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 (1 in 4) are eliminating the SAT and ACT as a requirement in their admissions process. Since here at Cirkled In we’re invested in sharing the students holistic story rather than just grades and test scores, we welcome this change.
Speaking of ACT and SAT standardized testing, the year wrapped up with a lawsuit challenging the University of California system's use of the SAT or ACT as a requirement for admission. According to NPR, the lawsuit argues that the tests — long used to measure aptitude for college — are deeply biased and provide no meaningful information about a student's ability to succeed, and therefore their requirement is unconstitutional. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this in 2020!
Nothing made more waves in college admissions in 2019 than the Varsity Blues Scandal. The high-profile case, involving several A-list celebrities, exposed how unfair and bias the college admissions process is—favoring wealthy families who can pay their children’s way into top colleges.
Since the news broke, parents, educators, and students have largely lost confidence in the college admissions process, leaving colleges to rethink admissions and evaluate transparency. Though, as we wrap up the decade, there is no sign of college-bribery scandals slowing down.
With college admissions consistently evolving, we’re reminded of one point as we enter the new decade—we all must listen to the future in order to be successful. From finding the right college, to student evaluation, to who is accepted into colleges and why, Generation Z is the driving force and the processes must change to fit their needs. However, the listening doesn’t stop there. Teen Activist Greta Thunberg, Time Person of the Year, is leading the charge of young individuals taking control of the future. Whether in college admissions or the future of the planet, we agree with Greta: "Change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
