Affirmative Action Ban Fallout, Testing Changes at Carnegie Mellon & Johns Hopkins, Legacy Bans Expand

Real-World Ramifications of Affirmative Action’s Ban on Marginalized Students

Amid reports of declines in Black and Hispanic student enrollment at selective higher ed institutions, NPR sat down to discuss with Zachary Bleemer, an assistant professor in economics at Princeton University. Bleemer has been studying the impact on historically marginalized groups of being granted or denied access to selective universities. Bleemer notes that, although recent enrollment declines have varied, the full effects of the affirmative action ban have yet to be seen. After similar bans in California in the 1990’s, Black and Hispanic enrollment declined by up to 50% at some schools, including UCLA and UC Berkeley

Takeaways:

According to Bleemer, if the latest declines follow the trajectory of those from thirty years ago, there could be “negative educational and labor market ramifications for the Black and Hispanic students who get pushed out of these more selective schools.” These students, according to Bleemer, become less likely to earn college degrees, especially those in STEM fields. Moreover the impact could be felt on an individual level for decades: “A typical Black and Hispanic student, once they’re in their mid-30s, is earning 5% less than they would have been if they’d had access to more selective universities through programs like race-based affirmative action.”

What happens when marginalized groups lose access to the most selective universities? (NPR) – 9/13/24

Trend Surrounding Asian American Enrollments is More Complicated

While highly-selective four-year institutions are seeing declines in Black students across the board – albeit at different levels of severity – the enrollment trends of Asian American students have been less predictable. While some Ivy league schools, such as Columbia University and Brown University, saw an increase of Asian American students from the class of 2028, others, namely Yale University and Princeton University, saw a decrease; meanwhile, Harvard University’s number of Asian American students stayed constant across the 2023 and 2024 enrollment cycles.

Takeaways:

It is interesting to note that Columbia University, the school with the highest increase in Asian American students for the class of 2028 with 9 percent, is the only Ivy league institution to group students of Pacific Islander origin with Asian Americans, while the other institutions provide them with a separate designation. Cornell and Dartmouth have not yet shared the racial breakdowns of their incoming freshmen. Despite pronouncements by Students For Fair Admissions, the group that brought the initial case against Harvard to the Supreme Court, that ending affirmative action would result in an influx of Asian American students, it does not seem that the data yet offers conclusive support or rebuttal.

Asian Americans see mixed results in enrollment after end of affirmative action (NBC News) – 9/12/24

Black First-Year Student Drop Significant, But Less Severe Than Expected

Data released by Harvard University showed that the percentage of Black first year students at the university dropped to 14 percent from 18 percent the previous cycle. Although this decline is smaller than predicted by school officials, it still represents a 29 percent reduction. The proportion of Asian American students remained the same at 37 percent and Hispanic student enrollment increased to 16 percent from 14 percent. The school, however, did not report the percent of incoming freshmen who are White. Twice as many students chose to decline to provide their race and/or ethnicity than did last cycle: up to 8 percent from 4 percent.

Takeaways:

There was a variety of responses from shareholders. Coalition for a Diverse Harvard, an organization of 2,400 alumni, students, faculty and staff, released an official censure. “These declines are huge, and we strongly disagree with characterizations of them as modest.” Richard D. Kahlenberg (Harvard ’85), director at the think tank Progressive Policy Institute and expert witness for Students for Fair Admissions in its lawsuit against Harvard, wrote an op-ed to the Harvard Crimson, declaring that “Harvard doesn’t need racial preferences to be diverse.” Meanwhile, the Harvard Crimson editorial board itself released an article that sharply criticized university administration for obfuscating the data: “its entirely opaque new method for calculating demographic data makes it hard to say anything for sure.” Harvard spokesman Jonathan Palumbo contended that the university not releasing full data is an effect of applicants not disclosing their race or ethnicity. “We are trying to give as accurate a picture as we can of the students who are here, for whom we know the race because they checked the box.”

Harvard’s Black Student Enrollment Dips After Affirmative Action Ends – (NY Times) – 9/11/24

HBCU Enrollment Rises as Diversity Gap Widens at Selective Schools

Over the past several weeks, as Common App data has become available for this year’s group of college freshmen, many highly-selective four-year institutions have reported significant declines in Black student enrollment. As more and more highly-selective institutions disclose their widening diversity gap, Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have seen a consequential uptick in Black applicants – and enrolling students. Howard University, which is known by some as the “Harvard of HBCUs,” saw a 10 percent rise in enrollment with 36,300 applicants (up from 33,000 the previous cycle). Moreover, first-year enrollment increased by 23% with 2,796 students matriculating (up from 2,268). At Morehouse College, although only 6 more students enrolled than did last cycle, the institution received 2,040 more applicants (a 34% increase). Hampton University in Virginia saw 17,000 applications this cycle, versus 13,000 previously (a 31% increase).

Takeaways:

These rising enrollment numbers build on the growth that was being seen earlier this year, and can be attributed to a variety of factors, including the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, anti-DEI initiatives, and an ongoing reckoning with systemic racism and racially-charged violence. According to Harry Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, “There’ll be some hesitation among African American students about whether to apply (to certain top-ranked colleges) because the signal is that we may not be welcome here… Therefore, you may want to go to a place where you’re going to want to feel welcome.”

A Silver Lining for HBCUs in Affirmative Action’s Demise – (InsideHigherEd) – 9/10/24

FAFSA Completion Gap – Ten Months Later

The U.S. Education Department has announced that, nearly ten months after the Better FAFSA form was released, the completion rate for the 2023-2024 FAFSA form is now just 2.5 percent less than that of the previous year. A disastrous rollout notwithstanding, much progress has been made this year: in April, that completion gap was more than 30 percent. Stakeholders look ahead to this year’s form, as additional details are released ahead of the December 1 release.

Takeaways:

Unfortunately, regardless of progress, many students are still not able to gain access to federal aid. The Department of Ed’s numbers factor in both first-year and continuing college students. According to the National College Attainment Network, which examined the data excluding continuing students, 9.1 percent fewer incoming freshmen have completed the FAFSA. Furthermore, although it is heartening to see a greater number of students finally receiving aid, a good portion of that aid has come in spite of the U.S. DOE’s efforts, not because of them. College and university admissions departments, access organizations, and state agencies have done much of the heavy lifting here.

FAFSA Completion Gap Narrows to 2.5 Percent – (InsideHigherEd) – 9/12/24

Common App Expands Direct Admissions for 2024-2025 Cycle

This week, the Common App launched its 2024-2025 direct admissions program –  in which students are offered admission to colleges and universities prior to filling out an application. Building on the success of last year’s program, the Common App is now partnered with 116 institutions in 34 states (up from 71 institutions in 28 states). This year, students will have the ability to review and act on their offers directly through the application. Common App will also provide additional outreach to counselors and families. The company’s President and CEO Jenny Rickard described the expanded direct admissions program as having a “moonshot goal of increasing the number of low- and middle-income students applying to postsecondary opportunities.” According to Rickard, “With today’s launch of our 2024–2025 Common App Direct Admissions program, even more students will know they are worthy and welcome on a college campus.”

Takeaways:

A 2021 Common App direct admissions pilot program showed particular benefit to underrepresented students, including minority, low-income, and first-generation students. Subsequently, last year’s program, which saw approximately one-eighth of all students who completed a profile on the Common App site receive an offer of direct admission from at least one institution in their state, provided the framework for this latest expansion. Along with giving students valuable piece of mind in an otherwise uncertain time, direct admissions is also helping partnership institutions to boost diversity in a post-affirmative action reality.

Common App Expanding Its Direct Admissions Effort To 116 Colleges (Forbes) – 9/9/24

Brown Sees Declines in Black and Hispanic Incoming Freshmen

Brown University has released demographic data about its incoming class of 2028. Among the total 3,289 undergraduate students who matriculated this week, the racial breakdown is as follows:

• 43% White (down from 46% in Fall 2023)
• 33% Asian (up from 29%)
• 10% Hispanic or Latio (down from 14%)
• 9% Black or African-American (down from 15%)
• 1.5% American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander (down from 2%)
• 7% of students did not report a race or ethnicity (down from 4%)

Takeaways:

The data that jumps out here are the steep declines in Black and Hispanic students. Brown’s admissions department engaged with “a wide variety of stakeholders” during this past enrollment cycle, including a variety of affinity groups, fellowships, foundations, community-based organizations, historically Black colleges and universities, and U.S. military academies. In the end, these practices may have helped to mitigate some of the declines in the number of students of color at Brown, but the downturns are still significant. “Brown’s commitment to a diverse campus community in every sense remains unchanged,” said Logan Powell, Brown’s associate provost for enrollment and dean of undergraduate admission. “The first step in admitting a diverse class is ensuring that talented students of every background apply.” 

Brown’s newest students, by the numbers (Brown University News and Events) – 9/6/24

Potential Faculty Strikes Loom at Two Michigan Universities

Faculty at two Michigan Universities – Oakland University and Western Michigan University –  could strike over deteriorating negotiations concerning employee salaries, workloads, professional travel funds, equipment, and work space. According to the union that represents Western Michigan University faculty, “While this chronic disinvestment in Western’s core mission is unlikely to make the news, it helps explain why so many employees are so frustrated and willing to fight on for as long as necessary.” While officials from both universities have declined requests for comment, Oakland University posted on its website, on a page focused on the negotiations, that the institution “faculty members and respects their contributions, which are critical to student success, research, community engagement and diversity.”

Takeaways:

This news comes less than a month after a Cornell University workers’ strike the week of student move-in. As of September 4th, Oakland University has reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract with union negotiators, avoiding a strike for the time being. The agreement is pending approval by the American Association of University Professors. At Western Michigan University, the negotiations continue.

Two Michigan universities face potential faculty strikes (Higher Ed Dive) – 9/3/24

Percentage of Black Students Down at Several Elite Higher Ed Institutions

New data shows that, in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court decision to ban race-conscious admissions, the number of Black students at Amherst College and Tufts University has declined significantly. At Amherst, the percentage of Black students has dropped by 8 points for this year’s matriculating class; at Tufts, the percentage has dipped by 2.6 points. Additionally, the percentage of Black students at University of Virginia dropped slightly from 7.9 percent to 7 percent. While the picture is still unclear at many other schools, experts expect to have more data in the coming weeks. 

Takeaways:

Similar reports out of M.I.T, last week call into question the importance of reports of rising numbers of minority applicants to four-year universities since last June’s affirmative action ban. Though more people from historically marginalized groups may be applying to these institutions, it does not mean that more are being accepted. Meanwhile, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have seen increased enrollment in recent months. According to Matthew L. McGann, dean of admissions at Amherst, the takeaways from the new data coming from his institution are clear: “As a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision, the incoming class is not as racially diverse as recent classes have been.”

At 2 Elite Colleges, Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ban (NY Times) – 8/30/24

California Bill to Outlaw Legacy Admissions Heads to Governor

On Wednesday, California lawmakers passed a bill that would ban private colleges from giving admission preferences to relatives of alumni or donors. Any private college that were to violate this ban would be mandated to disclose detailed admissions information – both the rates of admitted legacy students and data surrounding the racial, geographic and financial diversity, and athletic status of all admitted students. Assuming that Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signs the bill, it would become law on September 1st, 2025. Any private college that violates the bill would need to disclose its admissions data by June 30th, 2026. 

Takeaways:

The push for a federal ban on legacy preference in admissions will gain further ground if this bill is fully approved. Earlier this month, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) signed a bill banning legacy preference in admissions at public universities, but the California bill would go one step further, outlawing the practice at private institutions. California Assembly member Phil Ting, an architect of the bill, proposed the legislation as a direct response to June 2023’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to end affirmative action. In Wednesday’s session, he reiterated the importance of increased equity in the college admission process. “Hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class — not the size of the check your family can write or who you’re related to…If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field.”

California ban on legacy and donor admissions at private colleges heads to governor (Higher Ed Dive) – 8/29/24

Carnegie Mellon to Switch to a Mostly Test-Flexible Admissions Policy

Carnegie Mellon University has formally announced updates to its admissions policy as it relates to standardized testing. While the institution’s College of Fine Arts will remain test optional, all other colleges will require test scores in some shape or form. Applicants to the School of Computer Science will need to submit SAT or ACT scores with their applications; students applying to the five other colleges can either submit SAT/ACT scores or supplant those scores with Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, or A-Levels test scores. This new policy will go into effect for Fall 2026 applicants, but Fall 2025 applicants to CMU’s School of Computer Science are “strongly encouraged” to submit SAT or ACT scores.

Takeaways:

According to the university’s announcement, “a committee of leadership and faculty representatives from each college convened to review data and the impact of the test-optional policy on CMU’s undergraduate application pool.” This new admissions framework is based on the committee’s evaluation. Carnegie Mellon’s announcement comes less than two weeks after Johns Hopkins University reverted back to test-mandatory admissions; however, its policy change is more nuanced. In allowing AP, IB, and other test scores to stand in for SAT/ACT scores, as Yale did in its move to “test-flexible” admissions, CMU is giving its admissions department more latitude in enrollment decisions.

CMU’s Undergraduate Admission Test Policy (Carnegie Mellon Campus Communications) – 8/29/24

ETS Embraces AI with “Skills for the Future”

More information has surfaced about major test maker ETS’ rebranding into a “talent solutions” company. The owner and administrator of the GRE and TOEFL tests (and former administrator of the SAT), ETS is planning to focus in the coming years on assessments that are “more behavioral than they are cognitive.” According to Kara McWilliams, vice president of product innovation and development at ETS, “experiences that allow (measurement of) the behaviors of a user“ will be the thrust of ETS’ future assessments. “We don’t really care what the answer is, but how did you get there?”

ETS has partnered with Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching on the Skills for the Future Initiative, which plans to use student data to track “skills including communication, collaboration and critical thinking.” A pilot test for the initiative will begin in January in five U.S. states: Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Wisconsin

Takeaways:

While ETS remains quite bullish on the potential benefits AI can bring to the table in assessing students, other stakeholders are cautious about embracing technology that could carry its own bias. According to Nicol Turner Lee, director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution. “AI is only as good as the training data, and if the training data is still skewed to more privileged students who have many more resources than those from underprivileged schools, that will have a negative impact on them.”

It is also worth noting that ETS’ shift to a future-forward approach is likely more for financial reasons than growing obsolescence of standardized tests (despite the catchy headline, this article does concede that the SAT will “have some role for the foreseeable future.”) The company is still reeling from losses due to the pandemic and decreased number of GRE test-takers. In fact, 2023 marked the first year in five that ETS has been “cash flow positive,” and in early June, due to a contract dispute with the college board, the company lost the ability to administer the SAT, which drove significant revenue for the company. Soon afterward, ETS offered to buy out the contracts of all employees with tenures longer than two years. The company anticipates another major staff cut later this year. 

Will AI Make Standardized Tests Obsolete? (Ed Surge) – 8/29/24

Harvard Kennedy School Waives GRE/GMAT Requirements For Some Students

On Thursday, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard’s division for post-graduate studies in public policy and government, updated its standardized test policy to waive GRE/GMAT requirements for certain students. Effective with this fall’s admissions cycle, applicants to the Master in Public Policy (MPP) and two-year Master in Public Administration (MPA) Programs will not be required to submit standardized test scores as long as they had received grades of B+ or higher from coursework in related coursework.

Takeaways:

While GRE or GMAT scores are still mandated  for candidates seeking a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID), Harvard Kennedy School’s new policy is markedly more relaxed than the previous iteration. The Kennedy School’s announcement comes four months after Harvard unexpectedly reinstated testing requirements for undergraduate applicants.

Updates to our standardized test policy (Harvard Kennedy School) – 8/22/24

Percentage of Minority Students Drops Significantly for M.I.T.’s Class of 2028

On Wednesday, Massachusetts Institute of Technology released information, which shows that the incoming class of 2028 saw steep declines in the percentage of Black, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander students. Notably, the incoming class of 2028 class is the first to be admitted since the June 2023 Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action, and the demographics for this class is stark in comparison to previous years. The percentage of Black, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander students has dropped to 16 percent from a baseline of 25 percent, while the percentage of Hispanic and Latino students has dropped to 11 percent from 16 percent. Simultaneously, the percentage of Asian American students has risen to 47 percent from 40 percent, and the percentage of White students remained relatively stable.

Takeaways:

Although some sources have shown that the number of minority students applying to four-year universities has grown since the U.S. Supreme Court banned race-conscious admissions in June 2023, the MIT report is the first major piece of data that reflects actual enrollment. Although the specificity of its programming means that M.I.T.’s trends might not be fully indicative of a larger pattern, the decline seen here is similar to those seen by the University of Michigan after that institution banned race-conscious admissions in 2006.

At M.I.T., Black and Latino Enrollment Drops Sharply After Affirmative Action Ban (NY Times) – 8/21/24

Transfer Applications Soar at Yeshiva University

The number of transfer students to Yeshiva University, a modern orthodox institution in New York City, increased by 75 percent this past semester. Additionally, the university received its highest number of undergraduate applications this year. According to university data, 2,185 full-time undergraduate students attended in spring 2024 compared to 2,033 the previous spring. Yeshiva’s waitlist is also currently twice as long as it was last year at this time.

Takeaways:

Although Yeshiva leaders note that interest in Yeshiva began before the war in Gaza, they attribute some of the growth to pro-Palestinian protests across the country – and the surrounding concerns about hostile learning environments toward Jewish and Israeli students. Many transfer students are moving from highly selective universities such as University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Cornell, all of which have been under scrutiny for policies, which some say have not done enough to combat on-campus antisemitism. According to Rabbi Ari Berman, Yeshiva’s president, students want an environment that “nourishes their identity, that is value-based [and] that offers academic excellence, where they don’t need to be worried about what’s happening in the campus climate…(where) they could focus on their studies and their growth.” 

Yeshiva University Enrollment Rises Amid Ongoing War in Gaza (Inside HigherEd) – 8/19/24

Cornell Workers Strike on the First Day of Move-In

After a breakdown of contract negotiations, over 1,200 workers at Cornell University have gone on strike on the first day of college move-in. The workers who have joined the picket line include maintenance and facilities workers, dining workers, gardeners, custodians, and agriculture and horticulture workers. Christine Johnson, President of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2300, did not mince words: “Workers at Cornell are fed up with being exploited and used…We’re done playing around.”

Takeaways:

Cornell tuition has increased 13 percent over the past four years – and its endowment has grown a whopping 39 percent. Yet, the university says its hands are tied. “As we continue to make Cornell education affordable to more students and families in New York State and across the country, we cannot simply raise tuition to unmanageable levels to cover the cost,” Christine Lovely, vice president and chief human resources officer at Cornell, wrote in a statement. Currently most Cornell workers in the UAW Local 2300 make less than $22 per hour. According to an MIT Study, the living wage in Ithaca, New York is $25 for one adult and $43 if a person has a child.

More than 1,200 workers go on strike at Cornell (The Hill) – 8/19/24

New College of Florida Discards Books, Sparks Controversy

New College of Florida, which has been the subject of national attention since Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) Department of Education staged a takeover of the small liberal arts institution last year, was under the spotlight again as hundreds of library books were seen left in a dumpster this past week. Some of these books appear to be part of what school administrators identified as a “routine culling” from the main library. Others may have been resources that were formerly part of the now-shuttered Gender and Diversity Center.

Takeaways:

Some of the removed books were sent by dumpster to a landfill; others were simply placed outside the library. There remains some confusion over which books were deposited where. In a message to the campus community, New College president Richard Corcoran suggested that the discarded books had been damaged in a roof leak, but photos from the school clearly show books in usable condition on the street outside the library. Furthermore, reports have surfaced that the college’s library dean has since been placed on administrative leave. The American Library Association guidelines state that books should never be removed because of controversy.

New College board member and right-wing provocateur Christopher Rufo responded to the events via a post on X that included a photo of home organizational consultant Marie Kondo and the message, “We abolished the gender studies program. Now we’re throwing out the trash.” Conversely, The American Civil Liberties Union excoriated the disposal of books: “These actions are nothing short of a cultural purge, reminiscent of some of history’s darkest times.” According to students, the books removed from the Gender and Diversity Center included volumes on slavery, a collection of Jewish stories and three copies of the Bible.

Discarded gender and diversity books trigger a new culture clash at a Florida college (AP) – 8/16/24

SAT/ACT Scores Once Again Required at Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins University has resumed standardized testing requirements for undergraduate applicants. Students looking to enroll at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering for the 2026 admissions cycle will need to include SAT or ACT scores with their applications. Students applying this cycle are “encouraged” to submit scores. This policy change does not affect students applying to JHU’s music and dance conservatory, the Peabody Institute, which has been test optional for years.

Takeaways

Prior to this week’s announcement, SAT/ACT scores had not been required at Johns Hopkins since 2020 when it enacted a provisional test-optional during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing a comprehensive review of academic research on testing as well the past three years of enrollment data, JHU “concluded that test scores, when considered in context as part of a holistic approach to admissions, serve as an important predictive metric to assess the likelihood of a student’s academic success.” Additionally, as with policy changes at institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins’ reasoning for reinstating SAT/ACT score requirements included a focus on historically underrepresented students: studies by the institution found that test optional admissions “discouraged some applicants to Johns Hopkins from less-advantaged…backgrounds from submitting test scores that would have provided an additional positive signal of their academic abilities.”

Johns Hopkins University to return to standardized testing requirement as part of holistic admissions process (JHU Hub) – 8/16/24

Columbia President Abruptly Resigns

On Wednesday night, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik abruptly resigned from her position. Ms. Shafik’s embattled thirteen month tenure comes to an end after facing sharp criticism from some students, faculty, and congress members about her handling of campus demonstrations related to the Gaza conflict. She was one of seven University presidents who testified in front of the House Education and Workforce Committee in April over concerns of antisemitism on campus, and she now joins former Harvard president Claudine Gay and former UPenn president Liz Magill as the third of those presidents to step down. Dr. Katrina A. Armstrong, former physician in chief at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been announced as Ms. Shafik’s successor.

Takeaways:

“I believe that—working together—we have made progress in a number of important areas,” Ms. Shafik reflected in her resignation letter. “However, it has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.” After Columbia, Ms. Shafik will be joining the UK House of Lords in a consulting capacity where she is “pleased and appreciative” to “return to work on fighting global poverty and promoting sustainable development.” In the wake of Ms. Shafik’s departure, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine released a statement warning that “any future president who does not pay heed to the Columbia student body’s overwhelming demand for divestment [from Israel] will end up exactly as President Shafik did.” Meanwhile, self-described “ultra MAGA” Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who gained recent prominence as the face of the  House and Work Committee’s aggressive cross-examinations of college presidents, took to X after the news broke: “THREE DOWN, so many to go.”

Columbia President Minouche Shafik Resigns Unexpectedly (Inside Higher Ed) – 8/14/24

Illinois Passes a Ban on Legacy Preferences in Admissions

Illinois has become the fourth U.S. state to ban legacy preference in admissions for its public colleges and universities. Illinois follows Colorado, Virginia and Maryland in doing so, the latter most of which has gone as far as making the practice illegal at all colleges in the state. Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) signed the law on Friday; it goes into effect immediately. Similar proposals are currently being considered in other U.S. states, including California, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York.

Takeaways:

Legacy preference has been under increased scrutiny since last June’s Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions and studies have found that an overwhelming number of Americans oppose the practice. While this bill is another step toward a potential federal ban, it is more symbolic than it is practical: admissions departments at Illinois public universities do not currently factor an applicant’s potential connections to alumni and donors. 

Illinois Becomes Fourth State to Pass Legacy Ban (Inside Higher Ed) – 8/14/24

Direct Admissions Gaining Further Traction

Direct admissions, an enrollment strategy through which colleges and universities reach out to qualified candidates with direct offers prior to the application process, has been embraced by some higher education institutions in recent years. In light of growing enrollment declines, direct admissions is gaining further traction. Such programs allow admissions departments to lock in enrollment commitments early without significant risk – other than increased workload for admissions officers.

Takeaways:

Several U.S. states have restructured their public colleges and universities to incorporate direct admissions into their processes. Idaho implemented a statewide direct admissions program in 2015. Minnesota employs the strategy at 57 institutions. Minnesota colleges and universities are not mandated to participate, but no institution has left the program since its launch in 2022.

How to try direct admissions — from experts who have been there (Higher Ed Dive) – 8/8/24

FAFSA Delayed Until December 1st

The U.S Department of Education announced last week that, for the second year in row, the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) form will be delayed. The FAFSA platform will go live sometime in October for “testing with a limited set of students and institutions,” but it will not be fully operational until December 1st, two full months after the traditional October 1st launch date.

Takeaways:

October 2023 was supposed to mark the rollout of the “Better FAFSA” form, but various setbacks led to significant delays; the platform saw a “soft launch” on December 31, but it was not fully operational until March 2023. Even then, glitches and departmental errors kept some students from completing the form and some institutions from correctly processing aid. By June, FAFSA submissions were down 7.2 percent compared to 2022. Looking ahead to this year’s rollout, most stakeholders had been resigned to the fact that an October 1st rollout would be unattainable, and many are of the mindset that, as long as the form is truly fully functional at launch, a two-month delay is tolerable.

After Botched Rollout, FAFSA Is Delayed for a Second Year (NY Times) – 8/7/24

Federal Judge Legitimizes Antisemitism Suit Against Harvard

On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Harvard University must face a lawsuit that claims that the institution allowed antisemitism to flourish on campus in the wake of the October 7th attacks and subsequent conflict in Gaza. According to Boston U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns, it is plausible that Harvard administration was willfully indifferent toward Jewish and Israeli students who said that they feared for their safety. The lawsuit, which was initially filed in January, days after former Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation, is not the first of its kind; similar suits were recently settled at Brown and New York University.

Takeaways:

Harvard – along with many other high profile higher ed institutions – has been under scrutiny for its handling of student relations surrounding the Gaza conflict, including (but not limited to) whether it did enough to protect its Jewish and Israeli students from harassment. The institution has justified its actions through the lens of a commitment to free speech. Judge Stearns, however, denounced this to be a “dubious” argument. He pulled no punches in his decision. “The facts as pled show that Harvard failed its Jewish students.” 

Harvard University must face lawsuit over antisemitism on campus, judge rules (Reuters) – 8/5/24

Budget and Program Cuts Abound as College Enrollment Declines 

This past week, a handful of higher education institutions announced overarching budget cuts, which include staff and faculty layoffs and program cuts. The list of schools affected includes the following colleges and universities: 

• University of New Orleans – eliminated 70 positions, decommissioned a building, and cut its athletic budget by 25 percent to grapple with a $16 million budget shortfall.
• Western Illinois University – did not renew the contracts for 36 faculty members and is looking to reduce its budget by another $8 million.
• Valparaiso University – announced plans to cut 30 academic programs after eliminating 14 staff positions last month.

Takeaways:

Woes surrounding declining enrollment have been further augmented by the botched rollout of the 2023 FAFSA form, which resulted in some students choosing to forgo college. Enrollment pressure is felt at nearly all higher education institutions, and, for some, this pressure has reached a critical point. While some institutions, like those above, are taking drastic action in the quest for solvency, others have opted for more extreme measures. As of August 5th, at least 62 public or nonprofit colleges have closed, merged, or announced closures or mergers since March 2020. With an enrollment cliff predicted on the horizon, the outlook continues to darken for many colleges and universities.

Declining Enrollment, FAFSA Issues Led to More Cuts in July (Inside Higher Ed) – 8/5/24

Two New Official PSAT Digital Practice Tests

The College Board updated its Bluebook testing platform, adding two new full-length PSAT practice tests: one for the PSAT 10/NMST test and one for the PSAT 8/9 test. There are now 10 full-length practice assessments available through Bluebook: 6 SAT, 2 PSAT 10/NMST, and 2 PSAT 8/9 tests. Additionally, test previews are available for the SAT and various AP exams, including AP US History, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP African American Studies.

Takeaways:

This is the second major update to the Bluebook platform in as many weeks, along with last week’s revisions to the difficult second modules of the first three SAT practice tests. Both updates were completed without any fanfare; in fact, no prior warning – or follow-up messaging – was provided for either. In the case of the PSAT changes, the system went offline at 1:00pm ET for the planned update without any prior notifications to users. Although school-year updates occur after business hours, it is the College Board’s policy to not publish summer updates due to potential schedule changes. The SAT test makers have been criticized over lack of transparency surrounding the redesign process; this handling of these most recent updates represent more of the same.

(Onsen Education) – 8/2/24

“FAFSA Fiasco” Continues

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that colleges will not be able to submit “batch corrections” to students’ FAFSA records during the current financial-aid cycle. This pronouncement is a reversal from the Department’s previous messaging that institutions would be able to bulk-correct student data this month, which would already have been months behind schedule. Without being able to modify student data en masse, colleges and university will need to manually submit each student’s correction, putting even more strain on admissions departments that have been carrying extra administrative burden following the Department of Education’s historic string of delays, missteps, and communication breakdowns surrounding the 2023-24 FAFSA form. 

Takeaways:

A number of stakeholders are predictably livid about the announcement. Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators described “the Department’s poor planning” as “a stunning failure,” citing a tangible concern about the negative consequences for vulnerable student populations. “Some college students might not have financial aid dollars in their hands in time to start classes in the next few weeks.” The Department of Education’s reasoning behind the policy shift is the impending launch of the 2025-26 FAFSA form and the “need to ensure development resources are focused appropriately.” Though acknowledging the strain this would put on higher ed institutions, the Department – in line with messaging from the beginning of what many have dubbed the “FAFSA fiasco” – neither apologized nor took accountability: “We know this decision creates additional burdens for institutions that are already experiencing a heavy workload and increased demands during this extraordinary FAFSA processing cycle.”

‘A Stunning Failure’: Latest FAFSA Delay Will Hinder the Most Vulnerable Students (The Chronicle of Higher Education) – 7/30/24

AP Moves to Digital Testing in 2025

Last week, the College Board announced that, by May of 2025, three-fourths of their Advanced Placement courses will offer digital exams. Sixten exams – including AP English Language and Composition, AP U.S. History, and AP African American Studies –  will be fully digital and offer no paper-based option; an additional twelve exams – including AP Biology, AP Calculus and Statistics, and AP Microeconomics – will be offered in a hybrid format, with paper components embedded for free-response writing and graphing. The remaining twelve exams, which may have audio or portfolio components, will remain unchanged.

Takeaways:

The College Board has been planning for an eventual platform change for its Advanced Placement programs, but the timeline for the shift to digital was due, at least in part, to “the continued security” of exams. Last month’s spate of international AP test leaks has led to an increase of score cancellations – and, for some, an erosion of trust in the process. The College Board’s announcement highlighted the fact that a switch to digital will help the company “preserve the integrity of the AP Exam experience for students and educators.”

AP Tests Will Be Digital by 2025 (InsideHigher Ed) – 7/29/24

AP African American Studies Will be Funded in Georgia

After denying state funding for the AP African American studies course just last week, Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods has since reversed his position. As of Monday, July 29, the course will now be funded – with the caveat that districts will need to use a special course code that has an embedded option to “teach all or part of the AP African American Studies content, should (specific districts) choose.” Some supporters of the course have expressed concern that the elasticity provided by the special course code might put up barriers for students who plan to factor the course into their GPA with an AP boost; nonetheless, this past week’s events offer relief for the students planning to take AP African American Studies this fall and add continued legitimacy to a course that has fallen under scrutiny.

Takeaways:

Superintendent Woods offered an apology to constituents for confusing messaging (rather than a true position reversal), citing that he was previously uncertain of whether funding the course could violate Georgia state law. It is worth noting, however, that Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) sent a letter to Woods the same day the superintendent had originally pulled funding from the course. The letter strongly requested answers to a variety of questions surrounding the defunding, including a request for “specific reasoning” behind “the decision not to recommend the course.” Although no disapproval was explicitly stated, it can be clearly inferred that the Governor’s office did not agree with the initial decision. Georgia flip-flops on AP African American studies course (HigherEd Dive) – 7/29/24