The 5 Trends Making College Admission Harder Than Ever

The past 5 years in college admissions have transformed the college admissions process. From swings between test-optional and test-required policies to the removal of affirmative action, applying for college today is tricker than ever. 

Here are the trends you need to know to master today’s admissions landscape and boost your chances of getting into your dream school. 

Let’s get started. 

As more students apply to top schools, admissions rates continue to go down.

Trend 1: Admissions Rates Are Decreasing at Top Schools

College admissions at top schools have never been more competitive. Although schools are enrolling the same number of students, they’re seeing more applicants than ever. As a result, top schools like Harvard, Princeton, and MIT have seen admission rates fall below 5% in the past few years.

If you’re wondering what the odds really look like at top colleges, take a look at a quick breakdown of recent admission rates:

Sources: Brown Common Data Sets, Harvard Common Data Sets, MIT Common Data Sets, Princeton Common Data Sets,Yale Common Data Sets

These percentage changes may seem small, but they have a big impact. For example, if a school receives 30,000 applications and only admits 5%, that’s 1,500 students. But if their admit rate drops to 4%, that’s just 1,200 spots—a difference of 300 fewer acceptances! 

And even though Ivy League and highly selective private colleges often get the most attention and have the lowest acceptance rates, public university admissions have also grown increasingly competitive. 

Schools like Georgia Tech, The University of Michigan, and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill are now admitting fewer than 1 in 5 applicants. These lower acceptance rates reflect growing application numbers—and shrinking odds of admission—at schools that were once considered target schools or safety schools. 

Let’s take a closer look at what those admissions rates mean for students like you. At UNC-Chapel Hill during the 2023-2024 admission cycle, 10,852 students out of 57,902 were admitted—an acceptance rate of 18.73%.

Just one year later, UNC received 65,535 applications and admitted only 10,209 students. That pushed its acceptance rate to 15.35% and meant hundreds fewer students were accepted, despite thousands more applying.

Here’s how the numbers have shifted for a few top public universities:

Sources: Florida State University Common Data Sets, Georgia Tech Common Data Sets, University of Florida Common Data Sets, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Data Sets, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill Common Data Sets, University of Texas–Austin Common Data Sets, University of Virginia Common Data Sets

All this math boils down to one thing: students need to think critically about their college list to make sure every school isn’t a competitive reach school. That way you’ll be sure to have an admissions letter in hand come graduation. 

Admissions testing policies continue to evolve. 

Trend 2: Test Policies Are Changing...Again

During the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly every major college adopted a test-optional policy. For a while, it seemed like standardized testing might be on its way out of the college application process for good. 

However, this trend has started to reverse—especially at the most competitive schools. 

In 2024, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown all announced they would reinstate SAT or ACT requirements for future applicants. These decisions followed growing research showing that test scores remain one of the most reliable indicators of college success, particularly when evaluating students from a wide range of schools and academic backgrounds. 

Even at schools that haven’t made testing mandatory, a growing number are now describing their policies as test-preferred (like Auburn University) or expected (like Purdue University). In practice, that means students who submit strong scores are often favored over those who don’t, especially when applying without other standout credentials.

Recent data from the 2024-2025 admissions cycle reflects this shift: after several years of decline, the number of students submitting test scores rose nearly 9%. The increase shows both the return of test-required or test-flexible policies and a growing trend among students, who are using testing as a way to stand out on their applications once again. 

The shifting landscape can leave students confused about what to do. Should you skip standardized tests and hope test-optional policies stay in place? Or is it better to take exams even if you don’t submit your scores?

While the choice is ultimately yours, we’ve broken down your options and the pros and cons of each. Our recommendation? Taking a standardized test and getting great scores helps you cover your bases. Not only does it open up the number of schools you can apply to, excellent scores can still help your application rise to the top of the pile. 

Trend 3: GPAs Don’t Mean What They Used To

For years, GPA was one of the most trusted measures of academic readiness. However, recent years have seen an increase in grade inflation: the steady rise in student GPAs over time without a matching increase in academic achievement. 

As a result, college admissions offices are having a harder time relying on grade point averages as a consistent indicator of performance, and it’s reshaping the way they evaluate transcripts.

Here’s what we mean: the average high school GPA rose from 3.17-3.39 between 2010 and 2021, even as national test scores declined. The sharpest spike happened between 2018 and 2021, according to a study by ACT Inc. By 2022, nearly 90% of high school students were earning As or Bs in core subjects like math, English, and science. 

That kind of inflation makes it harder for admissions officers to compare students across schools and districts. As Emory University's Dean of Admission bluntly put it: 

“We’re not as trusting, frankly, of GPA these days… grades are definitely inflated and not as connected to true class performance as they used to be.” 

Here’s what it boils down to: straight As aren’t rare anymore, and they don’t always reflect academic mastery. That’s why SAT and ACT scores, AP exams, and course rigor have taken on even more weight in college admissions cycles.

That means a strong SAT or ACT score can help your application stand out, since grades don’t always tell the full story. It’s also important to make sure you’re building a spike in your application and writing a great admissions essay. 

And speaking of essays…

AI is changing more than just how you write emails. 

Trend 4: AI Is Reshaping the Role of the College Essay

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have completely changed how students—and admissions committees—approach college applications.

A recent study found that 1 in 3 applicants in the 2023-2024 cycle used AI to help write their admissions essays. In response, colleges are rethinking how much weight these essays should carry in the admissions process.

Some schools are scaling back their use of the personal statement altogether. Duke University, for example, no longer assigns a numerical rating to student essays. Duke previously assigned numerical ratings across 6 categories—including essays—and calculated a total to rank each application. 

As of 2025, Duke no longer factors essays into that number. 

Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, explained that while essays do still matter, the admissions office can no longer assume they reflect a student’s actual writing ability. Now instead of relying on polished or AI-assisted writing, Duke is putting more weight on other materials that feel more verifiable and better reflect student performance.

Other schools are exploring alternatives to the traditional application essay in response to AI trends as well.  For instance, Princeton now requires applicants to submit a graded paper with teacher comments in an effort to assess authentic samples of student work. 

Today, the most informed college applicants understand when it’s appropriate to use AI to assist with the college application process—and when it isn’t. To help, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide on AI in college admissions so you can make more informed decisions and ensure your applications aren’t rejected for AI use.  

The early bird gets the college acceptance letter.

Trend 5: Early Decision Means Earlier Everything

When you apply can be just as important as where you apply. Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) programs have become some of the most popular and strategic ways for students to boost their chances at competitive schools.

For example, Brown University’s Class of 2029 had an ED acceptance rate of 17.9%, compared to just 3.8% for Regular Decision the previous year. At the University of Pennsylvania, nearly half of the incoming freshman class was admitted through the early round!

These aren’t exceptions—they’re becoming the norm. As more students apply early, colleges are using ED and EA rounds to lock in the best applicants and fill a large percentage of their incoming class before Regular Decision even begins.

For students applying in 2025 and beyond, it’s an excellent idea to spend more time researching colleges and deciding whether you’re willing to apply ED or EA to your top school. Feeling comfortable with your school choice and pulling the trigger on an earlier decision window could boost your admissions odds. 

3 Quick Takeaways For Students Applying to College in 2025 and Beyond 

Now that you’re up to speed on recent admissions trends, here are three quick takeaways for how you can use them to your advantage as you apply for college in a competitive environment.  

#1: Be Adaptable 

College admissions aren’t just harder—they’re evolving fast. Between rising application numbers, the return of standardized testing, and GPA inflation, standing out means understanding what admissions officers are really looking for now. 

Along with making sure the core elements of your application look great on paper, focus on creating a well-rounded application. That means finding and focusing on extracurriculars, getting great letters of recommendation, and using great standardized test scores to your advantage. 

#2: Have a Strong Strategy

Your admissions success depends on more than just good grades. Leverage good strategy throughout the process to boost your odds of getting into your dream school. That means going the extra step like making a balanced college list and evaluating the benefit of applying Early Action or Early Decision.

#3: Be Authentic

When more and more students are looking “perfect” on paper, colleges are shifting their focus to aspects of your application that highlight your character and fit for their schools. Be yourself and focus on what makes you unique to help you stand out from the crowd. 

What’s Next? 

• Now that standardized tests are becoming popular for college applications, it's important to get a solid mark. But what makes a score "good"? We'll show you what good ACT scores and good SAT scores are—and how to earn one. 
• Great college apps start with good college lists. Here's how you can build a college list that works for you. 
• One way you can make your college apps stand out is with excellent letters of recommendation. Here's everything you need to know about college recommendation letters.