Observations from the 2024/2025 College Admissions Cycle

As we head into late January, our current high school seniors are now consistently hearing back from the colleges where they have applied. While it's still a bit early in the process, we couldn't be more proud of our seniors and excited about the positive responses they are receiving. Thus far, Foundry Admissions seniors have been accepted to more than 85 unique colleges and have been collectively awarded more than $5 million in merit aid (and again, it's still somewhat early in the process!).

As is always the case, I'm spending a lot of time trying to pull observations and lessons from this admissions cycle that can be used to help future Foundry students and families more effectively navigate the admissions process. Here are a few observations so far(I'm sure I will have more once the cycle is over in the spring):

SATs and ACTs Remain Largely Optional: As has been the case for the last few years, most colleges remain test optional. There are some indications that more schools will once again require scores in the future, but we will have to watch how that plays out. This year, most seniors sent scores to at least some of the schools on their lists (I did have some seniors who didn't send any scores and I had some seniors who sent their scores everywhere). I have yet to see a clear example of a student not getting into a college because they chose not to submit scores (not saying it doesn't happen, but I haven't seen it yet).

Essays are Still the Most Time Intensive Part of the Process: This is not new or surprising, but the supplemental essays require significant amounts of time and effort from students. Starting early (August before senior year) is critical to getting these essays written in an efficient manner – significantly reducing stress.

Financial and Merit Aid at Many Colleges is Negotiable: This has always been true, but we've already seen some great examples of families negotiating with colleges when initial financing didn't meet the net price calculator cost (NPC) predicted by the colleges. As we always recommend – ask for more money! Worst case is that the college says no.

Deferments are Becoming More and More Common: When students apply to a college, they typically expect a binary outcome – either accepted or not accepted. But in many cases, this is not what happens. We continue to see more and more colleges defer students who have applied early into their programs. Remember: Many students are accepted after being initially deferred - and that includes receiving merit offers.

For current high school sophomores and juniors, now is a great time to get started working with us to lay the groundwork for a successful process! If interested, grab a block of time with me here to discuss further: Foundry Admissions Free Consultation