College Admissions Trends This Year: Key Developments Families Should Understand

The college admissions landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Policy reversals, technological advances, demographic shifts, and institutional enrollment pressures are reshaping how colleges evaluate applicants and build incoming classes.

Understanding these trends is essential for students and families seeking to make informed, strategic decisions throughout the application process. Below are the most significant developments influencing admissions this year.

1. The Return to Standardized Testing and Rising Score Submissions

After several years of test-optional policies, many highly selective institutions have reinstated standardized testing requirements. Universities, including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, MIT, and Stanford, now require SAT or ACT scores as part of the application review process.

This shift reflects growing concerns among admissions offices regarding grade inflation and inconsistencies in academic rigor across secondary schools. Standardized testing is once again viewed as a useful comparative metric.

Even at institutions that remain officially test-optional, internal admissions data indicates that applicants who submit strong scores are admitted at higher rates than those who do not.

Notably, for the first time since 2021, the growth in students reporting test scores has exceeded the growth of students withholding them. This trend suggests a broader recognition among families that testing has regained strategic importance within holistic review.

2. Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Application Review

Artificial intelligence has become a significant factor in the admissions process, both in how students prepare applications and how institutions evaluate them. Several universities have begun incorporating AI-supported tools to analyze academic records and, in some cases, assist with the review of short-answer responses.

At the same time, admissions professionals are receiving training to identify patterns consistent with AI-generated writing. These essays are frequently described as technically proficient yet lacking individual voice, emotional depth, and personal specificity. As a result, authenticity has become a critical evaluative factor.

While AI may be useful for brainstorming or organizational support, essays that rely heavily on automated content often fail to communicate the nuanced personal narrative expected in holistic admissions review.

3. Record Competition and Application Inflation

Students are applying to more institutions than in previous years, with the average applicant now submitting applications to more than 6 colleges. This behavior has contributed to what many admissions professionals describe as application inflation. The increase in volume has led to continued declines in acceptance rates at selective institutions. Early data from the 2025–2026 admissions cycle indicate overall admit rates near 5.5 percent at several highly competitive universities.

Early Action and Early Decision rounds experienced particularly large increases in applications, resulting in historically high deferral rates. Colleges are using deferrals strategically to manage yield uncertainty and preserve flexibility as they shape their incoming classes. Consequently, deferred applicants are often reconsidered within a substantially more competitive pool that includes both Regular Decision candidates and other deferred students.

4. Admissions Strategy Following the Supreme Court Ruling

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision restricting the use of race in admissions, colleges have adjusted their evaluation frameworks.

Institutions are placing increased emphasis on contextual information, including:

• The student’s high school environment

• Neighborhood and socioeconomic factors

• Access to academic and extracurricular opportunities

Many supplemental essay prompts now encourage applicants to discuss formative experiences, personal challenges, and resilience, provided such discussions remain within legal parameters.

Colleges continue to seek diverse learning environments but now pursue these goals through context-based and experience-driven evaluation.

5. Growing Interest in Public Universities and “Hidden Ivy” Institutions

Application trends indicate a notable shift toward large public universities, particularly in the South and Southwest. Institutions such as UT Austin, the University of Georgia, and the University of Florida have reported substantial increases in applicant volume.

At the same time, academically rigorous private institutions outside the traditional Ivy League—often referred to as “Hidden Ivies” or “New Ivies”—are experiencing heightened interest. These schools offer strong academic outcomes, national recognition, and comparatively broader admission pathways.

This diversification of student interest reflects a growing emphasis on value, outcomes, and institutional fit rather than prestige alone.

6. The Enrollment Cliff and Institutional Stability

The long-anticipated “enrollment cliff,” driven by a decline in the number of college-aged students nationwide, is now affecting institutional viability.

Smaller private and regional colleges have been particularly impacted, with some institutions pursuing mergers or facing closure due to sustained enrollment shortfalls. Families considering these institutions are advised to evaluate indicators of long-term stability, including enrollment trends, retention rates, and financial health, as part of the college selection process.

Summary for Applicants

The current admissions environment increasingly prioritizes substance over polish. As technology makes it easier to produce technically refined applications, colleges are placing greater value on authenticity, context, and demonstrated personal growth.

Applicants are encouraged to:

• Approach standardized testing strategically

• Present a clear and individualized narrative

• Understand institutional priorities

• Develop balanced and well-researched college lists

A successful application in today’s environment reflects not perfection, but credibility with a genuine representation of the student behind the achievements.

Strategic preparation, informed decision-making, and thoughtful storytelling remain central to navigating an increasingly complex admissions process.