Chinese Students in the U.S. Targeted by State Department
This week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ratcheted up attacks on international students, promising to “aggressively” target Chinese college students, hindering visa applications and revoking student visas of current students in the U.S. In the Trump administration’s crosshairs are any students with alleged “connections to the Chinese Communist Party.” Also under scrutiny are those studying in “critical fields,” a term that is kept open-ended – willfully so, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce who claims that providing a strict definition to what the administration wants to control “might give up our hand and make certain things less effective.”
Takeaways:
Chinese students represent among the largest share of international students in the U.S., with 280,000 individuals currently enrolled. Aside from a potential reputational risk and brain drain – not to mention the negative impact on the students themselves – losing a significant portion of these individuals would be an immediate blow to the U.S. economy, with international students bringing in roughly $44 Billion in revenue per year.
As American leadership ramps up nativist rhetoric, global universities are working to court those who could be affected by the State Department’s anti-China policies – or those who choose not to take the risk posed by studying in the U.S. Japan’s Tokyo University, Kyoto University, and Osaka University are offering a combination of tuition fee waivers, research grants, and travel help to students and researchers at U.S. colleges and universities. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau has called on its universities to accommodate students affected by any forthcoming bans. Hong Kong’s University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has consequently offered an open invitation to international students currently attending – or recently admitted to – Harvard: “The university will provide unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to facilitate a seamless transition for interested students.”
Attacks on Chinese Students Could Wreak Havoc on Higher Ed (Inside Higher Ed) – 5/30/25
Federal Judge Delivers Harvard a Tenuous Win
Last Thursday, a Boston federal judge vowed to block the Trump Administration’s plan to remove Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which aims to prevent the university from being able to enroll international students – and jeopardize the status of current students who are not from the United States. While Harvard is still at risk for what one of its professors calls an “extinction level event,” this latest development represents a victory – at least for now – for Harvard in its ongoing clash with the Trump administration.
Takeaways:
Directly following the May 22nd offensive by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Harvard sued the Trump administration and filed a restraining order to halt the government’s capacity to remove its ability to enroll international students, calling the move “without process or cause.” Not only would losing the ability to enroll foreign students have a significant impact on Harvard’s community – with over a quarter of its students from outside the U.S. – it would be financially disastrous for the institution as, although Harvard is need-blind regardless of country of origin, many international students pay a larger share of education costs. Many other higher education institutions are looking to Harvard, tensely awaiting more clarity. How effective Harvard is in challenging a Presidential administration that holds animus towards universities will determine the policies – and, perhaps, fate – of many other U.S. schools.
Judge Will Block Trump From Barring Foreign Students at Harvard, For Now (NY Times) – 5/29/25
SAT Returning to Egypt After Five Years
On May 14, 2025, the Egyptian Ministry of Education and Technical Education and the U.S. educational organization College Board reached an agreement to reinstate SAT testing for students in Egypt. Those wanting to sit for the test will be able to do so as early as June 7th. According to a press release by the U.S. Embassy, “By restoring access to this vital academic credential, both nations are helping Egyptian students pursue their educational goals and expand their opportunities on the global stage.”
Takeaways:
This will be the first time in almost five years that students in Egypt will have access to the SAT – and the first time ever that they will be able to complete a digital version of the test. The College Board had previously banned SAT testing in Egypt in September 2020 after “recurring test security incidents in the region, which have led to repeated test administration cancellations, score holds, and score cancellations.” Although students who plan to study in the U.S. will still need to navigate the uncertainty of an ever-evolving policy toward international students, access to the SAT represents a significant win for global-minded students and stakeholders in Egypt.
SAT Testing Resumes in Egypt (U.S. Embassy Cairo) – 5/29/25
U.S. State Department Not Conducting Interviews for New Student Visas
The State Department is – for the time being – not conducting application interviews for non-U.S. citizens seeking student and exchange visas. This move comes after an order issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which mandated the pause in new interview appointments while the department conducts “a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants.” This pause seems to thus be tied to the bolstered social media screening the State Department promised in late March. There is currently no timetable for the resolution of the pause; however, it has not affected interviews that had already been scheduled or visas that had already been granted.
Takeaways:
The halting of student visa interviews is a foreboding development for all with ties to higher ed – and downright disastrous for some. Business school applications, for example, have especially tight timelines, and international MBA candidates who might be working to sell property or coordinate childcare or with a spouse’s employment are now stuck in limbo. Graduate business education publication Poets & Quants has advised applicants that “the best use of time is quiet, precise preparation:” “Assemble a complete document packet now…so you can hit “submit” within minutes when slots finally reappear.” This is shrewd guidance for all visa seekers right now. As greater scrutiny over applicants’ social media seems to be the catalyst for the interview halt, it is also imperative that applicants be mindful of their social media footprint. IvyWise Admissions Consulting suggests that students “go through their social media accounts…to make sure that they are presenting themselves in the best possible light.” International College Counselors founder Mandee Heller Adler advises that “an easy way for kids to protect themselves” is to “delete any political posts.” Although the State Department is especially focused on social media posts related to the war in Gaza, immigration attorney Mahsa Khanbabai warns that students should be careful posting about anything directly opposed by the Trump administration, including topics such as climate change and reproductive rights. In auditing or pruning their digital footprint, applicants should be aware that posts on most social media platforms are archived and posts can be accessed even after being deleted.
State Department Halts Interviews for Student and Exchange Visas (NYTimes) – 5/27/25
The Benefits of International Students for the U.S. are Significant & Far-Reaching
In the wake of rising anti-global U.S. policy, it is important to look at the significance that international students represent for not only American colleges and universities but for the country as a whole.
- There are currently 1.1 million international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions.
- These students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year.
- These same students supported over 378,000 jobs.
- International students represent a significant percentage of the student body at numerous top-tier U.S. schools.
- Higher Ed institutions recruit the brightest and most accomplished international talent, and that talent, in turn, bolsters the reputation of the U.S. higher education system – as well as numerous professional fields, including STEM and Business
- At business schools, international students can represent 30%-60% of a class; without these individuals, the United States “stand(s) to lose enrollment, revenue, and diversity of thought and experience.”
- Nearly 25% of U.S. startups worth over $1 billion were founded by international students.
- Director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Fanta Aw, regards an global student community as mission critical: “We cannot afford to lose international students’ meaningful positive impact on American students’ global competence, our economies, and our communities, particularly in the areas of STEM-related research and innovation.”
Takeaways:
Higher education in America is at an inflection point. The nation’s talent pool, academic reputation, and the financial solvency of colleges and universities are at risk for, perhaps, generations. What can we do about it? In a recent editorial, graduate business education publication Poets & Quants put forward its suggestions: “Universities must go beyond legal challenges and speak forcefully in defense of their international students. They need to reassure students that they are valued, protected, and welcomed. Employers must raise their voices too—because without global talent, our innovation engine slows, our competitiveness weakens, and our diversity wither. Employers must speak out about the irreplaceable role international graduates play in their success. Policymakers must reaffirm, in deed not just word, that the United States is still a place where talent is welcome and rewarded.”
Trump’s Attack On Harvard’s Foreign Students Will Haunt U.S. Higher Education For Years (Poets & Quants) – 5/24/25
By the numbers: A look at international students at Harvard and across the U.S. (NPR) – 5/24/25
These Are the U.S. Universities Most Dependent on International Students (NY Times) – 5/23/25
Trump Moves to Block International Students at Harvard
Citing alleged “pro-terrorist conduct” in a May 22 press release, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has moved to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. If the DHS is successful in this bid, Harvard will no longer be able to enroll new international students. Additionally, current international students will need to transfer to another institution or lose legal status in the United States. Harvard’s 6,800 international students – hailing from over 140 countries – represent approximately 27 percent of the university’s student body.
Takeaways:
Whether the Trump Administration will be able to succeed in stripping Harvard of its SEVP status remains to be seen. A university spokesperson has called the White House’s move “unlawful” and the institution plans to fight the attempt in any way it can. In the meantime, those in the Harvard community – as well as students and stakeholders around the globe – hold their breaths waiting for clarity. Harvard rising junior Karl Molden expressed the frustration shared by many: “There are so many students from all over the world who came to Harvard to make it a better place and to change America and change their home countries for the better…Now it’s all at risk of falling apart, which is breaking my heart.”
Trump Administration Says It Is Halting Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students (NY Times) – 5/22/25
2025/26 SAT Registration Now Available
The College Board has opened registration for its upcoming SAT test dates for a full year. Students are currently able to sign up for the following testing administrations:
- August 23, 2025
- September 13, 2025
- October 4, 2025
- November 8, 2025
- December 6, 2025
- March 14, 2026
- May 2, 2026
- June 6, 2026
Notably, a September test date will be open to students for the first time.
Takeaways:
We recommend that families use this opportunity to proactively register as soon as possible, as slots can fill up quickly – even for dates that are several months away. Conversely, the ACT currently only has two upcoming test dates open for registration – June and July 2025.
Register for the SAT (College Board Official Site) – May 2025
College Board Updates Calculator Policy, Banning Devices With CAS Functionality
The College Board has revised its calculator policy for students taking the SAT. All calculators with Computer Algebra System (CAS) functionality – including the popular TI-Nspire CAS and TI-Nspire CX II CAS – will be prohibited in testing rooms. Additionally, on the official SAT calculator policy page, students are instructed to remove programs that have “algebra functionality,” described as ability to solve equations, expand algebraic expressions, and factor algebraic expressions. The new policy goes into effect for the August 23 Weekend SAT administration and in October for school day testing for the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 8/9.
Takeaways:
Although the College Board (CB) has been advising students to rely on the DESMOS calculator that is integrated into the SAT Bluebook platform, this change in policy is unexpected. Moreover, communication from the CB around the policy shift has been less than ideal. The company released no statement in its newsroom to document the update, and, while the mobile page clearly states that the policy doesn’t go into effect until August, the desktop site only recently added a similar disclaimer, leading to concern over whether students would need to adjust for the June 7th SAT. Further information on the policy page is contradictory, calling the new policy a “clarification” rather than a “change,” while also noting that some devices that were previously allowed are now banned – without specifically naming them. In fact, whereas the previous posted policy had a clear list of calculators that were allowed, the new one only mentions prohibited calculators, creating the potential for doubt over whether a student’s device will be accepted on test day.
SAT Calculator Policy (College Board Official Site) – May 2025
AP Psychology Exam Delayed Due to Digital Platform Issue
Thousands of AP Psychology students encountered a widespread login glitch during Friday’s exam. Many testers logging in at or after 11:30am Eastern Time – 30 minutes before start time – were unable to access the exam. This issue was not resolved until 1:45pm Eastern, leading to a two-hour delay in administration. Affected students were given the option to complete the test at the later start time (where possible) or attend a free make-up exam the week of May 19th.
Takeaways:
The AP Psych glitch represents the latest high-profile technical issue for College Board after a troubled digital AP rollout and, most recently, a global Bluebook platform malfunction that caused numerous SAT testers’ exams to be automatically submitted early during the March 2024 administration. With the College Board transitioning the majority of its AP tests to a digital format, stakeholders are left with unanswered questions about the future stability of computer-based testing. Some, like Macro Learning founder John Moscatiello, consider this latest setback “inexcusable.” According to Moscatiello, “(The College Board has) had years to get this system right, and they have failed once again to deliver on their ambitious agenda.”
Glitches During AP Psych Exam Raise Questions About The Reliability Of Digital Assessments (Forbes) – 5/17/25
Recent International Graduates Could Face Deportation
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents sent communication to at least dozens of recent international graduates that included a stern ultimatum: the former students must report proven employment to ICE within 15 days or lose their legal status and face deportation. The recipients of this warning are students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) visas, a program that provides a short-term extension for individuals with sought-after STEM specialties to work in their relevant field. These students are allowed no more than 90 days of unemployment within a 12 month period or they lose this special status and, in turn, could face a revocation of legal residency.
Takeaways:
Although the Trump Administration recently reinstated the visa status of thousands of international students whose legal residency had been rescinded, this latest communication is a concerning signal that the administration is – once again – reversing course. Historically, a percentage of students on OPT visas do not officially report employment details within the 90-day period due to either lapses on their end or technical issues on the side of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS). Usually, students are given an additional grace period and will not be subject to status termination. An international student advisor, who insisted on anonymity when speaking with Inside Higher Ed, fears that “this is the real deal.” “There’s a lot of panic and uncertainty as our students are waiting to see what will happen, and we’re waiting to see if they’ll really go through with it.”
ICE Threatens OPT Visa Holders With Deportation (Inside Higher Ed)
House Advances Bill to Increase Endowment Tax on Universities
The House Committee on Ways and Means has advanced a bill that aims to increase the tax on endowments for the wealthiest universities in the U.S by up to 15 times the current rate. Whereas the endowment tax on colleges and universities is currently capped at 1.4 percent, the new bill, which – in official (incendiary) language – vows to “Hold Woke Elites Accountable,” will created a tiered system based on endowment per student.
If passed, the wealthiest universities would pay the same tax rate as for-profit corporations. Religious institutions would be exempted from this increase, while those with higher international populations could be pushed into higher tiers. The bill will need both House and Senate approval before becoming law.
Takeaways:
Opponents of the bill fear that the increase of endowment taxes could “divert resources away from school missions,” negatively affecting traditional endowment beneficiaries such as student financial aid (48.1 percent of FY 2024 endowments), academic programs and research (17.7 percent of FY 2024 endowments), and faculty positions (10.8 percent of FY 2024 endowments). Steven Bloom, assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, calls the bill a “scholarship tax,” arguing that it “will be incredibly detrimental” to institutions’ ability to provide robust student aid. Others express concern that an endowment tax increase could “reshape” the relationship between the U.S. government and theoretically neutral non-profit higher education institutions.
House panel advances bill to raise college endowment tax up to 21% (Higher Ed Dive) – 5/14/25
Harvard to Commit $250 Million in Funding to Support Frozen Research Grants
Harvard University has announced that it will commit $250 million of its own capital to bolster its research. This move comes days after Education Secretary Linda McMahon informed Harvard that the United States will no longer award research grants to the university. The majority of these grants fund research in the medical sciences, and Harvard released a statement arguing that the Trump administrations’ cuts will result in “stopping lifesaving research.”
Takeaways:
Harvard’s announcement is the latest chapter in the feud between the university and the federal government, which started with Trump Administration claims that Harvard did not do enough to curb antisemitism on campus in the wake of the war in Gaza – and has resulted in the university suing the federal government over alleged unconstitutional curtailment of academic freedom. Although Harvard claims it “cannot absorb the entire cost” of funding the grants, the university has shifted its policies to save as many as is possible: Havard has instituted a hiring freeze, Harvard president Alan Garber has taken a temporary 25 percent pay cut, and school officials have been working with researchers to find alternate channels of funding.
Harvard University puts up $250 million to shore up research hit by Trump freeze on grants (Reuters) – 5/14/25
Enhanced ACT Analysis: Key Takeaways
Additional Enhanced ACT practice material has been released over the past few months, and, although there are still questions and discrepancies from the ACT’s initial announcement, we have a marginally better idea of what to expect from this new ACT paradigm. Although not much new information has surfaced since we did our most recent deep dive on the new test, standardized test specialists Mathchops analyzed the math section of the latest practice test and has uncovered some important data surrounding the updates platform and content.
Takeaways:
- All questions from the practice test are recycled from previously administered paper-based ACTs; old tests will thus continue to be useful for practice even if the format of some questions continues to evolve.
- 13 questions were pulled from the historically most difficult last 15 questions of paper tests; 20 questions were pulled from the medium difficulty middle 30 questions; the remaining 12 questions were pulled from the easiest first 15 paper-based questions.
- 4 questions out of the 45 are “field test items,” experimental questions that are unscored.
- The percentage of “Preparing for Higher Math” questions has been increased from 57-60 percent to 80 percent; topics in this domain include Algebra, Functions, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Statistics.
- The share of Pre-Algebra and Basic Algebra questions as well as Area and Volume questions has been decreased, while the percentage of Quadratics, Polynomials, Trigonometry, and Probability questions have increased.
- Scoring curves are, as of now, unpredictable, with greater variation at the high end of the test.
- DESMOS is still not available on the practice platform – but is purported to be for official tests.
It is worth noting here that there have been many disconnects in the rollout of ACT practice materials – as striking as including outdated incorrect answer sheets as part of the latest Official ACT Prep Guide. Thus, it is quite plausible that the practice version of the test may differ in key ways from forthcoming official tests.
Enhanced ACT Math Scouting Report (Mathchops Substack) – 5/6/25
Significant Layoff of Researchers at Columbia University
After the Trump Administration pulled $400 million dollars in funding from the institution, Columbia University announced this week that it has laid off roughly 20% of the workforce that was supported by the nixed grants. Approximately 180 researchers were terminated; additionally, the University plans to scale back on research in some departments. It remains to be seen whether more layoffs are coming.
Takeaways:
After absorbing the initial cut to its federal funding, Columbia swiftly agreed to the White House’s demands, ceding control over some disciplinary, hiring, and curriculum decisions. This compliance, however, was not enough to save jobs and research. Some of the work that was cut due to layoffs and rollbacks include studies on mortality in pregnant women, treatments for long COVID, new approaches to cancer screenings, and care for newborns with symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
Columbia University lays off nearly 180 after Trump pulled $400M over his antisemitism concerns (Associated Press) – 5/6/25
Evolving Test Requirements // ACT’s New Format Underwhelms in Soft Launch
As part of the Independent Education Consultant Association (IECA) annual conference last month in Detroit, representatives from four leading education companies – Drew Helipern of Summit Educational Group, Matty Steiner of Compass Education Group, Jed Applerouth of Applerouth Tutoring Services, and Megan Stubbendeck of ArborBridge Tutoring – delivered a joint presentation, which discussed some key changes to standardized testing requirements and provided an analysis of the troubled rollout of the Enhanced ACT.
Compass Education conducted an overview of standardized test policies across key institutions. While only 7.2 percent of the 400+ schools tracked require SAT or ACT test scores for admissions, the thirty schools that do so include some of the most well-regarded higher ed institutions – including six of the eight Ivies, a handful of additional highly selective schools, top-ranked state schools, and most of the major military academies.
At certain colleges that remain test-optional, there have been significant language shifts in the posted admissions policies for the upcoming academic year: students are advised to include test scores with their application even if not specifically required. Rice University released an announcement that states the institution has “long held that testing provides meaningful insights into how well a student will perform in a Rice undergraduate curriculum…we are therefore moving to recommend that students submit the testing they feel will showcase their strengths.” Rice, nonetheless, still considers itself a test-optional institution. Purdue on the other hand refers to itself as “test-expected” — as 92.9 percent of applicants who were admitted to the institution provided test scores. Joining the already crowded field of differentiated standardized test policies is, thus, the designation of “test-recommended” schools: institutions that only admit a small percentage of students who do not submit official test scores.
Complicating the evolution of testing requirements at U.S. colleges is the uncertainty surrounding the new incarnation of the ACT. The long-awaited Enhanced test debuted with a relative thud. Besides a clunky user interface (disappearing highlights, missing DESMOS calculator, and screen resolution that is incompatible with some devices) which falls very short of the bar set by CollegeBoard’s Bluebook, the non-adaptive format of the Enhanced ACT actually lead to a generally more difficult test for students. In order to be able to better differentiate student scores, a greater share of easier questions were excised from the test. This not only led to a more difficult point of entry for students, it undermined one of the key improvements touted by the ACT: the promise to students of more time per question. While test takers found more manageable pace for the Reading and Science sections, the English and Math sections were reported to be just as challenging in terms of time management. Additionally, with fewer questions, including a greater share of zero-point experimental questions, the Enhanced ACT’s scoring scale is less predictable than its paper-and-pencil counterpart, in some cases causing one wrong answer to lead to a student dropping more than one scaled point.
Takeaways:
With further studies emerging about the predictive efficacy of standardized tests, as well as growing political pressures surrounding testing, it comes as no surprise that many U.S. institutions are positioning back toward the SAT and ACT. While test-optional policies provide certain schools with greater latitude in admissions decisions, at elite colleges and universities, a growing percentage of students who are accepted submit standardized test scores during the application process – in turn, narrowing the share of students who enroll without test scores. In the coming months, we therefore expect to see more institutions adjusting the language in their policies to – explicitly or implicitly – favor testing.
As for the enhanced ACT, the findings put forward by Summit, Compass, Applerouth, ArborBridge align with our own. Throughout the rollout process of the Enhanced test, communication from the ACT has been less than optimal: deadlines have been missed and key promises remain unfulfilled. Furthermore, the Enhanced ACT product – in its current form – is without reliable consistency in its scaling – raising even more questions than in the test’s current incarnations. We are, thus, in collective agreement and advise students to be wary of the new ACT for now. As concluded by this group of experts, “there is no current advantage in taking the ACT in digital format.” Students who have committed to the ACT – and are scoring at a significant advantage on this test – should stick with the paper-and-pencil version. All others should focus on the more reliable path presented by the SAT.
Admissions Testing in the Digital Era (Summit/Compass/Applerouth/ArborBridge) – 5/5/25
President Trump Threatens to Rescind Harvard’s Tax-Exempt Status
The Trump administration has announced that it will no longer consider Harvard University a tax-exempt institution, escalating a months-long feud between the school and the federal government. The announcement was made with characteristic directness from the president via a post on Trump Media & Technology Group-owned social media platform Truth Social: “We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” No further elaboration was provided.
Takeaways:
Whether President Trump has the authority to make such a unilateral move remains unclear. Previous similar threats from Trump were tempered by the White House, citing that the IRS operates independently from the President. Moreover, Harvard has characterized the President’s stated intentions as unlawful. “There is no legal basis to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status.” Attempting to weaponize the IRS against the school, according to a university statement, “would have grave consequences for the future of higher education in America.”
Trump says Harvard University’s tax-exempt status will be revoked (Reuters) – 5/2/25
California May Change Course on “Next Gen” Bar Exam
California’s State Supreme Court is currently reviewing a petition by the State Bar of California that would re-enshrine the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) as the official bar exam for the state. In February of this year, California had shifted to a state-specific test, the “NextGen” bar. The pilot of the test had “significant” technical issues including missing functionality and users being unable to start the test. In addition, users received conflicting information in the lead-up to the test date and some complained about the quality of the test’s proprietary questions. The California Bar’s petition has been signed by deans from 14 of the 17 ABA-accredited law schools and aims to both revert back to the MBE for July’s testing date and to mandate that all multiple-choice questions from February be released for public review.
Takeaways:
Designed by test prep giant, Kaplan, California’s NextGen bar is a fully remote test, which promised convenience for test takers and nearly $4 million in savings for the state. It is now projected that, in order to fix the issues surrounding February’s rollout, California will need to spend an additional $2.3 million. The Court has already ordered that the July exam be administered in-person only. As of this writing, Kaplan has yet to issue a press release or blog post addressing the backlash against the new test.
California considers scrapping revamped bar exam after botched test rollout (Reuters) – 4/30/25
Harvard Adds “Backup Plan” for International Students
In the wake of the uncertainty brought about by President Trump’s chaotic first 100 days in office, Harvard College has announced that international applicants will be allowed to accept an admissions offer from a non-U.S. institution in addition to the admissions offer from Harvard. This contingency provides international applicants a “backup plan” in the eventuality that they are not approved for a student visa – or if that visa is later revoked. Harvard is not offering a similar discretionary acceptance at other U.S. institutions “because the situation at Harvard might be replicated at other American universities.”
Takeaways:
The Trump administration has waged a multi-front war on higher education, and one of the main targets are students that may be deemed “hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.” This definition is, some would say intentionally, open-ended. A number of international students have currently accepted a spot at Harvard for the fall semester, but their status remains in limbo. The Harvard admissions team affirms that it is “doing everything possible to enroll the students we have admitted.”
As Trump Targets Student Visas, Harvard Allows International Admits To Accept Offers From Foreign Universities (Harvard Crimson) – 4/28/25
The Fate of Student Visas in Limbo, Temporary Stay Granted
On April 25th, The U.S. Justice Department announced that it has or will restore the legal status of over 1,500 international students whose visas were suddenly cancelled over the past several weeks. These cancellations had been sweeping and without warning and had no correlation with student wrongdoing, affecting many students who were in good academic standing and/or about to graduate. Although these students will enjoy temporary relief, the Department of Homeland Security maintains that it has “not reversed course on a single visa revocation.”
Takeaways:
The continued doubt surrounding the future of student visa status in the U.S. has sowed extreme wariness among both current and prospective incoming international students. According to Elora Mukherjee, the director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School, “terminations in recent weeks have created a sense of deep, deep unsettlement, deep fear across many international students, regardless of whether they’ve been personally affected…Right now, the United States attracts the best and brightest, most talented minds from around the world, and our country will lose out if there is deep uncertainty about whether international students can finish their programs here.”
U.S. restores legal status for many students, but the threat may still drive away top talent (npr) –
SAT/ACT Scores Outperform HS GPA in Predicting College Performance
A team at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) probed admissions and transcript records for students at a select group of Ivy-Plus institutions to evaluate the association between SAT/ACT test scores, high school GPA, and first-year college grades. The study found that standardized test scores predict first-year academic outcomes with four times greater accuracy than high school GPA. According to the working paper, “these results suggest that standardized test scores provide important information to measure applicants’ academic preparation that is not available elsewhere in the application file.”
Takeaways:
This paper adds the caveat that the positive predictive power of standardized tests is not universal: a 2020 study showed that GPA was a better predictor that ACT scores for 6-year college graduation rates of Chicago Public School students and research yielded differing conclusions in what better projected success at the University of California system. When it comes to more selective college settings, however, SAT and ACT scores far outcompete high school GPA in forecasting first-year academics. Standardized tests balance for grade inflation and attendance record, which can both have GPA impact, and these tests have no “calibration bias,” in that students from varied backgrounds who score the same tend to have similar levels of college success.
Standardized Test Scores and Academic Performance at Ivy-Plus Colleges [PDF] (NBER Working Paper Series) – Draft: 3/14/25
Enhanced ACT Uncertainty – Questions Remain Surrounding Science Scores
On the heels of the Enhanced ACT Pilot, several universities have announced their updated policies concerning the ACT science score – and not every institution is on the same page. Among the changes announced by the ACT as part of the rollout for the digital version of the test is that the Science section, one of the four subsections that contribute to the test’s composite score, will become optional. Starting with this latest April administration, Saturday-testing students were given the option to take the now-standard ACT test (English, Math, and Reading) and receive a composite score or add on the optional Science or Writing sections and receive either additional “STEM” or “ELA” scores. “School-day” testers currently still only have access to the four-section test (and optional Writing add-on) but increased choice will be extended to students testing through state and district programs in Spring of 2026.
While several universities – including Stanford and Brown – have released admissions policies, which state that the ACT Science section will indeed be optional for admissions, Boston University has outlined a policy that requires those submitting ACT scores to include scores for a Science section. Although BU remains a test-optional (albeit test-recommended) institution, automatically calculates a Superscore for students submitting multiple tests, and allows students to choose which scores to submit through ScoreChoice, it “will only accept ACT scores which include the Science subsection.” The fact that Boston University has broken from the official policy of the ACT may be a signal of some growing doubt over the scoring system for the test, about which the ACT has been historically opaque.
More AP Tests Transition to a Digital Format
Beginning in May, the Advanced Placement will fully transition exams to a digital format for 28 or 36 of its courses. These exams will move onto the Bluebook testing environment, which currently hosts the SAT, the PSAT, and AP exams for a handful of its courses. Tests will either be fully digital or hybrid digital – with a mix of online multiple choice and written free response questions – depending on the subject matter.
Takeaways:
The College Board will be facing scrutiny during this format switch in light of difficult rollout of previous AP exams. On top of the technical difficulties and test takers have faced, instances of alleged cheating caused a larger share than usual of student scores to be cancelled. Adding to that, stakeholders have raised concerns over the scoring integrity of AP exams after the College Board retooled the scoring system in 2024.
Majority of AP Tests to Be Delivered Online (Inside HigherEd) – 4/25/25
New Trump Executive Orders for K-12 and Higher Ed Cause for Some Concern
Last month, President Trump signed a spate of executive orders targeting both K-12 and higher education in the United States. Executive orders #14277-14284 aim to end “discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-based standards,” ensure greater “transparency regarding foreign influence at American universities,” and “overhaul” the college accreditation process. Additional goals include a greater focus on AI in K-12 education, new K-12 disciplinary standards, expanded workforce training, and establishing a Department of Education board to support HBCUs.
Takeaways:
With some of these new executive orders, the Trump administration is seeking to gain additional leverage in its public battle to shape ideology in higher education. If the administration can threaten to demonize universities’ connections to foreign governments and to gain more control over the university accreditation process, it will be, in theory, able to exert more direct influence over higher education institutions. According to Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, “(President Trump) is weaponizing the accreditation process…(his) goal is to manipulate accreditors in order to force colleges and universities to do his bidding and punish them when they resist.”
Trump signs executive actions on education, including efforts to rein in DEI (npr) – 4/24/25
Caltech Institutes AP/IB Exam Requirements
As part of its new academic requirements for undergraduate applicants, California Institute of Technology now mandates that students who take AP or IB courses must also submit AP or IB exam scores for each of those subjects. For any student who attends a high school that does not offer AP or IB curriculum, they can, instead, display their proficiency with requisite STEM subjects by completing a certification through Schoolhouse.
Takeaways:
Caltech’s new policies are a shake-up for hopeful students currently enrolled in – or looking ahead to – AP and IB programs. As Summit Prep argues, an AP/IB test-required policy may have a long-term effect of de-incentivizing students from overburdening themselves with varied AP or IB classes intended to raise their weighted GPA. If students will be required to submit test scores in subjects they haven’t mastered, the benefits of a bolstered GPA could be outweighed by potential lack of testing success. In the short term, however, students with their eye on Caltech will have added pressure to perform on yet another metric.
Caltech Becomes First-Ever AP Exam Score Required College (Summit Prep) – 3/5/2025
Written by
Zachary Adler
Since 2010, Zach has been helping students achieve their college readiness goals, specializing in all sections of the SAT, ACT, PSAT, and SHSAT. Prior to joining Onsen, Zach worked for a global investment firm, as well as in various roles in the education space. He has served as a youth mentor and has run college readiness information sessions for students in under-resourced communities. Additionally, Zach is a writer and filmmaker. He is an International Baccalaureate scholar and a graduate of Boston University.