College Admission Decisions 2025: What Graduating Girls Want Us To Know
"Where are you going?"
"Have you decided?"
"What's the waitlist situation?"
"HOW are we supposed to even DO this?"
With National College Decision Day around the corner on May 1st, high school hallways are buzzing with conversation. The graduating class of 2025 - reportedly the largest the country has ever seen at 3.9 million students - faced a markedly different admissions cycle this year amid public backlash and protests, and came away with a few takeaways.
Consulting further with admissions experts in our network, reviewing new data released by schools and DM'ing directly with Être seniors embedded in this process day to day, here are a few lessons we have gleaned as the 2024-25 admissions cycle winds down:
Schools are telling us less about behind-the-scenes admissions data than they used to.
It's true. While in past years most schools, particularly the Ivies, shared institutional admissions data, this year many schools withheld admissions details. Why? Forbes speculates that "[t]hese institutions are seeking to distance themselves from the negative stigma associated with hyperselectivity and elitism," and they may well be right.
But what they did tell us about this year's results was daunting.
According to IvyWise, application numbers hit an all-time high this year. "Schools like Bowdoin College (~14,000), New York University (120,633 ), and the University of Michigan (~109,000) all reported their largest applicant pools ever," they note, "with some schools like Duke seeing record-high numbers of students applying Early Decision or Early Action."
For a breakdown of admission results that continues to be updated daily, check here.
And a group of new ivies showed up strong.
Forbes also explains that "prestigious institutions have become increasingly desirable—and competitive—amongst talented applicants. Rice University," they continue, "saw a 13% increase in applicants this year, with 36,749 students applying across the Early Decision, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision and Questbridge programs. NYU had a record-breaking year, receiving over 120,000 applicants, a 3% increase over last year and the largest pool in its history. Notre Dame, meanwhile, saw a record-breaking pool of REA and RD applicants, accepting 9% of those who applied—down more than two percentage points from the prior cycle."
Staggering numbers. What else?
Financial aid forms are more confusing than AP Calc BC.
Truth. So where are students finding quick advice for all the forms and financial advice? They're turning to College Confidential's library of resources, U.S. News & World Report's free guide, and their library of scholarships. How will the current climate affect future grants and funding? That remains to be seen, but we'll be following that issue and talking with experts as details emerge. Stay tuned - we'll share what we learn.
Standardized tests are back and they matter.
While COVID sent most schools into test-optional territory, many institutions are now reinstating standardized testing and maintain they are a strong predictor in assessing student readiness. For a list of schools that required the SAT/ACT check here, and for a list of test-optional names check here.
Schools saw a rise in first-gen applications.
According to Top Tier Admissions, the Common App "highlighted a 19% increase in first-generation applicants and a 13% rise in fee-waiver-eligible students" this season. "Such changes," they continue, "underscore the effectiveness of outreach programs targeting underserved populations...[and] [I]nstitutions must ensure robust support systems for these students, from pre-college programming to on-campus resources."
It feels like everyone is on a waitlist.
"Waitlists are completely out of hand," agrees Être mentor and epic college counselor Sara Harberson, "with thousands of students being waitlisted at some colleges." "It is time to review the practice of waitlists," she states. "Colleges should have limits. The number of waitlisted students should not exceed the size of the freshman class. In no scenario would a college ever need to (or could) fill their entire class through the waitlist. Having a waitlist three to four times larger than the freshman class strings students along unnecessarily." We're nodding our heads as we flip open The Epic Mentor Guide for more of Harberson's wisdom.
We heard that admissions offices are using AI to review applications.
We heard that too. According to this study, 50% of educational admissions departments were using AI in the 2023/24 cycle, and up to 82% were expected to employ AI to review candidates by 2024/25. What does this mean? While students are discouraged from using ChatGPT to compose essays, a startling number of schools are, in the name of efficiency, using AI to review letters of recommendation, transcripts and more. Need details? See them here. Are students freaked out? More than a little.
To that end, college counselor and Être mentor Dr. Aviva Legatt, PCC (catch her advice in The Epic Mentor Guide too) suggests pointing next year's candidates towards their own AI guidance tool: The College Admissions X-Factor® - a program that "reveals the distinctive blend of purpose, passion, and potential that helps students stand out and get noticed by top-tier colleges." DM Aviva here to learn more.
Sampling of Être acceptances.
Amid all of this chaos, are Être girls excited about where they're headed?
You bet! And we couldn't be prouder.
With acceptances from Ivies and new ivies, huge southern campuses and small liberal arts havens, engineering meccas, fashion institutes, sport powerhouses and performing arts incubators, Être girls rang the register with global acceptances and well-earned scholarships.
For those still patiently waiting, we're with you. DM us if you've got questions for any of the college experts quoted here and we'll get you an answer! For those disappointed in this year's outcome, we feel you. Every leader and mentor you know has opened that email and been there, and would encourage you to dive in and thrive wherever you ultimately accept. DM us if you want to brainstorm options.
And for those of you watching a student get ready to graduate and take flight, pause and breathe deeply. This season is harrowing even for the most seasoned of parents and counselors; we promise...the best is yet to come.
Looking forward with hearty congrats and excitement,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: Three more sources of info for both rising and graduating seniors you won't want to miss: Sara Harberson's blog, Grown & Flown's Insta advice, and IvyWise's Insta wisdom!
