29-07-2025
College Admissions Is Changing. Here's What Parents Need To Know.
University students hanging out in campus main lawn
The college admissions process has always involved a certain level of mystery. But for many families today, that mystery feels more like a moving target. Between shifting enrollment trends, evolving policies, and the sudden ubiquity of AI, even the most seasoned parents are asking: What's actually happening—and how do I help my child make a smart, meaningful choice?
It's a timely question—and a necessary one. In July 2025, Brookings Metro released a sweeping new report on youth economic mobility. Their conclusion was clear: 'A high school diploma and even a college degree are no longer enough to ensure upward mobility.' Today's students face a more complex—and in some ways more fragile—pathway from education to opportunity. That doesn't mean college has lost its value. But it does mean that value is no longer guaranteed. It has to be earned, demonstrated, and understood in new ways.
As a parent, your role is not just to guide your child through the application process, but to help them ask the right questions. Questions that go beyond prestige and test scores—questions that get at what the college experience will actually do to support their growth, purpose, and future.
Focus On Fit But Redefine What Fit Means
We often talk about finding the 'right fit' in college admissions. But in this moment, fit needs to mean more than personality or campus culture. It should also reflect outcomes. Support systems. Financial realities. And the alignment between what your child wants from college—and what the college is built to deliver.
Start with one foundational question: Where do students go after they leave this place?
Not just where they enroll for graduate school, or how many land jobs. Ask what kinds of jobs. What kinds of lives. And how those outcomes differ depending on major, identity, or income level. A college that talks about 'opportunity' should be able to show you the pathways they've built—and how they're evolving those pathways in light of today's economy.
Many institutions are starting to do this more transparently. They're publishing first-destination outcomes, showcasing alumni stories, and investing in dashboards that let families see how degree programs translate into real-world success. These aren't just marketing tools. They're signs of accountability.
Some schools are setting a new bar for what that accountability looks like. The University of Texas System, for example, offers SeekUT, a public dashboard that details graduate earnings, student debt, and workforce outcomes by campus and major. It's a rare tool that lets families see how different degrees at the same institution lead to vastly different financial trajectories—critical information for making informed choices.
At Georgia State University, students benefit from one of the most advanced student success systems in the country. The university uses predictive analytics to track over 800 risk indicators per student and proactively deploys support through academic advising and targeted microgrants like the Panther Retention Grant. Their efforts have helped close graduation gaps across income and racial lines—and demonstrate that fit isn't just about getting in, but about being supported all the way through.
Meanwhile, Northeastern University has long recognized that academic fit includes professional fit. Its renowned co-op program integrates paid, full-time work placements with classroom learning, producing graduates who are more likely to land jobs quickly—and often with the very companies where they completed co-ops. Nearly 96% of Northeastern graduates are employed or in grad school within nine months, and over half receive offers from prior co-op employers.
The Brookings report emphasizes what many parents have seen firsthand: Today's economy rewards students who have not only learned, but applied what they know. That means internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, and project-based learning are not nice-to-haves—they're central to how college connects to life after graduation .
Ask colleges:
Look for institutions that treat experiential learning as part of the degree, not an extracurricular afterthought. That's the new gold Is Here. What Matters Is How It's Handled.
Generative AI is already reshaping both sides of the admissions process. According to Acuity Insights' 2025 survey of 1,000 applicants, 35% of students used AI tools like ChatGPT during the application process. On the institutional side, 51% of admissions leaders say AI will significantly change how they evaluate candidates, and 78% are concerned about its effect on authenticity.
But the real story isn't whether AI is used—it's how. Some institutions are creating guidance for students on how to use AI responsibly. Others are offering transparency statements or updating essay prompts to encourage reflection over perfection.
Ask admissions officers how they view AI in the application process—and whether their faculty are engaging with AI in the classroom. Because your child won't just be evaluated with these tools; they'll be working alongside them in college and in their future career.
This Is a Moment of Opportunity—If We Let It Be
Yes, the college process is more complex than it used to be. But complexity doesn't have to mean confusion. It can also mean clarity—if families and institutions are willing to speak honestly about what matters most.
For families, that means taking a step back from the prestige race and leaning into the questions that matter most: Will this school support my child's growth? Will they be seen here—not just recruited? Will they graduate with more than a degree—with a direction?
And for colleges, it means meeting that level of inquiry with transparency, data, and deep care for the students they serve.
Because at the end of the day, the most powerful promise a college can make is not about exclusivity—but about transformation.
