As we help your high school student through the college admissions process, keep these trends in mind. When we all understand the current college admissions climate, your student’s college admissions strategy can be optimized for success.
College application numbers remain high.
Without the hurdle of standardized testing requirements, students are applying to many more selective schools than in the years before test-optional policies were adopted. According to the Common App’s January 2023 update, total application volume rose 24% from 2019-20 to 2022-23. Colleges that saw an increase in applications ranged from the nation’s most selective schools to less competitive public colleges.
EFFECT: When more students submit applications to colleges, fewer students get admitted. This trend is most visible at highly selective schools, but it is happening at colleges of every level of selectivity. That said, when college acceptance rates drop, even top students need to reconsider the colleges they may think of as “safeties.” Even the most qualified candidates are never guaranteed an offer of admission.
RECOMMENDATION: Every student, even those who are valedictorians, should apply to colleges with a range of selectivity.
Artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, has colleges reconsidering the role of the college essay.
AI writing tools such as ChatGPT have the potential to assist students in writing their college essays.
EFFECT: Colleges are closely monitoring the advancement of technologically driven writing tools. Currently, the feeling is that AI-produced essays are cliché, flat, and unconvincing. Experts are working on developing tools that can detect if writing is bot originated.
RECOMMENDATION: Write the essays yourself until colleges decide to drop them. Currently, AI cannot substitute for a student’s creativity, writing, and thinking skills. While AI can generate ideas and write grammatically correct sentences, it cannot adequately convey a student’s experiences with authenticity; only the student can provide the personal details, insight, and sincerity needed to bring their experiences to life. However, colleges may one day drop the admission essay or change the format.
More colleges are accepting video submissions.
Colleges want to get to know their applicants, but interviews aren’t always available. Some colleges, including Brown, Washington University in St. Louis, Bowdoin, and the University of Chicago have decided in recent years to offer the opportunity to submit a video. Babson College invites applicants to respond to their supplemental essay prompt with either a traditional essay or a one-minute video.
EFFECT: Students are submitting videos to colleges to help the college get to know more about them in a different and less formal way.
RECOMMENDATION: Students should take advantage of the video introductions and share their personality and a story or two that’s not found elsewhere in the application. Note that colleges are more interested in the student than in the production value of the video.