Recapping the State of College Admissions in 2019
Without question, college admissions news and scandals made more headlines than ever in 2019. From “Varsity Blues” to changes in the ACT/SAT status quo, the world of college admissions has forever been altered. Cirkled In has compiled a list of the top stories from 2019 and what we can look forward in the next decade.
- 2019 saw more and more students and parents questioning the value of a college education in comparison to other routes. To help narrow the college search, US News & World Report released their annual list of Best Colleges for 2020. Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia rounded out the top three in the National Universities categories while Princeton, Harvard and Yale ranked highest in Best Value Schools.
- Uncertainty around finding the right college was a common theme throughout the year. In attempts to make the process easier, the U.S. Department of Education revamped the College Scorecard. First released in 2015, the tool is more useful and informative than ever, according to Forbes. New additions to the College Scorecard include median earnings and debt, graduation rates for all students, ability to filter by acceptance rate, median standardized test scores, distance from home and much more.
- ACT and SAT requirements made news headlines throughout the year. According to Newsweek, a record number of colleges and universities—about one in four—are removing the SAT and ACT as admission requirements.
- At Cirkled In, we focus on sharing a student’s holistic story rather than evaluating students solely on grades and test scores. Because of this mission, we welcome this change in admissions practices.
- Speaking of ACT and SAT standardized testing, the year ended with a lawsuit challenging the University of California System’s use of the SAT or ACT as an admission requirement.
- According to NPR, the lawsuit argues that the tests have long been used to measure college aptitude but may be biased and provide limited insight into a student’s future success. The plaintiffs claim the requirement is unconstitutional.
- We will continue monitoring this issue throughout 2020.
- Nothing caused more attention in college admissions in 2019 than the Varsity Blues college admissions bribery scandal. The high-profile case exposed serious concerns about fairness in the admissions process, showing how wealthy families could sometimes influence outcomes through unethical means.
- The scandal, which involved several celebrities and institutions including University of Southern California, damaged public confidence in college admissions. Parents, educators, and students began questioning transparency and equity in the system, pushing colleges to rethink how they evaluate applicants.
- As we close the decade, concerns about admissions integrity remain, and there is little indication that such scandals will disappear soon.
With college admissions continuing to evolve, we must keep looking toward the future to stay successful. Colleges need to adapt how they find the right students, evaluate applicants, and make admission decisions to better serve the needs of Generation Z, a major driver of change.
The listening should not stop there. Greta Thunberg, named Time Person of the Year, represents young people taking a leading role in shaping the future.
Whether in college admissions or environmental progress, we agree with Greta Thunberg’s message: “Change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
