College Bound Mentor: A Conversation with Parents — College Admissions Trends 2025

Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Lisa Bleich, Abby Power, Stefanie Forman

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the most pressing trends shaping college admissions for the Class of 2025 and beyond. Hosts Lisa, Abby, and Stefanie draw on 30+ years of experience to discuss demographic shifts, evolving school priorities, technological advances, changes in essays, and what parents and students can expect from a rapidly changing landscape. The tone is supportive and pragmatic, emphasizing authenticity and adaptability for students navigating college applications.

Key Trends & Discussion Points

1. The Demographic Cliff: Fewer 18-Year-Olds, Changing Competition

[00:19-05:50]

• Trend: Approximately 15% fewer 18-year-olds are applying to colleges between 2025–2029. This varies by region, with the biggest drops in the Northeast, parts of the Midwest, and some of California; the South and Southwest are less affected.
• Impact: Regional and less selective colleges (those accepting more than 50% of applicants) become somewhat easier to get into, while highly selective schools remain intensely competitive.
• Consolidation: Some regional schools/campuses are closing or merging (e.g., Northeastern acquiring Mills and Marymount, UCLA absorbing Mount St. Mary, and the University of Nevada Reno acquiring Sierra Nevada College).
• Key Quote:

  “The demographic drop really varies by state. … Regional and the less selective colleges … are going to be easier to get into.” — Lisa [01:26]

• Public Schools Boom: More students seek traditional college experiences in large public Southern universities attracted by pre-professional programs, big sports, and perceived return on investment.
  • Examples: UT Knoxville, Purdue, Clemson, UT Austin (40% increase in applications).
• Competition Rises:

  “Unfortunately that means that public schools, even the traditionally less selective schools, have become more competitive.” — Lisa [04:21]

2. Enrollment Management: Waitlists, Deferrals, Alternatives

[05:50-09:28]

• Colleges use more sophisticated data analytics to manage enrollment (yield prediction).
• Increased deferrals/waitlisting:
  • Example: Purdue overenrolled, then used waitlists aggressively to manage numbers.
  • Schools like UT Austin, Michigan (UMich), and USC deferred most Early Action applicants in 2025.
• More alternative start options: summer/spring admits, first-year abroad, guaranteed transfer programs. Students are asked if they’ll consider these pathways.
• Key Quote:

  “You need to kind of be prepared to embrace uncertainty and longer cycles as the schools use wait lists to manage enrollment.” — Lisa [07:18]

• Early Decision (ED) added at Michigan and the USC Marshall Business School (2025). Shift to choosing ED/EA changes the “trickle-down” effect, adding new uncertainty.

  “We don’t know how the data is going to play out because it’s the first year.” — Lisa [08:34]

3. Technology in Admissions: Data, Predictive Analytics, and Yield

[09:28-14:20]

• Machine learning and AI now analyze transcripts, high school context, family income, and more, projecting likely GPA and yield.
• Yield protection: Colleges may reject or waitlist high-achieving “safety school” applicants if they seem unlikely to attend.
• Tracking student engagement: social media, emails, web visits, etc.
• Institutional priorities shift annually: first-generation/low-income students, full-pay, geographic diversity, veterans, and more. Example: 17% rise in QuestBridge admits (for high-achieving, low-income students).
• Key Quotes:

  “Your application is more transparent than you think.” — Abby [11:06]
  “You can’t worry about the institutional priorities … you can only focus on what you can control.” — Abby [13:38]

4. Admission by Major: Competition and Strategy

[14:20-19:35]

• STEM, business, and especially computer science are the most competitive majors.
• Public universities tend to admit by major, capping enrollment in popular programs.
• Students need to show alignment: activities, coursework, and testing that demonstrate authentic interest in their intended major.
• Key Quote:

  “You need to show that you’re a good fit for your major. … Your activities, your classes, your testing, they need to support the major that you’re going for.” — Abby [15:02]

5. Testing is Back: "Test-Optional" Isn’t Always What It Seems

[19:35-22:06]

• Many highly selective colleges (MIT, Yale, Caltech, Harvard, etc.) require standardized tests again. Some are undecided, some states require tests.
• For STEM and business, strong subject test scores are more important than ever.
• Test-optional policies: often, data shows most admitted students still submitted scores.
• Testing strategies are essential: check each college’s latest requirements and the percentage of admits submitting scores (from the Common Data Set).
• Key Quote:

  “At this point if a school is saying that they’re test optional, you really have to check the Common Data Set to see if they are really test optional.” — Abby [20:52]

6. International Student Trends

[19:35-22:06]

• Projected 15–20% decrease in international applicants.
• Visa delays and geopolitical factors affect application/enrollment flows.
• Top-tier schools likely unaffected in admit rates; Canadian universities see uptick.
• Key Quote:

  “We really don’t know what the full impact of this is going to be yet.” — Abby [21:43]

7. Essay Trends: Focus and Authenticity

[22:06-33:10]

• Some schools drop supplemental essays (e.g., UVA, Brandeis). Others streamline prompts.
• Four major themes for essays:
  • Lived experiences and impact
  • Interacting across differences (challenging conversations)
  • Joy/good news (“What brings you joy?”—Brown; “What is something great happening in your life right now?”—Lehigh)
  • Mashups (combining “why school,” “why major,” and impact/community contributions)
• Example Prompts:
  • “Think about someone you connect with who’s different from you. What do you find most meaningful about your interactions with them?” — Carleton [24:58]
  • “Who … challenged your perspective or you challenged theirs?” — Boston College [25:22]
• Key Quotes:

  “Seek out those challenging conversations. Don’t be scared of them.” — Stefanie [00:00]/[26:28]
  “You can be a leader without a title. … Being a leader is also being that person on that same soccer team that might not be the starting goalie but is so loud on the sidelines.” — Stefanie [27:58] “Authentic essays are more important than ever. … Do not over edit, let them shine through. Very easy to know what is written by a 17–18 year old.” — Stefanie [31:22]

8. The Rise of Video Applications & Student Chats

[32:00-33:10]

• Short “glimpse” videos are replacing some interviews. Some schools label them “optional,” but they are highly encouraged.
• Videos are powerful for highlighting unique talents or personal stories and filling application gaps.
• Student-led chats (not interviews) at schools like Richmond, Cornell, and WashU provide informal, non-evaluative engagement.
• Key Quote:

  “Focus on authenticity over professionalism. … Think about what gaps are missing from your application that you can fill in or that you can show better on a video.” — Stefanie [32:34]

Most Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “You need to be prepared to embrace uncertainty and longer cycles as the schools use wait lists to manage enrollment.” — Lisa [07:18]
• “Your application is more transparent than you think.” — Abby [11:06]
• “Authentic essays are more important than ever. … Do not over edit, let them shine through.” — Stefanie [31:22]
• “Focus on authenticity over professionalism.” — Stefanie [32:34]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:19] — Intro to trends and the demographic cliff
• [05:50] — Enrollment management (deferrals, waitlists, alternative acceptances)
• [09:28] — Technology and institutional priorities
• [14:20] — Admission by major and test score resurgence
• [22:06] — Essay trends, authenticity, and lived experiences
• [32:00] — The rise of video applications and student chats

Final Takeaways

• Expect longer, less predictable application cycles.
• Demonstrate authentic engagement and fit at every stage (major, essays, videos).
• Embrace evolving formats (essays, videos), and always check up-to-date policies.
• Focus on what you can control: authentic application materials, thoughtful choices, and openness to new opportunities.