I am not a college counselor, nor do I want to be one. My background is in writing and I’m thrilled to help students create and refine their college application writings. Nonetheless, it is difficult to pass up an opportunity to comment on the current climate surrounding college admissions. As I help my students craft essays and perfect their Common Applications, I’m intrigued by the spectacle that continues to unfold. Indeed, we are in the midst of a cycle that lacks control, predictability and any finality. 

COVID changed college admissions. As standardized testing became optional, the class of 2021 abandoned well-known boundaries to their application processes. The usual limitations of test performance and GPA requirements no longer seemed to impede them from completing applications to schools that were once well-beyond their targets. Instead, students took advantage of new remote opportunities to learn about schools through three dimensional tours and virtual information sessions. There was no longer a need for them to make personal visits to feel the vibe or to check off the demonstrated interest box. Instead, opening a few emails from admissions and perusing universities’ websites got the job done. As a result of these noteworthy changes and the uncharted environment, students adopted the ‘why not’ philosophy and hit ‘submit’ regardless of their admissions compatibility or degrees of interest. 

What began as a spike in COVID applications during 2021 has exacerbated significantly. Applications increased again for the class of 2022, and are exploding beyond that in 2023. The early statistics are out and they are clear. Applications are up substantially; admissions officers are swamped and many offices have admitted that they could not evaluate all the Early Action applications they received this fall. Instead, several schools deferred a substantial portion of their early applicants just to buy some time to review the thousands of applications they received. First year class sizes aren’t increasing so it is likely that many of these deferred candidates will contribute to decreased admissions rates this spring. In addition, the Early Decision bunch, which has experienced a boost in admissions lately, enjoyed less success than last year’s group. 

The unsettling cycle is also showing a trend in popularity among large schools in the South, especially those within the SEC and ACC Conferences. Students flocked to Vanderbilt for a few years; now similarly qualified students are jumping onto Wake Forest. Likewise, students are attracted to the rah-rah nature of the Southern state schools, including the University of Florida and the University of South Carolina. Applications at Georgia, Clemson and Tennessee are through the roof this year and I’m confident that Kentucky, James Madison, Auburn, Ole Miss – and even the colder location of the University of Kansas  – are all next. This trend is a full force expansion beyond the already very popular ‘football schools’, including Penn State, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, Texas and Maryland. Students have made it clear that spirit, sports and camaraderie are important to them post-COVID and adding a few schools to their Common Applications is appealing. If it is a financial challenge, however, students have figured out that they can often obtain fee waivers to solve any impediment to clicking ‘submit’. In fact, the entire SUNY system waived all application fees just prior to early deadlines this fall. 

Current high school sophomores and juniors are, understandably, worried and perplexed. This stressful and unpredictable cycle will not work itself out quickly. Colleges would need to reinstate standardized test requirements and it doesn’t seem likely that most will do so in the near future. Yes, a few have already announced their intent to reinstate the requirement, but COVID had the power to do what standardized test critics tried to do for over twenty years. Even an upcoming revised SAT will not revitalize the tests that seem desperate to hang on. In addition, the Common Application would need to limit the number of colleges to which a student can apply. Students are permitted to apply to twenty colleges on the Common Application and they seem to add their colleges as nonchalantly as they add to their Amazon carts and Spotify playlists. From there, they can apply to more by resorting to individual applications available on colleges’ websites. Perhaps it would deter students from doing that more regularly if they were forced to as a result of being limited to less than twenty on the Common Application. Regardless, it is not likely that the Common Application will change its model. Similarly, it is unlikely that colleges will move away from offering remote offerings to prospective students. Virtual life is thriving and isn’t going away soon. 

Where do we go from here? Rising seniors and juniors need to prepare a very well-balanced college list. Discussions shouldn’t include words like ‘safety’ and ‘reach’; categories of more likely, target, and less likely are here to stay. The more recent advice persists in that students should submit standardized test scores if they are in the middle fifty percent range of the school’s admission statistics, but note that this range is increasing regularly as students with higher scores now represent the ones reporting. Fortunately, GPA remains the most vital factor as do transcripts that indicate perseverance and challenging academic experiences. In addition, it is beneficial to look beyond the ‘trendy’ schools and consider some schools that are less popular among students from the same high school (and the general masses too). 

The good news is that students continue to succeed when they work hard, challenge themselves appropriately, and keep an open mind. For now, they should go ahead and fill up as many spaces on the Common Application as they need to feel confident. Today’s applicants may see a few more deferrals and may be stuck in limbo longer than they want, but it will work out. Students need to keep their chins up and believe in themselves throughout. Their families, friends, advisors, counselors and teachers must continue to root them on. It is well-known that colleges embrace stories of personal growth. My students write about the growth they have experienced throughout their lives. They are proud of their development and are eager to articulate it in their applications. Students will continue to experience personal growth through this challenging process and they will enter college as stronger and more resilient adults. Of course, I’m thrilled to have a prime seat to support my students as they prepare to soar into the next phase of their lives.