November News: Princeton Restores Tests • Harvard Alters Interview • Trump Compact Falters • Intl Enrollment Uneven

Beyond Test-Optional: Decoding the Next Era of College Admissions

Five years after the height of COVID-19, standardized testing policies remain unsettled. While many institutions have maintained test-optional admissions, a growing number—including most Ivy League and top-50 universities—are reinstating SAT or ACT requirements. Our latest blog breaks down where leading colleges currently stand, what “test-optional” truly means in practice, and how new developments like the Enhanced ACT and the rise of the Classical Learning Test (CLT) could reshape admissions policy in the years ahead.

Read the full post to stay up to date on the shifting landscape of standardized testing and college admissions.

Opinion: Colleges Should Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Access

David Blobaum, co-owner/co-founder of Summit Prep and the Director of Outreach for the National Test Prep Association, argues that colleges prioritize access over outcomes – and that test-optional admissions policies exacerbate this issue. In Opportunity Insights’ watershed 2024 report, SAT scores were shown to be 290% more predictive of a student’s success at an Ivy League or Ivy-Plus colleges than GPAs. Moreover, test scores were found to carry even further predictive weight among students in rigorous programs. Such students who come in with higher SAT scores are more likely to graduate in less time. Furthermore, those with higher SAT scores enrolled in STEM programs (which lead, on average, to significantly higher earning potential for their graduates) have a much better chance of completing those programs. Yet, the majority of U.S. colleges and universities remain test-optional, with admissions departments choosing to utilize less information in making their admission decisions. 

Takeaways:

Test-optional admissions can be attractive to students who struggle with standardized testing. By enticing more students to apply with these policies, according to Mr. Blobaum, colleges and universities can, in turn, reject more students and boost their selectivity metrics and “stay competitive with other” institutions. “There would be a competitive disadvantage that would be especially true of recruited student-athletes,” said former University of Virginia president Jim Ryan of the reluctance to return to test-required admissions. The quest for diversity (or at least diversity-forward admissions numbers), Mr. Blobaum argues, is another major driver for test-optional policies to stay in place. That said, if institutions are not adequately preparing a diverse student body for success, these numbers carry significantly less weight. As Mr. Blobaum concludes in his article, “The point of college is not to get in. The point is to graduate and succeed. Students are set up for success at a college when they are vetted by the data to succeed there.”

Change the Game and the Name of ‘College Admissions’ (RealClear Education) – 10/30/25

New College of Florida “Honored” to Sign Trump’s Higher Education Compact

In a news release yesterday, New College of Florida officials announced that the school “will happily be the first college in America to formally embrace and sign President Trump’s vision for higher education.” The White House’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” requires institutions to adhere to federally-dictated policy in exchange for funding advantages. New College president and author of Storming the Ivory Tower: How a Florida College Became Ground Zero in the Struggle to Take Back Our Campuses Richard Corcoran signaled his personal commitment to the compact stating, “we have no affirmative action or DEI, and we have been building a campus where open dialogue and the marketplace of ideas are at the forefront of everything we do.” So far, a dozen other colleges and universities have rejected President Trump’s plan, with no other schools formally committing to it.

Takeaways:

New College’s position on President Trump’s proposal engenders little surprise. The school has already been adhering to the vast majority of the agreement’s restrictions for the past two years. Formerly an autonomous institution that boasted the highest percentage of Fulbright scholars, New College was the subject of a highly-publicized takeover by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in 2023. Board members were replaced with far-right ideologues, such as Christopher F. Rufo; academic programs, such as gender studies, were disbanded; and LGTBQIA+ and race-related books were suddenly removed from the college library. Though some celebrated the end of so-called, “woke indoctrination,” the institution has since suffered financial inefficiency and a drop in rankings.  

New College ‘First in Line’ to Sign Trump’s Higher Ed Compact (Inside Higher Ed) – 10/28/25

Harvard Bans the Use of Race-Conscious Language in the Interview Process

Harvard has made a notable change to its admissions policy: the school has officially barred alumni interviewers from making any mention of a candidate’s race, ethnicity, or national origin in their written evaluations. Additionally, any inclusion of specific details about a candidate’s religious practices, identity-adjacent extracurriculars such as Black Student Union, or Hillel House, or even which languages they speak, could result in the evaluations being thrown out. All discarded interviews will trigger a second evaluation. Interviewers have also been instructed to use intentionally vague descriptors when it is necessary to discuss identity-based characteristics or actions of a Harvard hopeful. More specifically, they can write that a student immigrated from another country or speaks a language at home and use terms like “affinity groups” or “faith events.” Certain words have been banned as well – “underrepresented,” “minority,” and “person of color” to name a few. Harvard delivered these updates as part of a training session to interviewers this week.

Takeaways:

This change is, of course, grounded in the 2023 Supreme court decision to ban race-conscious admissions but has been catalyzed by the recent pressure exerted by the Trump administration on Harvard and U.S. universities as a whole. Harvard’s associate director of admissions, Maeve U. Hoffstot (’17), who helped lead the interviewer training session contended that this policy change is part of continued compliance with law and “will help us continue to prove time and time again, as we are being asked to do these days…(in) not considering race, ethnicity, or national origin.” University of California, Berkeley law professor David B. Oppenheimer characterized Harvard’s new practice as damaging to underrepresented students and going significantly beyond what is required by law: “To put minority applicants at a disadvantage by not allowing alumni interviewers to put into context the volunteer work that students do, the extracurricular work that applicants do, the barriers that applicants may have overcome, the context in which the applicants have developed their viewpoints…is to seriously disadvantage students who are not white and male.”

Harvard Bans Alumni Interviewers From Writing About Applicants’ Race, Ethnicity, or National Origin (Harvard Crimson) – 10/27/25

ACT Names New CEO

The ACT organization has announced that current Board of Directors member Steve Tapp has been elevated to the position of CEO. Mr. Tapp has had 30 years in the education and assessment spaces, most recently serving as the CEO of Lifelong Learner Holdings for the past 15 years. During that time, he helped transition the brand from a small U.S.test-prep publisher into a global brand. ACT’s outgoing CEO Janet Goodwin, who led the company since May of 2020, will be transitioning into the role of special advisor to Mr. Tapp and the Board of Directors.

Takeaways:

The last several years have been tumultuous for the ACT, to say the least. The company partnered with private-equity firm Nexus Capital in 2024 as a means to “move into the next phase of ACT’s long-term growth strategy.” However, significant layoffs, loss of market share, and a haphazard rollout of the Enhanced ACT – most recently with a disastrous false start of the international version of the test – have led to an erosion of trust around the brand that had once seemed poised to win the standardized test arms race. It will be interesting to watch what shift in priorities this regime change will bring with it.

Assessment Industry Veteran Steve Tapp Named ACT CEO (PR Newswire) – 10/24/25

New Harvard Admissions Data Reveal Emerging Post–Affirmative Action Trends

According to the most recent admissions data released Thursday, Harvard College saw an increase of Asian American students and a decrease of Black and Hispanic students this fall. The share of Asian American students in this year’s incoming class was 41 percent, rising from 37 percent last year. Meanwhile, the share of Black and Hispanic students fell to 11.5 percent and 11 percent from 14 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Harvard did not release data about White students. 

Takeaways:

This demographic shift likely stems from the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ban on affirmative action, the ramifications of which are beginning to crystalize. Last year, such shifts were either subtle or non-existent among highly-selective institutions, so it will be important to follow year’s data as it is released to see if these trends extend beyond Harvard. Outside of admissions along racial lines, 21 percent of the Harvard class of 2029 are Pell-Grant eligible low-income students, and 45 percent of incoming Harvard freshman will attend tuition-free.

Asian American Students Increase at Harvard, as Black Students Decline (NY Times) – 10/23/25

UVA Reaches Agreement with White House On Admissions Practices

This week, the University of Virginia agreed to a deal with the White House to end civil rights investigations into the university. Federal scrutiny of the university began in April of this year, with the Trump administration accusing UVA of not ending diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. In exchange for the termination of these investigations, UVA will “not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in programs, admissions, hiring or other campus activities” and report quarterly to the Department of Justice through 2028 to ensure compliance. As part of the agreement, President Trump will need to personally approve and certify these reports. Unlike deals struck by schools like Columbia and Brown, UVA will not need to pay the federal government or pledge to relinquish any academic freedoms.

Takeaways:

University of Virginia has stood out as one of the few public universities (along with George Mason) in President Trump’s crosshairs. Beyond the civil rights investigations, pressure from the Department of Justice helped oust former UVA President James Ryan, a popular figure on campus who was a critic of some of President Trump’s policies and a champion of DEI. In a near-immediate change following this week’s agreement, UVA has removed the option for applicants for the future Class of 2030 to submit a supplemental essay asking about a piece of an applicants’ individual background that would serve as a strength for them at the University. This essay prompt could have, in theory, been flagged by the federal government to accuse the University of Virginia as continuing to engage in race-conscious admissions.

University of Virginia strikes deal with Trump administration to pause civil rights investigations (PBS News) – 10/22/25

England to Raise Maximum University Tuition Every Year – In Perpetuity

Bridget Phillipson, England’s education secretary, announced this week that university tuition in the country is projected to increase every year in line with inflation beginning in 2026. Tuition hikes have been confirmed for the next two years, and legislation is in place that would make annual increases automatic after that. Maintenance loans – national student financial aid programs – are set to increase in price, accordingly.

Takeaways:

Tuition fees for English universities are currently £9,535; this year’s rise of £285 was the first such increase in a decade. In 2026, this figure will increase by £400 if adjusted for current inflation rates. Education Secretary Phillipson promised, however, that “charging full fees will be conditional on high quality teaching,” with universities that fall below certain threshold metrics being unable to charge the new maximum. Proponents of the new legislation, such as Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern, lauded the move as a means to “help to halt the long-term erosion of universities’ financial sustainability, following a decade of fee freezes.” Amid this past year’s tuition hikes, English universities have announced over 12,000 job cuts. Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union denounced the government’s recent announcement, contending that it “doubled down on the disastrous tuition-fees funding model, which created the crisis the sector is currently facing.”

University tuition fees in England to rise with inflation every year from 2026 (BBC) – 10/20/25

Seven of Nine Major Universities Reject Higher Education Compact

With the response deadline fast approaching, seven colleges and universities – Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, University of Arizona, UPenn, USC, and University of Virginia – of the nine that were initially offered President Trump’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” have declined the invitation. Vanderbilt University has not expressly committed either way, but university leadership expressed deep reservations about the plan, citing potential liabilities to “free expression and independence.” While the University of Texas – Austin initially stated that it “enthusiastically look(s) forward to engaging with university officials,” the school has not publicly endorsed the compact.

Takeaways:

Academic autonomy and the enshrinement of free speech remain the key reasons higher education officials have expressed in opposing the compact. The condition that institutions pledge not to “punish, belittle and even spark violence against conservative ideas” sounds reasonable on paper, but could jeopardize the free exchange of ideas – especially when those “ideas” are vaguely defined. In her letter rejecting the compact, MIT President, Sally Kornbluth – the first school leader to make a decision – noted that “fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.” All declining schools have also since shared similar concerns. There are some terms of the compact, however, such as making sure to “avoid a dominant ideology” on campus and taking steps to curb grade inflation, that some schools have characterized as “deserv(ing) thoughtful consideration.”

The fact that no schools – even the initially eager UT-Austin – have agreed to the Trump Administration’s demands, points to the fact that the White House may have overstepped in, among other things, using such (characteristic) partisan language in the compact. White House Senior Adviser May Mailman, who co-signed the compact, attempted to do some damage control this week, reframing the compact as less of an ultimatum and more of a means for gathering information: “That’s exactly what we asked them for: We said that by today, we wanted to hear your feedback, not because we don’t care about it but because we do care about it.”

All but 2 Universities Decline a Trump Offer of Preferential Funding (NY Times) – 10/20/25

Growing Criticism of Trump Compact

Critics of President Trump’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” have provided ardent pushback to what many are calling a loyalty oath with inherent threats to academic freedom. Over 30 higher education associations, including NAFSA and the American Council on Education, signed a letter in opposition to the compact, which characterized the proposal as “threaten(ing) to undermine the very qualities that make our system exceptional.” It went on to accuse the White House of “federal overreach” in ceding “a university’s basic and necessary freedoms—the freedoms to decide who we teach, what we teach, and who teaches” to “government control.” California Governor Gavin Newsom – a regular harsh critic of the Trump administration – called the proposal “radical” and threatened to pull state funding from any California institution that signs it. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University stated that the compact “blatantly violates the First Amendment” by “conditioning benefits — including discretionary benefits to which a recipient has no right — on relinquishing or waiving their constitutional rights.”

Takeaways:

The “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” like many of the maneuvers in the Trump Administration’s self-described war on higher ed, has been conducted as a means to test the limit and extent of the administration’s power. In this case, the White House appears to have pushed beyond the point of its dominance. That said, the next disruption to higher education is, no doubt, just around the corner.

‘Nothing less than government control’: Higher ed responds to Trump’s compact (HigherEd Dive) – 10/20/25

STEAM in AI Intensive — Ethical, Hands-On AI Projects for College-Ready Impact

I met Shilpi Agarwal (Founder & CEO, DataEthics4All | STEAM in AI) at the IECA Annual Conference in Detroit. She was also recently invited by IECA’s Business Roundtable to present how students can showcase leadership, initiative, and impact through ethical AI projects. If you’d like her IECA Toolkit for advisors and the 2-hour “Build Your Own AI Agent” workshop recording, please reach out to her directly: [email protected].

The STEAM in AI Intensive is a mentor-led, project-based program where middle, high schoolers and college students design human-centered AI solutions—think AI agents for seniors, inclusive learning companions, and sustainability tools—while learning AI, ethics, design thinking, and entrepreneurship. Developed by faculty from Stanford and UC Berkeley, with mentors from MIT and OpenAI, the program blends technical skills with ethical decision-making and real-world problem solving.

Student takeaways:

• Standout essays backed by authentic, purpose-driven projects
• A portfolio demonstrating leadership, research, and design rigor
• Future-ready AI literacy (responsible use, bias checks, data ethics) and presentation skills

Visit STEAMinAI.org for details about the Program and deadlines for the next cohort!

Princeton to Once Again Require SAT/ACT Scores

In an October 9th statement, Princeton University announced that it would be resuming its Standardized test requirement for students. The university reported findings “that academic performance at Princeton was stronger for students who chose to submit test scores than for students who did not.” Beginning with students engaging with the 2027-28 admissions cycle, all applicants will need to submit SAT or ACT scores. Any students applying before this time will still have the option whether or not to submit test scores. In addition, active military personnel will be exempt from the standardized test requirement.

Takeaways:

This policy change marks the first time that Princeton has required standardized tests as part of its admissions process since 2020. Furthermore, this shift leaves Columbia University as the only remaining Ivy League institution to employ a test-optional admissions policy – a practice that the University contends will be permanent. 

This week there were a few other updates to admissions policies, with Auburn University announcing a return to requiring test scores beginning in 2027 and Brigham Young University recommitting to test-optional admissions – at least through 2028.

Standardized Testing Policy Beginning With 2027-28 Admission Cycle (Princeton University Website) – 10/9/25

Oxford University Named the Best in the World

The 2026 edition of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings has been released, and Oxford University has, once again, been named by the publication as the top higher education institution in the world. This is the tenth year in a row that Oxford University has received this superlative from the publication, and remains the institution that has most topped the list by far, with Harvard and Caltech being the only other schools to receive similar honors in the 21 years of annual rankings by Times Higher Education. In the 2026 edition of the rankings, MIT, Cambridge, and Princeton slotted behind Oxford, all tied for third place.

Takeaways:

Times Higher Education Oxford evaluated 2,191 universities from 115 different countries before eventually sifting Oxford to the top. The publication ranked specific metrics at Oxford – Teaching, Research Quality, and Industry – in the top 3rd percentile and awarded its Research Environment a perfect score of 100. Despite the limitations of University rankings, this award helps cement Oxford’s reputation as one of the best educational environments in the world. Oxford also was awarded #4 Global University in the latest U.S. News and World Report list – a publication predictably skewed toward U.S. audiences – behind Harvard, M.I.T. and Stanford.

Oxford named best university in the world for a record tenth consecutive year (University of Oxford) – 10/9/25

Trump to Universities: No Federal Funding Without Ideological Loyalty

This week, the White House revealed that it had sent a 10-page “compact” to nine top U.S. universities, including Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institutions would need to agree to this “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” in order to receive federal funding. As part of their compliance, these universities would be required to put in place a five-year tuition freeze, cap enrollment of international students, agree to strict definitions of gender, and work – up to and including by changing their governance – to ensure that no one on campus would “punish, belittle and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

Takeaways:

This is the Trump administration’s most reaching and widespread attempt to exert control over U.S. universities – and could be characterized, perhaps, as the most bald-faced in its partisanship. The President of the American Council on Education called the ultimatum, “the biggest waiver of institutional protections that I’ve ever seen.” White House Senior Adviser for Special Projects May Mailman, on the other hand, is hopeful that the “compact” will ultimately be extended to all U.S. universities. Kevin P. Eltife, the chairman of the University of Texas Board of Regents, characterized the University of Texas system, whose flagship, UT Austin issued a compact, as “honored… (to be) selected by the Trump administration for potential funding advantages.” “We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and reviewing the compact immediately.” All other institutions involved declined to comment.

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference (NY Times) – 10/2/25

FAFSA Live But Government Shutdown Raises Questions

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form went live two weeks ago, when the beta version of the form was opened to all students. Released roughly ten days before the federally-mandated deadline, this year’s launch marks the first time the form has been available on time in two years – and the earliest date that the form has been available in the program’s history. The successful launch of this year’s form, however, could be in jeopardy of hitting some speedbumps in light of the current government shutdown.

Takeaways:

While the U.S. Department of Education contends that a good portion of its core operations – including the disbursement of financial aid and collection of student loan debts – will continue during the shutdown, 87 percent of the department’s workers will be furloughed. Although government shutdowns historically see furloughed employees being reactivated (with back pay), the Office of Management and Budget has discussed mass firings of federal workers and a new White House memo has threatened that workers will not be guaranteed compensation for forced time off during the shutdown. If Department of Ed staff members are not reinstated – or if a protracted shutdown forces some to pursue other opportunities – FAFSA implementation could seriously suffer under an over-burdened staff.

How the government shutdown will affect student loans, FAFSA and the Education Department (AP) – 10/1/25

Harvard Allegedly Close to Deal with White House

During a press event at the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Trump told reporters that the U.S. Department of Education is “very close” to a deal with Harvard University. After months of lawsuits and withheld funds over various issues including the institution’s response to pro-Palestinian protests, Harvard appears to be settling with the federal goverment for $500 million dollars – at least according to President Trump. Harvard officials did not directly comment regarding the President’s proclamations.

Takeaways: 

On top of the half-a-billion-dollar payment to the federal government, President Trump claims that Harvard will be operating trade schools as part of the pending deal. “They’re going to be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things, engines, lots of things.” Harvard’s former president Claudine Gay – who resigned under Republican pressure in 2024 – recently accused Harvard of adopting a worrisome “posture” of “compliance” towards the Trump Administration. “This is distressing, not only for those of us who are on campus and facing the consequences directly, but also for all of those in higher ed who look to Harvard for leadership and guidance.”

Trump says Harvard deal is close, university will pay $500 million (Reuters) – 9/30/25

2 Million SAT Testers: Takeaways from the College Board’s Annual Report

The College Board’s 2025 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report was released today. Among the disclosures is the figure that over 2 million students in the high school class of 2025 took the SAT at least once. This figure represents a roughly 1.77 percent increase from last year, and it marks the first time since 2020 that a class year boasted more than 2 million SAT test takers. Also noteworthy is that approximately 1.36 million students in the class of 2025 participated in school-day testing, matching last year’s record highs and representing the eighth straight year of growth for the program. Mean test scores increased slightly from last year, but they are still below pre-pandemic levels.

Takeaways: 

The SAT’s growing numbers dwarf those of its main competitor. By comparison, 1.4 million students of the class of 2024 took the ACT at least once, according to last year’s data. While the exact ACT data for this year is not yet available, experts expect the 2025 numbers to be roughly similar. Whether the switch to the Enhanced ACT – and its variety of issues – will have an effect on the number of annual ACT testers remains to be seen.

SAT Participation in the Class of 2025 Surpasses 2 Million Test Takers for the First Time Since 2020 (College Board) – 9/30/25

University of Arizona to Close all China-Based Satellite Campuses

In the wake of a September government report titled “How the Chinese Communist Party Exploits U.S. University Partnerships to Empower China’s Military and Repression,” the University of Arizona disbanded all four of its microcampuses in China after this semester. 2,200 students, 36 faculty members, and four staff members will be affected by these closures. The University has pledged to help students decide their next steps and provide funds for employees needing to relocate back to the U.S.

Takeaways:

One of the four Arizona microcampuses in China had been highlighted as “high risk” for its former partnership with the Harbin Institute of Technology, which is affiliated with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Though the partnership ended in 2023, the Arizona College of Technology at Hebei University of Technology still came under specific scrutiny. It is not yet clear if the other 12 universities with Chinese microcampuses deemed “high risk” have similar plans to close down programming.

University of Arizona Shutters Chinese Microcampuses (Inside Higher Ed) – 9/26/25

U.S. News Rankings Live with No Big Surprises

U.S. News & World Report released the latest iteration of its annual list of college rankings, and, despite a series of chaotic higher ed news cycles this year, much of the list remained constant. Princeton, M.I.T. and Harvard remained the top three national universities. Yale joined Stanford in a tie for number four. Williams is still ranked as the top liberal arts college; Spelman is still at the top of historically Black institutions; the University of California system retained the top title of top public university (this year with its Berkeley campus). Only three of the top 50 national universities moved five or more places: U Chicago moved up to number 6, Caltech fell to number 11, and Northeastern climbed into the top 50 with a five-way tie at number 46.

Takeaways:

The U.S. News & World Report rankings have garnered relatively wide criticism in recent years. Some denounce the rankings system for overvaluing prestige and, in doing so, encouraging students to take on debt. Others take umbrage with the publication allegedly engaging in favoritism, manipulating data, and retaliating against colleges that disparage its ranking system. A recent Vanderbilt University review of the company’s methodology uncovered some shortfalls in data collection and objectivity, leading some institutions, including Columbia University, Colorado College, and Rhode Island School of Design, to pull some of their graduate programs from the rankings list. This year, U.S. News included an article, “The Right Way to Use Our College Rankings,” in which it clarifies that “the best school isn’t the best school for everyone.”

U.S. News Rankings Are Out After a Tumultuous Year for Colleges (NY Times) – 9/23/25

Trump Visa Crackdowns Affect Student Populations at Smaller Colleges and Universities

An Inside Higher Ed analysis of fall 2025 enrollment data suggests the White House’s multi-faceted attack on international students – including pausing the issuance of new visas, implementing social media vetting procedures, and detaining foreign student activists – has resulted in an overall decline in the number of those able to enroll and enter the country. While wealthier selective colleges (the Trump administration’s public targets) have generally been able to avoid declines foreign students, small, regional and private faith-based schools have seen the most pronounced impact.

Takeaways:

Only five of the 34 institutions analyzed by Inside Higher Ed saw growth in international students, with some others, including Eastern Illinois University, University of Idaho, and Niagara University, seeing declines of 45 percent or more year-over-year. This could be the signal of an alarming trend; according to NAFSA projections, a 10 percent nationwide drop in international enrollment would result in $3 billion in lost revenue, while a 15 percent drop would increase that figure to $7 billion. In October, colleges and universities will be submitting final enrollment numbers to the Department of Education, clarifying the full impact the Trump-era restrictions have had on international student enrollment so far.

International Enrollment Down at Regional Publics, Small Private Colleges (Inside Higher Ed) – 9/23/25

President Trump Orders $100K Annual Fee for H-1B Visas

This week, President Trump issued an executive order – effective as of September 21st, 2025 – that institutes a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications. This order will increase the cost of bringing in skilled foreign talent by a factor of roughly 6,567 percent from its current annual fee of $1,500. Also included in the order is a prohibition against entry into the U.S. by any H-1B visa holders unless their employer has paid the $100K fee. This prohibition has driven major tech companies to advise visa holding employees to stay in the U.S. Meanwhile, some legal analysts are questioning whether the Trump administration has the legal authority to push through such sweeping changes by executive order.

Takeaways:

Many professionals who are business school stakeholders see the pitfalls of President Trump’s new order. Petia Whitmore, former dean of graduate admissions at Babson College writes, “This new fee adds real risk to the U.S. MBA value proposition, especially for non-STEM candidates, while making Canada, Europe, and Asia look more attractive.  Matt Symonds, Founder and CEO of BlueSky Education, a company that provides strategy solutions for the business and higher education sectors, believes “the new barrier could prove prohibitive” and that the visa fee could have the “unintended consequence” of “a less dynamic, less competitive labor market where graduates have fewer pathways into entrepreneurship and high-growth companies.” He contends that startups and mid-sized companies will be especially affected by the new fee structure. Not all stakeholders are so pessimistic. “Regardless of how this plays out, this proclamation is set to expire in 12 months and may or may not get extended,” writes Barbara Coward, founder of MBA 360 Admissions. “I would not advise anyone to let this dissuade them from applying to an MBA program in the U.S.” Jeremy Shinewald, founder of mbaMission, expects that the President could back down from this order as soon as the market reacts, arguing that “like anything Trump-related, this is subject to change.”

The $100K Visa Fee That Could Redefine U.S. Business Education (Poets & Quants) – 9/20/25

University of California-Associated Coalition Sues Federal Government

Various stakeholders at the University of California, including labor unions, faculty, and students, sued the Trump administration last month over the freeze of federal funds for the system. The coalition that put forward the suit is seeking to prohibit the federal government from withholding funding based on ideological differences. While the University system itself is not directly involved in the lawsuit, it is embroiled in various legal and advocacy efforts to retain and restore funding.

Takeaways:

The filers of the suit accuse the Trump administration of attempting to stifle academic freedom, with the coalition describing the federal government’s efforts as part of a “playbook to threaten colleges and universities.” The lawsuit characterizes the White House as unlawfully threatening the University of California system based to curriculum, initiatives, and on-campus expression that does not align with the political ideology of the administration. A White House spokesperson brushed the suit off as a frivolous action by “victimhood-seeking professors.”

Trump administration sued over actions against University of California (Reuters) – 9/16/25

Emory Joins Growing List Of Selective School Expanding Financial Aid

Emory University announced that, beginning in the fall of 2026, students whose families earn less than $200,000 per year will be able to attend the institution tuition-free. This need-based aid will be applied to both new and continuing students. Additionally, Emory University pledged that it will meet “100 percent of demonstrated need” for all undergraduate students from the U.S. According to Emory President Leah Ward Sears, “When students sit at the kitchen table with their parents to discuss college, I don’t want finances to be a consideration…If they qualify to come to Emory and they want to come to Emory, we will make sure they can afford Emory.”  

Takeaways:

Wake Forest University made a similar announcement this week, unveiling a tuition breaks for many of its students: in addition to tuition-free enrollment for North Carolina students whose families earn less than $200,000 per year, students of North Carolina families making less that $100,000 per year will have standard living expenses covered. Moreover, North Carolina families making between $200,000 and $300,000 per year will be eligible for financial aid covering 50 percent of their tuition. 

These policy changes represent a growing trend in higher education – Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, University of Virginia, and University of North Carolina have all recently increased their cutoff thresholds for institutional financial aid – as the public questions the cost-benefit of traditional four-year colleges and millions of Americans struggle with student loan debt.

Emory will be tuition-free for students whose families earn $200,000 or less (Emory Website) – 9/17/25

Classical Learning Test Now Accepted at U.S. Military Academies

This week, the U.S. service academies –  West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy, to name a few – announced that they will accept the Classical Learning Test (CLT) as a pathway to admission alongside the SAT and ACT. The CLT, which has mostly served a niche test in conservative religious circles has, with this move, gained a newfound sense of legitimacy. Service academy staff will be trained to roll this test into their 2027 admissions cycle and all service academy websites will be updated to reflect this change by October 1st.

Takeaways:

In May, Senator Jim Banks (R–Ind.) had put forward a bill that would have mandated the inclusion of the CLT in service academy admissions policies, arguing that the test provides clearer pathways for homeschooled students to compete for military academy admission and would open the door for “talented students from every educational background.” Although that bill never made it out of committee, Banks’ vision has now been realized. “The CLT measures deep comprehension, discipline, and knowledge of the great ideas that built our nation,” Banks said. “It’s a victory for merit and America’s future leaders.” Critics of the CLT are skeptical of its merits, citing lack of transparency and peer review of its content and outspoken ideological views of its founder and some of its board members. The College Board, which makes the SAT, is a nonprofit organization, whereas the CLT operates as a for-profit company.

Service academies to accept conservative alternative to SAT and ACT (Politico) – 9/15/25

Cornell Shifts Back to Accepting Enhanced ACT Superscores

Cornell University has made a small but crucial revision to this year’s standardized test policy: the school will once again consider the ACT superscore as part of its admissions criteria. There is no change to the SAT scores policy – Cornell “considers the highest section scores across test dates” and allows students to choose which of their scores to submit. The ACT science section will remain optional.

Takeaways:

Last month we highlighted that the Cornell ACT policy on its website had been changed to “consider the highest composite score across all ACT test dates” instead of the highest section scores, but this adjustment appears to have been reversed. Fewer questions and significant percentage of unscored questions has led to a notable scoring instability in the Enhanced ACT. As institutions revise their admissions policies, it will be important to track if specific modifications will be made to address this instability.

Standardized Testing Policy (Cornell Website) – September 2025

Failure to Launch: No Enhanced ACT for International Testers Until 2026

Despite initial – and continuing – promises by the ACT that the Enhanced version of its test would be available for all testers (including international test takers) for September’s administration of the test, students outside the U.S. found themselves sitting for the legacy version of the test with no prior warning. Students, some of whom had only studied for the truncated enhanced version, were surprised with a test that was 30-minutes longer and contained several dozen more questions. International students will, according to the updated website, have access to the Enhanced ACT in the Spring of 2026. For this first batch of international testers, the Science section was not mandatory and Enhanced composite scoring will be used (an average of English, Math, and Reading section scores). 

Takeaways:

The ACT quietly changed its website sometime this month to incorporate the fact that international students would not be taking the Enhanced version of test on the September 6th date. While the ACT claims that plan has always been to roll out the new test in Spring of 2026, all of the launch materials stated otherwise and no public clarification was made between the initial communication and the September test.

For the September 6th administration, moreover, some international students reported speaking to customers days before the test and being told that they would be receiving the Enhanced version. Others have claimed that, upon arrival at their test center, they received paper versions of the exam. As international students have had digital-only administrations of the exam for almost a decade, this would speak to a frantic scramble on the part of the ACT to accommodate for a system that was not ready at the last minute. Although these students’ reports have not yet been officially corroborated, they point to a wide mishandling of the rollout of this – the first official – Enhanced ACT test. We will continue to provide updates as more evidence of these issues surface.

The problems with September’s test do not, of course, mark the first time there have been missed deadlines and moving goalposts when it comes to the rollout of the Enhanced ACT. Our latest detailed coverage of the content and scoring changes for the test can be found here and point to a pattern of mismanagement. 

While the Enhanced ACT is still a viable option for U.S. students, we are currently not recommending that any of our non-U.S. students opt for the ACT. 

International ACT Website – September 2025

George Mason University President Refuses to Cave to Resignation Pressure

Dr. Gregory N. Washington, the first Black president of George Mason University, has continued to face threat of ouster from the state’s partisan university board, Republican governor, and the White House to resign over his efforts to champion racial diversity on campus – actions his opponents characterize as violation of the Civil Rights act and discrimination against white candidates. While many other university leaders have given in to similar intimidation, Dr. Washington has refused to consider resigning over what he calls “confusing and frustrating” backlash over policies that were in place several years ago and have since been adjusted: “We’ve made dramatic changes to our D.E.I. infrastructure in order to meet what we believe was the current framework that this administration was using.” 

Takeaways:

James Ryan, the former president of the University of Virginia resigned in June of this year, under pressure over his history of policies friendly to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Dr. Washington has since become the Trump administration’s next major target in an effort to exert greater influence over the governance of higher education institutions in America. The U.S. Department of Education has characterized Dr. Washington as “wag(ing) a university-wide campaign to implement unlawful D.E.I. policies that intentionally discriminate on the basis of race.” That said, the Department has yet to produce a single case of an applicant who was a victim of discrimination.

At George Mason University, Trump Has Found an Unbending Adversary (NY Times) – 9/6/25

International Student Enrollment Holds Strong at Two Ivy League Institutions

In the midst of a tumultuous year in higher education, two prestigious U.S. universities – Columbia and Princeton – have, defying some expectations, not seen a drop in the number of incoming international freshmen students. In fact, Princeton University reported a small increase of international students this year versus the class of 2028. It is possible that some enrolled students at both institutions may be delayed in arrival due to the Trump administration’s increased scrutiny of student visas.

Takeaways:

It is heartening to see that, despite President Trump’s multi-faceted war on the American education system, international enrollment is holding strong at certain high profile institutions. That said, numerous students have been affected by the government’s harsh and inconsistent policies, being denied a pathway to study in the U.S. Enrollment data also revealed that Princeton saw a significant drop in enrollment of Black students, dropping to 5 percent from 8.9 percent this year. Columbia’s Black and Hispanic enrollment stayed consistent from last year, when the institution also saw a notable decline. Although, some of the declines could owe to the fact that a larger number of students choose to decline to identify their race on their applications, these reductions are undeniably a product of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to end race-conscious admissions.

International Student Enrollments Stay Steady at Columbia and Princeton (NY Times) – 8/29/25

U.S. Colleges and Universities See Fewer International Students on Campus

With the new semester beginning, many U.S. colleges and universities are reporting declines in international students on campus. The University of Buffalo has experienced a 15% drop in non-U.S. students – mostly at the graduate level and primarily in STEM fields. Arizona State University has reported a reduction in foreign students for the first time in five years. Furthermore, many states have seen declines over multiple institutions; admissions teams expect roughly 10,000 fewer international students at Massachusetts schools this year. 

Takeaways:

The Trump administration’s hostile stance toward both higher education and immigration has fueled uncertainty among international students aiming to study at U.S. institutions. Many qualified candidates worldwide are currently weighing the desire to study in the U.S. with the whiplash generated by President Trump’s oft-shifting policies and rhetoric regarding international students. Fanta Aw, who heads the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), sees the loss of international students as “lead(ing) to a significant downturn in innovation.”  NAFSA forecasts that the number of international students in the U.S. will drop by 15 percent, or 150,000 individuals, costing up to $7 billion dollars in spending and 60,000 jobs. “This will affect communities large and small.”

Colleges see significant drop in international students as fall semester begins (npr) – 8/27/25

Alternative College Ranking System With Different Priorities

U.S. News and World Report has provided the most widely-accepted college rankings for generations of university hopefuls, but the service has come under scrutiny for “conflating brand with worth” in valuing prestige over other metrics. Providing a different perspective for the past two decades is Washington Monthly, a publication which rates colleges and universities “based on what they do for the country.” Some data points that Washington Monthly tracks include student loan debt of graduates, colleges’ voter-registration rate, and how focused colleges are on promoting public service. Paul Glastris, Washington Monthly’s editor-in-chief, identifies “the greatest sin in higher ed” as “an excessive focus on elite universities and a relative indifference on the part of policy makers, the press, and others on the schools where 80, 90 percent of students actually get their higher education.”

Takeaways:

In November of 2023, The New York Times created an interactive resource that allows students to organize colleges based on a variety of sliding filters, including “academic profile,” “low net price,” and “economic mobility.” If one filters the top 25 institutions with the “highest median income of graduates ten years after graduation,” only about half of the institutions with this distinction appear in the U.S. News and World Report List top 50. Washington Monthly’s approach aims to address these realities embedded in the college process. With hope, such alternate viewpoints can help dispel the conventional wisdom that the cachet of an institution directly correlates with its graduates’ future success – and help applicants to realize that there are myriad options available to them. A focus on such opportunities could satisfy those on various ends of the political spectrum who have found themselves disenchanted with the state of higher education today. 

With Colleges Under Fire, an Alternative Ranking Is Still Trying to Nudge Them to Do Better (Chronicle of Higher Education) – 8/25/25

UChicago Cuts Back Or Eliminates PhD Programs in Languages & Other Fields

The University of Chicago announced last month that it will be reducing the number of new Ph.D students across seven of its Arts and Humanities departments: Art History, Cinema and Media Studies, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, English Language and Literature, Linguistics, Music (composition), and Philosophy. Additionally, the institution will halt admissions of students seeking Ph.Ds in the fields of classics, music theory, ethnomusicology, comparative literature, Germanic studies, Middle Eastern studies, Romance languages and literatures, Slavic languages and literatures, and South Asian languages and civilizations. 

Takeaways:

Experts point to financial issues as the main cause of the scalebacks at UChicago, as the school is in nearly $6 billion in debt. Additionally, the uncertainty brought about by President Trump’s war on higher education has caused many institutions to be bearish about their offerings for fear that they become the target of the administration’s scrutiny. Beyond monetary concerns, there has also been a recent trend of phasing out language programs across colleges and universities; notably, West Virginia University eliminated all foreign language degree programs in 2023. In response to UChicago’s decision, Andrew Ollett, an associate professor of South Asian languages and civilizations at the school, did not mince words: “it represents the domination of one set of values, which is money, over the values that we say that we are pursuing in our lives as faculty members, as educators and as researchers.”

UChicago Reducing, Freezing Ph.D. Admissions for Multiple Humanities Programs (Inside Higher Ed) – 8/14/25