The College Admissions Landscape - Post Affirmative Action

The college admissions landscape has been changing.  First there is the test optional movement which seeks to reduce or eliminate the impact of standardized test scores and, more recently, with the elimination of race as a determining factor on the college application.

When any one component of the process is changed, the remaining components tend to take on more relative importance. Based on our research, here is what we think will happen:

I. Academic Performance: Without the consideration of race and possible standardized test scores, academic performance, such as high school GPA and the rigor of coursework, may become the most crucial factor in admissions decisions.

Colleges will place greater emphasis on a student's academic achievements and transcripts as a measure of their ability to succeed in college. In addition to a strong GPA, AP scores, IB courses, or Honors level coursework can all help a student stand out.

II. Extracurricular Activities: Colleges may place increased emphasis on extracurricular activities, especially leadership positions, community service, and other non-academic accomplishments.

These factors can help demonstrate a student's engagement, passion, and potential for contributing to the campus community. These would be particularly important to highlight if a candidate is not submitting an SAT or an ACT test score.

III. Personal Essays and Letters of Recommendation: Personal essays and letters of recommendation may gain greater importance as they provide insights into a student's character, unique experiences, personal qualities, and socio-economic background.  Students who would have qualified for affirmative action in the past should strongly consider highlighting their diversity and background here.  This will be one of the few ways you can help an admissions committee understand the full context of your application,. 

Admissions officers may scrutinize these materials to assess an applicant's values, perspectives, and potential impact on the college community. 

IV. Socioeconomic Background and Diversity: With the elimination of affirmative action, colleges may consider socioeconomic background as a way to promote diversity and inclusion but how they choose to identify those areas, remains to be seen and will vary between institutions.  

Admissions officers may prioritize applicants from underrepresented socioeconomic backgrounds or those who have overcome significant challenges. However, candidates will need to, in some way, highlight their own diversity through one of the other components of the college application process.

V. Holistic Review: The holistic review process, which takes into account various aspects of an applicant's profile, may become even more critical. Admissions officers would evaluate applicants' profiles comprehensively, considering their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, personal essays, recommendation letters, and potentially their socioeconomic background.