The ACT Announces “Fundamental” Changes
On Monday, ACT CEO Janet Goodwin announced two major changes to the company’s flagship test:
- The Science section will become optional. The remaining three sections (English, Reading, and Math) will remain “core” sections of the test; they will continue to be scored out of a possible 36 points and will be averaged to calculate a student’s composite score.
- The overall length of the online version of the test will be shortened considerably – by “up to one-third.” The new test will clock in at just over two hours in total, several minutes shorter than the digital SAT. The Reading and English sections will include shorter passages and there will be fewer questions (44 fewer in total); students will also have more time per question.
The first Saturday administration of the revised test will be in the Spring of 2025; the first school day administration for the revised test will be Spring 2026.
Takeaways:
Details beyond the ACT’s initial announcement are still sparse, but, if the new online version of the test mirrors the online version that was piloted this June (and notably contained 44 fewer questions), the new test (without the optional Science section) will give testers 2 hours and 5 minutes to complete 171 total questions. The need for strict time management has long been a concern for many ACT testers, and this timing adjustment will amount to an additional 22 percent time per question over the current model.
As of this writing, students will be able to choose whether they take the online version or paper-and-pencil version of the ACT. It is not yet clear, however, if – or by how much – the paper version will be shortened. Unofficially, we’ve heard that the paper-and-pencil test will initially not change at all, keeping the current timing structure and the science section as mandatory; subsequently, starting in September of 2025, the paper version of the test will eventually incorporate the same updates as the online format.
Obviously, big questions still remain here, leaving stakeholders eager for concrete answers. How will admissions departments reconcile two separate ACT tests? Will students who take both the paper-and-pencil tests and the shortened digital exam have the opportunity to superscore? Will these changes make it even harder for students to find seats at nearby test centers? Will the staggered rollout of the shortened digital exam and the fact that students will be able to choose between two different tests further confound the already tenuous concordance between the ACT and SAT?
At this point, counselors and tutors should be in a holding pattern until more information is released. Expect us to take a deeper dive into the ramifications of a shortened digital ACT as we get more clarity on this breaking development.
The ACT Test Is Evolving (ACT Newsroom & Blog) – 7/15/24
Trump Picks Anti-Higher Ed Vice Presidential Candidate
This week, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his running mate for the 2024 election. On top of Vance’s work in the U.S. Senate since 2022 and his service in the U.S. Marine Corp, he is the author of the 2016 runaway hit memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, in which Vance discussed how his education – a B.A. from Ohio State and a J.D. from Yale Law School – helped lift him out of poverty. Since his campaign for Senate, however, Vance has taken a much more hostile stance on higher education, accusing universities of being dedicated to “deceit and lies” thanks to “left-wing domination.” Vance’s right-wing populist views, which include a demonization of what he considers “woke” ideology propagated by U.S. colleges and universities, helped to carry his successful senate campaign and now have the chance to put him a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Takeaways:
With higher education enrollment on the decline and many institutions facing a real threat of closure, a hostile presidential administration could put colleges and universities – especially smaller, less well-heeled schools – at a greater risk. Vance has floated removing tax-exempt status of private universities and has specifically targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He has even praised the policies of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, the effects of which have seen the Hungarian government seize control of state universities. In 2021, Vance delivered a speech at the National Conservatism Conference titled “The Universities are the Enemy.” His argument drew the conclusion that “if any of us want to do the things that we want to do for our country, and for the people who live in it, we have to honestly and aggressively attack the universities in this country.”
J.D. Vance Called Universities ‘The Enemy.’ Now He’s Trump’s VP Pick. (Inside Higher Ed) – 7/16/24
Canceled Scores and Shift to Digital Exam in Wake of AP Leak
The leak of Advanced Placement testing materials we reported on in May has led to consequences in the latest administration of the exams. Some AP students were informed last week that their scores were under review for potential violations of academic integrity, and, last week, students’ scores across a variety of subject areas were canceled. Although these canceled scores account for “a fraction of 1 percent” of the total exams taken, the College Board has confirmed that there were, indeed, more cancellations than normal – although the company has not elaborated further.
Takeaways:
The security concerns around this AP leak have been significant enough to force the College Board to re-evaluate the timeline surrounding the digitization of its AP exams. The company is hoping to switch to a digital model sooner than expected as, according to College Board executive director of media relations Holly Stepp, “Digitally administered AP Exams are much more secure than shipping paper exams in boxes to thousands of locations weeks in advance.”
AP Exams Face a Security Test (Inside Higher Ed) – 7/12/24
Bill To Mandate Oct 1 FAFSA Launch Advances
On Wednesday of last week, the House education committee voted (34–6) to advance a bill aimed at requiring the U.S. Department of Education to release the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by October 1st for the academic year of 2024 and beyond. Although the committee that advanced the bill is Republican-controlled, some Democratic House members have also offered conditional support for the bill.
Takeaways:
Historically, the annual FAFSA has been released on October 1st, but this year’s near-universally criticized rollout of its new system resulted in a late-December release of the form. Subsequently, the FAFSA was plagued for months after its “soft launch” with shutdowns, glitches, and miscalculations. Six months after the unveiling of the new “Better FAFSA form,” submissions were down 7.2 percent. The architects of the bill advanced on Wednesday hope to put the necessary pressure on the Department of Education to avoid delays for the next enrollment cycle. Opponents of the bill, however, feel that without also providing additional resources and/or technical support to the DOE, 2024’s FAFSA could exhibit a similar range of issues.
House committee advances bill to mandate FAFSA release by Oct. 1 (Higher Ed Dive) – 7/10/24
Report: Higher Education Institutions At Greater Risk of Financial Insolvency
Fitch Rating, a credit ratings and research group released a report this past week concluding that, despite a recent rise in net tuition revenue, many private U.S. colleges are in danger of becoming financially imperiled. Last year, median adjusted operating margins – what an institution makes after adjusting for operating costs – reached their lowest point in more than a decade. The situation is not expected to improve. Emily Wadhwani, senior director of Fitch Ratings stated that “with elevated costs and a fractured enrollment environment…cash flows and coverage are likely to face continued pressure.” Wadhwant particularly cited the fallout from this year’s disastrous FAFSA rollout, as “casting concerns over fall enrollment expectations.”
Takeaways:
With a spate of private colleges and universities closing their doors over the last few years (private colleges have recently been closing at the rate of two per month), financial viability has been more tenuous than ever. The data presented here paints a rather bleak picture for many institutions. While big-name schools with major donors and large endowments should be able to weather the storm, less well-known and well-heeled colleges and universities will especially suffer from the unpredictable enrollment landscape.
College isn’t just expensive for students, it’s also expensive for colleges—and the squeeze is worsening for private schools (Fortune) – 7/7/24
AP African American Studies Out at One Maryland School District
The school board of Harford, Maryland – a primarily white county 25 miles northeast of Baltimore – voted last week five to four that the College Board’s AP African American studies course will not be a part of this year’s high school curriculum. The board cited what they considered agenda-heavy, divisive content of the course, with too much focus on racism. Nearly 100 Harford Public School students had signed up to take the course – 75 percent of whom are students of color.
Takeaways:
An earlier version of the AP African American Studies course became the center of controversy – and political capital for certain presidential hopefuls – in February of last year when it was rejected by education departments in Florida and, eventually, Arkansas. Since then, the modified course has been embraced more widely: in the second year of the program’s pilot, the course was taught in 700 U.S. schools, including 31 in Maryland. The decision in Halford illustrates how there is still considerable pushback against the course. Additionally, South Carolina dropped state funding and college credit for the program last month.
An African American studies class is too ‘divisive’ for one Maryland school district (The Baltimore Banner) – 7/2/24
Discovering Tells of AI-Generated Writing
University of North Georgia English Core lecturer Elizabeth Steere created 50 AI-generated American literature essays based on past prompts from her classes. She conducted a review for similar issues and found a number of through-lines. Some highlights are below:
- AI-generated essays tend to jump right to the point, unlike human-generated essays, which can meander
- Chatbot generated content is often structured like a list
- Paragraphs begin with generic transitional terms such as “furthermore” and “in conclusion”
- Narrative tends to remain in the third person
- AI-produced text tends to focus on a hypothetical “reader”
- These essays tend provide sweeping statements and shy away from qualifying terms like “I think” or “could be”
- They tend to repeat, overexplain, and use hyperbole
- Metaphors and explanations tend to be awkward
- Sources are often invented
Takeaways:
One of most pressing concerns over the proliferation of AI chat bot technology is its use among students and the ensuing questions about plagiarism and the spread of misinformation. There has been an emergence of AI-detection tools, but most have significant issues with reliability; the AI-detector released by OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, for example, was shut down in less than six months due to a “low rate of accuracy.” This lack of dependability has also led to fears of students receiving false positives for work they wrote on their own. Steere’s work here provides educators with a clear guide of specific signs to look out for in their students’ writing, while, on the flipside, illustrating some best practices for students on crafting their own prose.
Anatomy of an AI Essay (Inside Higher Ed) – 7/2/24
Data on the Racial Gap Surrounding Legacy Preferences
A report released on July 1 by research and advocacy organization Institute for Higher Education Policy concluded that colleges and universities that consider legacy status in their admissions policies enroll a lower proportion of Black, Hispanic, and low-income students than those that do not. Data showed that at selective institutions that give preference to relatives of donors and alumni, 59 percent of undergraduate students are white; whereas, at similar colleges and universities that do not give preference to legacy applicants, 51 percent of students are white. Moreover, schools with legacy preferences were found to have 15 percent Hispanic and 14 percent of Black students, while institutions without legacy preferences were found to have 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
Takeaways:
Legacy preference has long been a controversial practice, and it has been under increased scrutiny since last June’s Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions. This IHEP report, however, is a new step in quantifying the critique of an issue that remains widespread. Over 100 institutions have recently eliminated legacy preference in admissions; however, at 32 percent of selective colleges and universities, legacy status still has some sway with admissions. This number was markedly higher at selective private non-profit schools (42 percent), but even a significant percent of selective four-year public colleges (15 percent) consider legacy status when shaping incoming classes.
Legacy Admission Preferences Linked To College Inequities Finds Report (Forbes) – 7/1/24
FAFSA Fiasco Disproportionately Affected Historically Marginalized Students
A new report from the Century Foundation – a progressive, non-partisan think tank – concludes that low-income Black and Latino students were disproportionately negatively affected by the bungled rollout of the revised FAFSA form. While, by May of this year, almost 300,000 total fewer high school students completed the form than in 2023, “the dropoff in FAFSA completions has been significantly worse among historically marginalized communities.”
Takeaways:
The study found that there was a 20 percent larger FAFSA completion gap in communities with higher numbers of people identifying as Black or Latinx, people living below the poverty line, or adults without college degrees than in similar communities with low shares of these populations. FAFSA completions were down by 86,000 forms year over year in regions with large Black and Latinx populations – this is where the gap was most pronounced. Additionally, in regions with lower average family incomes, the report found more severe declines in completion rates. All told, the report estimates that the final number of finished FAFSAs will be 4.8 percent lower than 2023.
FAFSA Chaos Had Bigger Impact on Minority Students (Inside Higher Ed) – 6/28/24
Number of Black and Hispanic Four-Year College Applicants Up Significantly Since 2023
Data released by the Common App earlier this month shows that, in the wake of the landmark June 2023 U.S. Supreme Court affirmative action ban, the number of Black and Hispanic students applying to four-year colleges has actually increased year over year – by 9 and 10 percentage points, respectively. These findings – at least so far – seem to diverge from initial predictions that outlawing race-based admissions practices would have a significantly negative effect on diversity in higher education.
Takeaways:
As a direct response to last June’s ruling, many colleges and universities poured resources into boosting student recruitment in lower income areas – all while navigating the initially murky implementation of the law. This outreach likely has much to do with the increased applicant numbers. Although it is heartening to see this boost in applications among historically marginalized groups, it is important to distinguish “applicants” from “enrollees.” We will need to wait until colleges release enrollment numbers before getting a full picture of how last year’s Court decision has impacted on campus diversity.
One year after ban on race-conscious admissions, Black and Hispanic student applications are up (GBH) – 6/30/24
National Transcript Withholding Ban Goes Into Effect July 1
This week, regulation passed by the U.S. Education Department in October of 2023 that prohibits higher education institutions from withholding transcripts and/or academic credits from students with outstanding debts to those institutions will become law. This practice has already been banned in numerous states, but as of July 1st, it will be illegal nationwide. Without access to transcripts and credits, students are often unable to continue education without starting over; additionally, these students may lose eligibility for certain jobs. Historically, low-income and students of color have been found to be disproportionately affected by this practice.
Takeaways:
The ban on withholding college transcripts and credits will be a step toward bridging inequities in access to higher education. Currently, nearly 6.5 million people have stranded credits, which translate to roughly $15 billion in debt owed. For colleges and universities, however, this ban removes a point of leverage, albeit an ethically-nebulous one, for reclaiming funds owed to them. Schools are, thus, gearing up for financial fallout, increased pressure on administrative staff, and repercussions on enrollment and retention in the wake of this new law.
Colleges Anticipate Financial Repercussions of Transcript-Withholding Ban (Inside Higher Ed) – 6/27/24
A Tale of Two Testmakers: GMAC’s and ETS’s Different Crisis-Responses
As reported last week, ETS, the owners and administrators of the GRE, have offered to buyout the contracts of all employees of the company with tenures longer than two years – in anticipation of another major staff cut later this year. This move comes as the company is still reeling from losses due to the pandemic and decreased number of GRE test-takers. GMAC, the company that owns and administers the GMAT (the GRE’s biggest rival), is also dealing with decreased testing volume and “historic” losses, albeit with a different approach. Although the GMAC has seen a business downturn in three of the last four years – and has forfeited significant market share to the GRE – the company has not downsized staff since 2020 and has actually reported a 26% increased headcount between 2017 and 2022.
Takeaways:
Part of what allows the GMAC more flexibility with its workforce is that it is, by comparison to ETS, an incredibly nimble company. With only roughly 170 employees to ETS’ estimated 2,500, the GMAC is able to record significantly more revenue per employee than the GRE test-makers. Increased headcounts and a leaner workforce do not necessarily translate to security for GMAC employees, however; there are reports of understaffing and heavy turnover. That being said, GMAC has also been the recipient of better press in recent years. The rollout of the redesigned GMAT Focus Edition was quite smooth, earning approbation for CEO Joy Jones. The new test format is also highly lauded, thought by some to be the better test for b-school applicants.
GRE Woes Lead To Fifth ETS Downsizing In Five Years (Poets & Quants) – 6/24/24
Emerson College Cutting Jobs After Enrollment Decline
This past week, Boston’s Emerson College announced that it plans to cut faculty and staff and limit hiring for the coming school year. This news comes on the heels of the school’s deposit deadline for newly enrolled students. According to school officials, the number of students set to matriculate this fall was “significantly below what we had hoped.” Emerson officials did not yet provide further details as to the exact extent of the enrollment downturn or to the number of current jobs that will be cut.
Takeaways:
Emerson president Jay Bernhardt cited a number of reasons for the declining enrollment and the subsequent cutbacks. On top of “enrollment trends away from smaller, private institutions,” Bernhardt placed some of the blame on the challenges surrounding the Better FAFSA rollout that resulted in a delay in enrollment deposits. Additionally, President Bernhardt cited the “student protests targeting our yield events and campus tours, and negative press and social media generated from the demonstrations and arrests.” Emerson faced significant backlash from the school’s handling of the pro-Palestinian protests, which led to a slew of arrests – and several injuries – in April. During this years commencement ceremonies, “one in five” students showed support for Palestine as they received their diploma – whether by adding pro-Palestinian messaging to their apparel or through other means – with some students disrupted the speakers by shouting pro-Palestinian slogans.
Emerson College plans staff and faculty cuts as enrollment drops (GBH) – 6/19/24
ETS Offers Buyouts For All U.S. Employees With Tenures Longer Than Two Years
On Tuesday, Educational Testing Service, the company that operates the GRE, TOEFL, and PRAXIS tests, announced the second major round of job cuts in the past year and the fifth in the course of five years. The most recent came in September when ETS laid off 150 workers globally, which represented 6 percent of its workforce. This past week, ETS has offered voluntary buyouts to all U.S. employees that have been with the company over two years; the company has not disclosed the number of employees that were extended this offer. According to an ETS spokesperson, the job buyouts are “one of the many ways ETS will continue to adapt and build momentum so that (it) can best serve the learners and customers that rely on our solutions well into the future.”
Takeaways:
The test-prep giant has struggled through the pandemic and the declining popularity of the GRE; 2023 marked the first year in five that ETS has been “cash flow positive.” The company was dealt another blow in early June when, as a result of a renegotiated contract with the College Board, ETS lost the ability to administer the SAT. ETS’ contract with the College Board currently represents 30 percent of the organization’s revenue. Looking ahead to the future, ETS plans to focus more on skills-based assessments. According to an April report released by the company, “Skills are the future currency.”
More Downsizing at Beleaguered ETS (Inside Higher Ed) – 6/18/24
Common Data Set Reveals Important Admissions Criteria for Top Colleges and Universities
CEO of Command Education – and regular contributor to Forbes and Inside Higher Ed – Christopher Rim shares his findings on what matters to admissions officers based on his analysis of the latest Common Data Set (CDS). The CDS compiles higher education institutions’ reporting on admissions statistics and criteria. Each school’s report includes various admissions criteria (e.g. GPA, legacy status, state residency, etc.) and ranks the importance of each consideration, ranging on a scale of “very important,” to “not considered.”
Takeaways:
Some key findings are as follows:
- Rigor of a student’s classes is considered “very important” by almost every top school – especially as it relates to a student’s area of study. Schools that especially favor rigor of curriculum include Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, Tulane, and UCLA.
- The application can provide a window into a student’s academic skills while giving a more nuanced picture of a candidate’ intangible strengths. The essay is, thus, a powerful differentiation tool for certain schools who receive a glut of qualified applicants. Schools that especially favor application essays include Stanford, Princeton, and Brown.
- Although not specifically focused on in the CDS, what a student is able to accomplish outside the academic sphere is a key consideration for many Ivy Plus institutions. Schools that especially favor extracurricular activities include Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, and Yale.
- Many institutions boast a “holistic” application process. Certain colleges and universities give preference to students who align with that institution’s values. Schools that especially favor character/personal qualities include NYU, Notre Dame, and Carnegie Mellon.
- Letters of recommendation can also be important considerations as part of the admissions process as they provide a third-party view of a candidate. Schools that especially favor letters of recommendation include Northeastern, Emory, and Amherst.
The Admissions Criteria That Top Schools Really Care About (Forbes) – 6/18/24
Rice Moves to Recommend Submitting SAT/ACT Test Scores
This past week, Houston, Texas’ Rice University, the 17th ranked national university according to U.S. News and World Report, announced that it will adjust its admissions policy to “recommend” that students submit standardized test scores when applying. “At Rice, we have long held that testing – SAT, ACT and APs – provide meaningful insights into how students will perform in a Rice undergraduate curriculum, beyond an assessment of high school grades alone.” The university had previously had a test-optional admissions policy since the start of the pandemic. In addition to modifying its testing policy, Rice has also added a second Early Decision round later in the cycle to give an opportunity to students who missed the first deadline.
Takeaways:
Despite the shift in admissions policy, the language around standardized tests remains the same as it was before the recommendation. According to Yvonne M. Romero da Silva, vice president for enrollment at Rice, “Test scores are one factor of many that are considered in the admission process, and students who are unable to submit test scores or prefer not to submit test scores will be given full consideration in the admission selection process.” By recommending instead of requiring test scores, Rice is able use scores as key differentiators when necessary while to maintaining flexibility in their admission process.
Rice announces updates to application processes (Rice University News & Media Relations) – 6/17/24