AI May be Scoring Your College Essay. Welcome to the New Era of Admissions.
Naturally, AI is establishing itself on both sides of the college admissions table. Only, recently, the focus has turned from inappropriate usage on the part of applicants to that of admissions offices, some of which—citing time saving and the elimination of human error—have shifted from simple data entry and sorting to tangible review. Ultimately, it […]
Colleges Face a Financial Reckoning: The University of Chicago is Exhibit A
The University of Chicago has taken on tremendous debt relative to its assets and peers in order to cultivate its present and future prosperity. Were it not for the Trump administration’s spotlight on federal funding for higher education, the university likely would have handled its budgetary concerns without raising alarms. While the tightening has noticeably […]
The Great University Shake Up: Four Charts Show How Global Higher Education is Changing
Restrictions on immigration in wealthy, western nations is forcing international students to pursue their education elsewhere. While certain US universities are scrambling to fill rosters, others are creating satellite campuses to serve international students at home. No question, the standards for entry to those schools are less rigorous, so the big question is whether the […]
Dual Enrollment Leads to More College Acceptances, Greater Financial Rewards
Dual enrollment courses are an unexpected silver lining of the hyper-competitive college admissions environment. These courses give students more flexibility in the path of their academic pursuits, provides additional ways for them to maximize their potential in areas of interest, increases self-confidence, and prepares students for upper-level coursework. Statistics show that those who engage are […]
Unemployment Among Young College Graduates Outpaces Overall US Joblessness
It is more important than ever to attend a highly-selective school, as jobs are scarce and competition is fierce. Students must remain flexible with a skills-based education that will enable them to fulfill new jobs that arise through technology-driven changes in the professional world. Firms that are not hiring for entry-level positions, either by necessity […]
Colleges Know How Much You’re Willing to Pay. Here’s How.
Schools find that leveraging precision-guided discounts based on the quality of applicants (e.g., merit scholarships) more than need-based aid attracts above-average students. Now, private equity-backed, financial aid optimization firms aggregate data for subscribed universities to help them determine tuition and aid offers. This data—which dictates marketing efforts and tracks an applicant’s relative engagement and interest […]
What College Graduates Need Most in the Age of AI
AI is not the first emerging technology to shake up the academic and professional world. Ultimately, it will not reduce the number of opportunities afforded students and graduates, but will reform the landscape and challenge individuals to step off the tracked path to think and act in new and exciting ways. Now, more than ever, […]
Transfer Enrollments Continue to Rise Inside Higher Ed
Transfer applicants are facing an increasingly uphill battle, as transfers to highly selective institutions grew by 5.6 percent in 2024. The increase is indication that students are adjusting their postsecondary goals in response to changing education and labor market conditions, or that they were discontent with the outcome of their initial application cycle. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/transfer/2025/03/05/transfers-are-community-college-enrollment-grows dimensionadmissions.comdimensionadmissions.com
California Enacts Sweeping Legacy Ban Inside Higher Ed
New legislation will ban legacy admissions at all public and private universities in California, effective September 2025. California is the second state, after Maryland, to institute a state-wide ban on the practice for all schools accepting state-sponsored aid. Link: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2024/10/01/california-bans-legacy-admissions-all-colleges David Jackson