A surge in applications to selective institutions, including Ivy League universities, has resulted in lower acceptance rates.
For example, Harvard received 57,435 applications for the Class of 2025, a significant increase from the previous year, resulting in an admission rate of approximately 3.4%.
This trend underscores the growing competitiveness of college admissions, particularly at elite universities, and the need for college-bound students to consider college-fit over college prestige.
As the college admissions process continues to evolve, it’s incredibly important to stay informed about these trends. Staying in the know is crucial for prospective college students, their parents, and educators. Understanding these shifts and changes can help college applicants navigate the process more effectively and align their college prep with current expectations.
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