This week we heard about President Trump's Compact for Excellence in Higher Education. Nine colleges, most of which are highly selective in nature, were invited to sign on in exchange for advantages in receiving federal grant money. This early group of colleges has been carefully selected and would be "initial signatories." If these colleges begin to join, others will follow.
Several of the stipulations involve college admissions. Whether a college was one of the nine initially targeted by the administration or not, we can assume all colleges are discussing and determining how they will handle key indicators in the college admissions process this year.
This has led many high school students to wonder how they will be impacted by these proposed changes. Here are the five biggest admissions stipulations from the Compact being weighed by colleges and the students who apply to them:
1. Gender
The Compact requires that colleges not consider gender in college admissions. My female-identifying students already have an uphill battle when applying to American colleges. They typically have a lower acceptance rate than male-identifying students. Many females worry they will need to adjust their college essays if they hint at being a woman or referencing feminism. They have also been asking if they need to remove female-identifying clubs and extracurriculars from their activities lists.
My answer is no. For many reasons, I am assuring females that they can still mention their gender in essays, activities list, and anything in the application—at least right now. First, factoring gender into the admissions process is not illegal. Gender is not like race, at least not yet. Whereas race-based admissions led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in 2023, gender-based admissions is part of American higher education. Second, colleges rely on female students to boost their applicant pools and incoming freshman classes. Third, this is the first threat against gender (but definitely not the last) we've heard about. It will take time for this to play out in terms of lawsuits, investigations, or charges of discrimination.
2. Race
Race has been the most targeted factor in college admissions for years. Since February when colleges were warned by the administration not to consider race in admissions, I have been telling my students not to write about their race, culture, or heritage in their essays. It's just too risky. Colleges need to be extremely careful this year when it comes to race. If there is evidence to suggest a college used race to decide a student's candidacy, that college will be investigated thoroughly.
3. Test Scores
The Compact demands that a college must require standardized tests. This will be an easy requirement for colleges to adopt if they haven't already reinstated the SAT/ACT. As I have said since many colleges adopted test-optional policies due to the pandemic, test scores have never mattered more than they do right now. Any student who applies to a more selective college must realize that their test scores (or lack thereof) will weigh heavily in their admissions decision, almost or equal to their academic record. With so many factors in an application hinting at race and gender, I predict that test scores will become the most important factor in college admissions in the near future.
4. International Students
The administration wants to put a cap on international students being admitted. Colleges have been reducing the percentage of international students since last year (or longer). That said, it will be a lot tougher for an international student to get admitted to an American college this year. This will lead to more Americans getting admitted. Yet, the financial hit to colleges will be devastating. They have relied on admitting full-pay international students to increase tuition revenue for decades.
5. Freezing Tuition for the Next Five Years
Wouldn't this be a huge win for families? However, to achieve this, colleges will need to freeze hiring, eliminate departments, and conduct major layoffs. In fact, this is already happening on college campuses across the country. Even some of the colleges with the highest endowments are struggling. The University of Chicago and Emory University, for example, are no longer need-blind in admissions. Students coming from higher income backgrounds, who can pay the full amount of tuition, will be the ultimate winners here. Just because tuition is frozen for five years doesn't mean it will be affordable for most families. Decades of tuition increases without oversight and regulations have made a college education unattainable unless you are wealthy or take on significant debt to attend.
READ MORE: Don't Apply to Elite Colleges This Year. Here's Why.
The pressure on the nine colleges to sign the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education is greater than anything they have faced in the past. They have until October 20th to sign on. If they do, others will follow. They may have to. And if that happens, the college experience will change forever.
