Latest news with #collegeadmissions
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Colleges now have to prove their value to applicants, not just the other way around
College admissions are at a critical juncture. Enrollment patterns are changing, with the enrollment cliff now in full view. AI is transforming how students apply to college and how schools evaluate their potential. Additionally, institutions are navigating a complex maze of funding and policy requirements—and, at times, increased political pressures. Amid these challenges, many higher education institutions are realizing that traditional recruitment playbooks no longer cut it. This year, admissions leaders are rethinking how to attract, evaluate, and support students, while answering a fundamental question: How do we demonstrate the value of a college degree in a world that keeps questioning its worth? These seismic shifts were made clear in a new report by the company I cofounded, Acuity Insights. Our survey of admissions leaders across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia found that admissions teams are under greater pressure to not only react to changes but actively rebuild for the future. From revamping how they assess applicants to retooling how they build lasting, student-centered strategies, schools need to lay the groundwork for long-term resilience and success. Enrollment, policy, and technology changes are keeping admissions leaders on their toes Let's start with the elephant in the room: Enrollment is down, and it's only expected to get worse. With the demographic cliff expected to hit in earnest by fall 2025, admissions leaders are bracing for an even steeper drop in high school graduates entering the pipeline. It's no surprise that 41% of admissions leaders cited competition from other institutions as their top challenge, followed closely by 36% who pointed to the declining interest in traditional college education. These concerns have sparked a new focus on student retention and career readiness; schools need to not only get students in the door, but also support their students' success all the way to graduation. Layered on top of enrollment concerns are significant policy shifts. Nearly half (46%) of U.S. admissions leaders say they feel fully prepared to navigate changes in financial aid, affirmative action, and DEI policies. However, a near equal percentage (45%) only feel moderately prepared for these changes, which will require updates in admissions criteria and renewed efforts around compliance. At the same time, today's applicants are evolving just as rapidly. Digitally native students are bringing AI into the admissions process. Our fall 2024 survey of 1,000 recent higher education applicants found that 35% used AI tools like ChatGPT during the application process (and that's just the ones who were willing to admit it). It's no surprise that 78% of admissions leaders are concerned about how AI might compromise the authenticity and integrity of student submissions, especially as generative tools become more sophisticated and harder to detect. These combined shifts demand a careful balancing act. Admissions teams must weigh innovation with integrity, speed with substance, and institutional competitiveness with their core mission of educating and preparing students for success beyond graduation. 3 areas where admissions is adapting the most It's encouraging to see that many admissions leaders are rolling up their sleeves and making real changes to the admissions process. Here are three key areas in which we're seeing admissions teams adapt their practices to today's landscape: 1. Increased reliance on AI AI isn't just transforming how students complete their college applications, it's transforming how institutions evaluate and select applicants. In response, more than half (51%) of admissions leaders believe AI will significantly change the evaluation and selection process. AI is making it easier to maintain a more holistic review process without sacrificing efficiency. Half of admissions leaders said their teams are using AI to identify key noncognitive factors (such as leadership, resilience, and civic engagement), and 38% report using it to predict students' success based on various academic and personal criteria. Beyond evaluation, AI is also being used to improve student communication and engagement, with 38% of leaders seeing value in its ability to provide more personalized support throughout the admissions journey. 2. Greater emphasis on the value of higher education With public skepticism on the rise, students and their families are carefully weighing the cost and career outcomes of a college degree. As a result, admissions teams are increasingly focused on proving value and communicating why a degree is still a worthwhile investment. According to our survey, 34% of schools are emphasizing career readiness and employability in their messaging. Another 33% are doubling down on experiential learning opportunities that give students real-world context for what they're studying. Alumni success stories are also becoming a key tactic. Nearly a quarter of admissions teams are leveraging their graduates' journeys to illustrate the long-term value of a degree, both professionally and personally. Demonstrating the tangible benefits of higher education doesn't just apply to attracting students, it's also crucial in retaining them. With fewer students entering the pipeline, institutions simply can't afford to lose students midway through their programs. That's why many schools are doubling down on highlighting academic support, advising, and career services that ensure students stay enrolled, engaged, and on track to graduate. Moving beyond traditional metrics Admissions teams are also rethinking what makes a student 'qualified.' Standardized test scores are no longer the be-all and end-all: 57% of admissions leaders are placing greater emphasis on personal qualities and life experiences during application reviews, while 31% are expanding how they evaluate extracurriculars and community impact. This shift is part of a broader move away from rigid, one-size-fits-all admissions processes toward more holistic practices, where applicants' life experiences and nonacademic skills are considered alongside academic knowledge. Instead of relying solely on standardized tests, personal essays, and GPAs, admissions teams are leveraging personalized and student-focused pathways that account for the unique backgrounds, personal achievements, and soft skills that applicants bring to the table. In today's complex world, qualities like leadership, civic engagement, and creative thinking can be just as predictive of a student's potential as GPA or test scores—and it's encouraging to see institutions' admissions processes evolve to match. Rebuilding admissions for a new era This is a watershed moment for admissions. As enrollment declines, policy shifts, and technology evolves, institutions are being called on to reimagine their most fundamental processes. Ultimately, by embracing innovative technology, better demonstrating real-world value, and revamping admissions practices, institutions are working to rebuild trust in higher education and remind students why it's still a powerful pathway forward. More than anything, these transformations reflect a bold commitment to progress and the long-term vitality of higher education. The institutions that adapt now will define what opportunity looks like for the next generation.
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Mastermind behind college admissions scam is back in business — but with a court-ordered disclaimer
FacebookTweetLink Fresh out of federal prison, the mastermind behind the college admissions scam known as 'Operation Varsity Blues' is back with a new job: college admissions advising. William 'Rick' Singer was released early from the Bureau of Prisons' custody on March 25 and, according to a recent legal filing, is living in California and working for ID Future Stars, an 'admissions consulting company owned by his sister.' The company's website lists Singer as the 'master coach and lead advisor' and includes a note from him saying he 'made a mistake (and) took full responsibility.' Federal prosecutors had 'concerns' about Singer's return to work in college admissions advising, given his criminal history in a case that also netted actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, they said in a filing of their own. But Singer's defense attorney argued his work in college admissions advising is 'both lawful and entirely consistent with the conditions of his supervised release,' and asked the court to allow him to continue with his work. 'The purely theoretical risk of recidivism does not warrant a prophylactic field-of-employment restriction here,' attorney Aaron Katz said. After the parties met in federal court last month, District Judge Denise J. Casper ruled Singer may work in college admissions advising – but he must post 'prominently' on the ID Future Stars' website a 270-word disclaimer explaining the charges against him and his guilty plea. 'Mr. Singer served his prison sentence and is currently on supervised release,' part of the disclaimer says. 'The terms of Mr. Singer's supervised release require him to provide this disclosure.' The disclaimer appears on the website's Terms and Conditions page. Singer's plan to return to college admissions advising has raised eyebrows among some of those working in the field. 'That is insane,' Brian Taylor, the managing partner of Ivy Coach, an elite college counseling firm, told CNN. 'This is the equivalent of Bernie Madoff asking to manage your money from prison.' Still, the debate over Singer's post-conviction job reflects broader questions about the 'collateral consequences' of a criminal conviction. In general, people convicted of crimes can face restrictions on government benefits, voting rights, gun rights or professional licensing. About 45,000 'collateral consequences' exist in legal systems across the country, a 2018 report from the American Bar Association found. Tough-on-crime advocates support more collateral consequences to protect the public and punish offenders, while reform advocates push for fewer restrictions to help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society. ID Future Stars and Singer's attorney did not respond to requests for comment. For about a decade before his 2019 arrest, Singer owned a college counseling and prep business known as 'The Key' and served as CEO of its affiliated foundation, the Key Worldwide Foundation. Through those organizations, he carried out a scheme to get children of wealthy parents into top universities by facilitating cheating on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, falsifying their college applications, and bribing coaches and administrators to accept the children as recruited athletes, even if they didn't play that sport, according to prosecutors. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients as part of the scheme, paid bribes totaling more than $7 million and used more than $15 million for his own benefit, according to prosecutors. In March 2019, authorities arrested and charged more than 50 people, including coaches, test administrators, prominent CEOs, and the Hollywood stars. With a few exceptions, nearly all of them pleaded guilty and served prison terms generally measured in weeks or months. Singer pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced in January 2023 to 3 1/2 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, more than $10 million in restitution and forfeiture of more than $8.7 million. 'I lost my ethical values and have so much regret,' Singer said at his sentencing hearing. 'To be frank, I'm ashamed of myself.' He was released to a halfway house in 2024 and from prison in March, according to court filings. The website of ID Future Stars, a college admissions consulting company, boasts '20+ Years of Experience' and '98% Success Rate (Up to).' The site links to several ID Future Stars social media pages with few followers, and the earliest posts on those accounts date to 2024. On its About page, the website names Singer as the 'master coach and lead advisor' and includes a message from him. 'I am not afraid to tell people who I am and that I made a mistake, took full responsibility and want to share my expertise, passion, and desire to help shape our next generation's leaders by helping each find a college and career that is the right choice for each individual,' he writes on the site. He writes that he learned 'to stay away from the gray areas in college admissions and institutional advancement' and says he 'will fiercely seek the proper guidance and support from expert counsel.' 'I want to do college and career life coaching again because–I LOVE IT! And this is my passion,' he writes. 'The energy that I exude when I work with our future leaders and their families is like rocket fuel. Additionally, why not go back to doing something that I am the best at worldwide based on our successes in the past?' In court filings last month, federal prosecutors took issue with Singer's statements, calling them 'misleading and problematic' regarding his role in the 'Varsity Blues' scheme. They asked the court to require Singer to post a fuller explanation of the facts of his case and the charges against him on the website. 'The government cannot stand idly by and allow the fox in the hen house without voicing its concerns to the Court and Probation,' prosecutors said. In response, Singer's attorneys opposed a restriction on his field of employment but said he is 'willing to agree to a reasonable disclosure requirement' about his criminal case to his clients. Casper ultimately ordered Singer to post the 270-word statement on his website and provide it to prospective clients, including a link to the Department of Justice news release announcing his sentence. The extent of Singer's current work is unclear, as the ID Future Stars website does not list the total number of clients. However, a legal filing outlined the basics of his work and said it has expanded into two new fields tangentially related to college admissions. 'Mr. Singer's current employment involves advising students, parents, affinity groups, organizations, and institutions regarding college admissions and campus-related issues, including assessing which campuses provide the best environments for Jewish students and helping smaller schools attract and support 'NIL Collectives,'' the filing states.
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Mastermind behind college admissions scam is back in business — but with a court-ordered disclaimer
Fresh out of federal prison, the mastermind behind the college admissions scam known as 'Operation Varsity Blues' is back with a new job: college admissions advising. William 'Rick' Singer was released early from the Bureau of Prisons' custody on March 25 and, according to a recent legal filing, is living in California and working for ID Future Stars, an 'admissions consulting company owned by his sister.' The company's website lists Singer as the 'master coach and lead advisor' and includes a note from him saying he 'made a mistake (and) took full responsibility.' Federal prosecutors had 'concerns' about Singer's return to work in college admissions advising, given his criminal history in a case that also netted actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, they said in a filing of their own. But Singer's defense attorney argued his work in college admissions advising is 'both lawful and entirely consistent with the conditions of his supervised release,' and asked the court to allow him to continue with his work. 'The purely theoretical risk of recidivism does not warrant a prophylactic field-of-employment restriction here,' attorney Aaron Katz said. After the parties met in federal court last month, District Judge Denise J. Casper ruled Singer may work in college admissions advising – but he must post 'prominently' on the ID Future Stars' website a 270-word disclaimer explaining the charges against him and his guilty plea. 'Mr. Singer served his prison sentence and is currently on supervised release,' part of the disclaimer says. 'The terms of Mr. Singer's supervised release require him to provide this disclosure.' The disclaimer appears on the website's Terms and Conditions page. Singer's plan to return to college admissions advising has raised eyebrows among some of those working in the field. 'That is insane,' Brian Taylor, the managing partner of Ivy Coach, an elite college counseling firm, told CNN. 'This is the equivalent of Bernie Madoff asking to manage your money from prison.' Still, the debate over Singer's post-conviction job reflects broader questions about the 'collateral consequences' of a criminal conviction. In general, people convicted of crimes can face restrictions on government benefits, voting rights, gun rights or professional licensing. About 45,000 'collateral consequences' exist in legal systems across the country, a 2018 report from the American Bar Association found. Tough-on-crime advocates support more collateral consequences to protect the public and punish offenders, while reform advocates push for fewer restrictions to help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society. ID Future Stars and Singer's attorney did not respond to requests for comment. For about a decade before his 2019 arrest, Singer owned a college counseling and prep business known as 'The Key' and served as CEO of its affiliated foundation, the Key Worldwide Foundation. Through those organizations, he carried out a scheme to get children of wealthy parents into top universities by facilitating cheating on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, falsifying their college applications, and bribing coaches and administrators to accept the children as recruited athletes, even if they didn't play that sport, according to prosecutors. Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients as part of the scheme, paid bribes totaling more than $7 million and used more than $15 million for his own benefit, according to prosecutors. In March 2019, authorities arrested and charged more than 50 people, including coaches, test administrators, prominent CEOs, and the Hollywood stars. With a few exceptions, nearly all of them pleaded guilty and served prison terms generally measured in weeks or months. Singer pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced in January 2023 to 3 1/2 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, more than $10 million in restitution and forfeiture of more than $8.7 million. 'I lost my ethical values and have so much regret,' Singer said at his sentencing hearing. 'To be frank, I'm ashamed of myself.' He was released to a halfway house in 2024 and from prison in March, according to court filings. The website of ID Future Stars, a college admissions consulting company, boasts '20+ Years of Experience' and '98% Success Rate (Up to).' The site links to several ID Future Stars social media pages with few followers, and the earliest posts on those accounts date to 2024. On its About page, the website names Singer as the 'master coach and lead advisor' and includes a message from him. 'I am not afraid to tell people who I am and that I made a mistake, took full responsibility and want to share my expertise, passion, and desire to help shape our next generation's leaders by helping each find a college and career that is the right choice for each individual,' he writes on the site. He writes that he learned 'to stay away from the gray areas in college admissions and institutional advancement' and says he 'will fiercely seek the proper guidance and support from expert counsel.' 'I want to do college and career life coaching again because–I LOVE IT! And this is my passion,' he writes. 'The energy that I exude when I work with our future leaders and their families is like rocket fuel. Additionally, why not go back to doing something that I am the best at worldwide based on our successes in the past?' In court filings last month, federal prosecutors took issue with Singer's statements, calling them 'misleading and problematic' regarding his role in the 'Varsity Blues' scheme. They asked the court to require Singer to post a fuller explanation of the facts of his case and the charges against him on the website. 'The government cannot stand idly by and allow the fox in the hen house without voicing its concerns to the Court and Probation,' prosecutors said. In response, Singer's attorneys opposed a restriction on his field of employment but said he is 'willing to agree to a reasonable disclosure requirement' about his criminal case to his clients. Casper ultimately ordered Singer to post the 270-word statement on his website and provide it to prospective clients, including a link to the Department of Justice news release announcing his sentence. The extent of Singer's current work is unclear, as the ID Future Stars website does not list the total number of clients. However, a legal filing outlined the basics of his work and said it has expanded into two new fields tangentially related to college admissions. 'Mr. Singer's current employment involves advising students, parents, affinity groups, organizations, and institutions regarding college admissions and campus-related issues, including assessing which campuses provide the best environments for Jewish students and helping smaller schools attract and support 'NIL Collectives,'' the filing states.
Forbes
6 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Tennessee Becomes Latest State To Offer Automatic College Admissions
Tennessee's new direct college admissions program will begin this fall. Tennessee has become the latest state to introduce an automatic college admissions strategy, launching a direct college admissions program this fall. As part of the Tennesee Direct Admissions program, about 41,000 students from more than 230 randomly selected high schools will be sent letters this November identifying the public and private colleges in the state that have automatically accepted them. The goal is to help students clearly see where they've been accepted and better understand how they can afford to enroll, increasing the chances they'll decide to attend college. A unique aspect of Tennessee's initiative is that approximately half of the students will also be sent information about the state and institutional financial aid for which they might be eligible, based on academic criteria like their GPA or standardized test scores. To participate, students will simply be required to complete an application for the program by November 1. A total of 53 higher education institutions are participating in the Tennessee Direct Admissions program and pilot, including 23 colleges of applied technology, 13 community colleges, and 17 public and private colleges and universities. 'The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and our community and technical colleges are excited to be part of this groundbreaking project for the benefit of students,' said TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings. 'We've been working for some time on ways to streamline the enrollment process, and automatic admission with the financial aid application makes perfect sense. Making the admissions and financial aid process easier will be good for students and parents, and that's why all of our institutions are gladly participating in the Direct Admissions pilot.' Researchers will use data from the pilot to analyze how providing different levels of information to high-school graduates affects their college-going behavior. The first-of-its-kind pilot is being conducted by a partnership involving the TBR, the Lumina Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Making Caring Common at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Researchers will be able to learn whether high school students who receive both financial aid information and direct admissions bids are more likely to attend college than those who only get automatic admissions offers. They will also be able to compare the outcomes against those for students who are not sent any direct admissions information. 'Through this study, we will learn not only about the impact of direct admissions and financial aid on students' college enrollment, but how students feel about their direct admission experience,' Trisha Ross Anderson, a Harvard University researcher working on the project, said in a statement. Tennessee joins several other states that have turned to direct admissions programs to try to boost college attendance rates. In June, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 3522, which created the Public University Direct Admission Program Act in his state. Idaho was one of the first states to introduce a direct college admissions program, rolling it out in 2015. Initial evaluations show that it yielded an increase in first-time undergraduate enrollments by more than 8% and in-state student enrollments by almost 12%. Since then, several private companies and more than a dozen states have jumped into the direct admissions business. The Common Application (Common App) piloted a direct admissions program since 2021, offering admission to students who created a Common App account and provided enough academic information but had not yet completed all of their open applications. It has since expanded the program. 'Too much red tape complicates students' pathways to college—limiting who can get a degree and access a well-paying job,' said Dr. Taylor Odle, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is serving as the Principal Investigator for the pilot study. 'By simplifying the college admissions and financial aid processes in tandem, we are taking a monumental step in making college more accessible and sending a clear message to students: There is a place for you in college—and there are resources to help you afford it," added Odle. "No complicated forms, no application fees, no long essays, no letters of recommendation.'Research shows that the college application and financial aid process often feels too complex, causing many students to give up before completing their applications. One in four students starts an application but never finish.
Reuters
7 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
NextFour Launches Platform to Help Students Get Into Top 100 U.S. Colleges
MENLO PARK, CA, July 23, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- NextFour, opens new tab announces the official launch of its online platform to help students seeking admission to the most selective U.S. colleges. Featuring AI-powered personalized advice, exclusive data-driven insights, and on-demand access to human experts, the innovative NextFour solution expertly guides families through the key aspects of the college planning process to maximize their chances of being admitted to their top-choice schools. NextFour was founded in 2023 by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and husband-and-wife team Samir Kothari and Benita Daryani. As technology industry veterans (formerly with Meta and Google) and parents familiar with the complexities of college admissions, they created NextFour to address the challenges they encountered firsthand. The bar for gaining admission to top-ranked colleges has never been higher, underscoring the importance of a thoughtful application strategy and prompting anxious families to seek guidance. However, with high school counselors facing overwhelming caseloads and traditional private counseling services often being expensive and inconsistent, many families struggle to find help that is reliable, easily accessible, data-driven, and affordable. NextFour uniquely solves for these problems by democratizing access to knowledge and tools that give students a critical edge in the college admissions process. How It Works The core of NextFour's college planning service is an exclusive data analytics platform featuring a comprehensive and structured dataset covering the college admissions ecosystem. This proprietary information (representing thousands of data sources) powers advanced metasearch interfaces, easy-to-understand visualizations, and AI-driven guidance. These features analyze the user's individual profile to provide personalized, evidence-based advice to help them make well-informed, data-driven college planning decisions, such as: NextFour's suite of automated capabilities is complemented by seamless connectivity to humans with relevant domain expertise. The NextFour Advisors Network, opens new tab allows users to easily connect one-on-one with current college students who have recent, firsthand experiences with specific extracurricular activities, colleges, and majors. NextFour also offers a unique messaging-based Q&A service where NextFour experts are available to answer questions in real-time at a fraction of the cost of traditional counselors. NextFour's hybrid approach combines innovative technology with human experts on an on-demand basis, ensuring families can efficiently access the help they need to feel confident in their decision-making. A growing number of students and parents have already benefited from a beta version of the NextFour platform. Class of 2025 parent Paula S. shares her experience: 'NextFour was invaluable to us! We got incredible insights and advice that were critical in supporting our son's college admissions journey. We previously tried other online products, and even hired private college counselors, but NextFour was simply better, faster, and cheaper. And now we are thrilled that our son was accepted into several top schools, including his first choice!' 'Getting into a highly ranked college doesn't happen overnight; it requires strategic planning and thoughtful decision-making throughout the high school years to build the strongest applications. We recognize that the process can be intensely challenging, which is why we specifically designed our service to help students (and their parents) throughout that journey and into their dream schools,' stated Samir Kothari, co-founder and co-CEO of NextFour. 'The feedback from our early users has been great, and we are excited to now extend the platform to more families. We will continue to innovate and execute on our mission to provide users with a trustworthy solution that reduces anxiety, saves money, and enhances college admissions outcomes.' Visit opens new tab to receive data-driven, actionable insights for developing a compelling application profile and enhancing your chances of admission to selective colleges. Most platform features are free, ensuring easy accessibility for all users. Optional, fee-based features — such as real-time access to human experts — are offered individually at a fraction of the cost of traditional college counseling services. About NextFour NextFour delivers an industry-leading technology platform designed to assist students seeking admission to the top 100-ranked colleges in the U.S. The online service features AI-powered personalized advice, proprietary data-driven insights, and on-demand access to human experts. Founded in 2023 by technology entrepreneurs and husband-and-wife team Samir Kothari and Benita Daryani, NextFour leverages data and AI to strategically guide families through the key aspects of the college planning process and maximize their chances of being admitted to their top-choice schools. Learn more at opens new tab. Media Contact Gina Rezendes+1 617-640-9278gina@ ### SOURCE: NextFour Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire See release on EZ Newswire
