5 Predictions for the Future of Ivy League Admissions from a Princeton Alum

Written by Sienna, Princeton University

From test-mandatory, to test optional, and back to test-mandatory again, in the past few years college admissions has seen radical transformation. With so many changes, testing policies being just one of those, students and parents find themselves trying to predict the uncertain future of the college admissions process. This can be a frustrating position as students and parents are forced to make decisions about how to allocate resources and time, without a proper understanding of the return on those investments. While there are a number of factors that continue to evolve in the world of college admissions, this blog post provides an inside scoop on what we think the most important trends will be in the coming years. 

The Depth of the Essay is Changing 

One of the “example essays” I recall reading during my own college admission journey was an essay that a student wrote about Costco, which ended up securing her admission to 5 Ivy League schools. 

This essay has been applauded by college admission officers as well as college counselors because of its rich descriptions and the way that the author is able to draw parallels between her experience as a Costco shopper and her curiosity about the world, which fuels her pursuits. 

However, while this essay remains compelling, I would venture to say that it is far less compelling in the world of college admissions than it was when it was written nearly a decade ago. This is because, in my experience, colleges are no longer just looking for good writers with a degree of self reflection - the bar has been raised significantly. In addition to these qualities, colleges want students who have unique life experiences and are willing to share those stories with the admissions office. This is evident in the shift towards greater emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion across top schools- admissions officers want students who will contribute something unique to campus beyond outstanding academics and extracurriculars. 

So how do you succeed in this changing essay landscape? You are going to need to dig a bit deeper to really give colleges a taste of not just the qualities that make you who you are, but really paint a picture of your life in a way that is not easily replicable. That means creating an essay that provides substance rather than just a clever story that would have been sufficient in the past.

Test Scores Will Matter More *With a Few Exceptions* 

There is a whole lot to unpack when it comes to test scores and their importance (or lack of importance) in the college admissions process. From concerns over access to preparation resources, to the stress that it puts on students, to arguments in favor of the standardized metric for evaluation - testing remains a divisive issue in college admissions. 

However, this past year has provided at least some temporary validation of our hypothesis that testing will make a resurgence at top universities with Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown reinstating their testing requirement. We predict that testing will once again play a role in top admissions considerations not because the metric is a perfect form of evaluation, but simply because top schools need some form of differentiating between the increasing number of applicants. 

Rather than being considered a “ticket” into top universities as a high SAT/ACT score may have been in years past, we predict that a high test score will simply be another filter to separate out candidates for serious consideration from the thousands of candidates who didn’t make the cut.  

That being said, schools like those in the University of California system, have decided to forgo testing as a metric of evaluation altogether - highlighting the lack of equitable access to testing (both preparation and actual seats at actual testing facilities). The coming years will provide interesting insight into the effectiveness of this policy and whether other state schools will follow suit. 

If you would like to read more about the dilemma regarding testing CHECK OUT THIS BLOG. 

Creative Avenues of Evaluation 

One of the options that students are increasingly using to differentiate themselves in the college admission process is the submission of a portfolio. Many people incorrectly believe that a portfolio is only for artistic works. Contrary to this common belief, a portfolio may be a collection of notable essays, a collection of notable research projects, or a showcase of exceptional project-based work, among other things. 

Many colleges offer the option of submitting a portfolio to supplement other admissions requirements, and utilizing this opportunity could prove advantageous to students for a number of reasons. First, by putting in the effort it takes to assemble an attractive portfolio of work, you are demonstrating to the universities you apply to that you are willing to go the extra mile. Second, it would be nearly impossible for another student to submit a portfolio that exactly resembles your own colleges of achievements in a particular area, which provides a unique factor to your application. 

Another reason why submitting a portfolio can help you to stand out in the admission process is because it provides a sort of material proof of your interest and dedication in a particular field of study or exploration. For example, if you state that you intend to major in journalism in your college applications, a portfolio of articles you’ve written can help to assure admission officers that you are genuine in your interest. 

Hands-On Experience 

When people ask me what set my application apart next to the other thousands of students who applied to the same rigorous colleges that I did, I point to my extensive coastal conservation work. Growing up in a small coastal town, I have always been passionate about environmental issues, and in high school I became deeply involved in a number of conservation projects with local organizations - eventually helping to lead a team of other students in building erosion controls that helped to significantly impact the coastal water quality in our hometown. 

While I don't doubt that there were other students interested in environmental science or similar fields, I am certain that there were no other students with this exact hands-on experience listed on their application because it was not a national program or activity that could easily be replicated elsewhere. 

Therefore, not only did this experience stand out as unique, it also showed admissions officers that I had the initiative and drive to pursue something I am interested in a tangible way - with a community impact to show for it. 

With summer academic programs becoming more popular, there are now thousands of kids that attend summer camps at universities (which is not a bad thing), but engaging in an internship or seeking out a specific opportunity for hands-on experience in an area you are interested in makes you stand out more and is harder for other students to duplicate. 

Problem-Solving Tests 

Looking further into the future, one possible avenue that colleges may take in order to add another level of evaluation to candidate profiles are problem-solving based tests. Some of the top firms globally, perhaps most notably Mckinsey & Company, use “games'' to evaluate candidates before even extending an interview invitation. We speculate that colleges could develop a version of an assessment game to augment existing admissions requirements for a few reasons, but primarily the fact that it avoids some of the common criticisms of standardized testing requirements (expensive/unequitable preparation opportunities) and still provides a standardized metric for evaluation. 

With an increasing number of applicants each year, and practical constraints on sorting through these tens of thousands of applications, a game based assessment might just provide another metric of delineation between candidates that could prove useful to admissions officers. While this is just one potential route that we speculate colleges may take, there are a number of positives and negatives for students and families that are worth considering.

Starting with the potential upsides of such an evaluation metric, students who tend to have testing anxiety may find that a game is less intimidating than an academic assessment. Another potential positive impact of this type of evaluation is that it will give students from underprivileged or less rigorous school environments the opportunity to shine in a way that may not be measured through knowledge-based tests. Turning to the potential pitfalls of this idea, it does add yet another task to the long line of existing hoops that students already have to jump through in the college admissions process. 

Conclusion: While the ideas outlined in this article are our top predictions for changes we expect to see in the future of college admissions, these predictions are by no means guaranteed to come to fruition. However,one thing does remain certain, and that is that our mentors are well-equipped to help you navigate the college admission process both now and in the future!