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Evolving Landscape of Standardized Testing and What it means for Students!
The testing landscape is complex because of differing views on the value of tests, the variety of goals of in admissions, and the ongoing reevaluation of their policies by many institutions. This has resulted in some institutions requiring scores, some recommending them, and some allowing flexibility. Here's how these evolving needs are reshaping admissions practices: Many colleges (over 18,000) adopted test-optional policies, recognizing that standardized test scores may not accurately reflect a student's potential. This shift gained momentum during the pandemic, as many institutions evaluated the student through other application components. Some universities, like the University of California system, have gone fully test-blind, meaning test scores are not considered at all. One nearly universal impact of test optional policies was an increase in applications at competitive colleges. The question for many colleges, though, was whether or not this rise in applications translated to more competitive or more diverse classes and whether they were able to meet their institutional goals of shaping the class. Hence it is no surprise that even though some schools announced that the policy change would be permanent, many took this few years as an opportunity to study the merits of testing requirements. Even though test-optional admissions policies are quite prevalent among colleges in 2025, some are returning to requiring standardized test scores. A few still require or value test scores, particularly for competitive programs or to identify socioeconomically disadvantaged students (MIT). Highly competitive programs at some schools, such as engineering or computer science programs at Purdue University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, require test scores to ensure students meet the academic demands of those fields. In recent times, we have witnessed some notable shift as institutions are reevaluating their test-optional policies. Some that initially adopted test-optional policies are now reviewing their stance and returning to testing requirements. For example, the University of Miami, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, Rice University, Stanford University, the University System of Georgia, Cornell University, California Institute of Technology, Harvard College, University of Texas—Austin, Brown University, Yale University, and Dartmouth College have all moved to reinstate test score requirements or recommend them. In summary, while test-optional policies are widespread, there is a complex landscape of testing policies, with some institutions requiring scores, recommending them, or allowing flexibility. This landscape will continue to change & evolve, as colleges analyze admission cycles and academic years of test optional policy. Here are few keys ways, how at Index CC we help our students: 1. In other news, with the Trump Administration's cuts in federal research dollars, graduate school admission has been affected. Ian Bogost's Atlantic article (subscription required) outlines how the University of Washington. the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and others have paused or reduced their graduate admissions, at least temporarily, because of freezes in federal funding. At ICC, we've been actively working on how the federal DEI decisions are going to impact future applications, if at all. Lastly, did you know that only 61% of rural 12-17 year olds said they can get a college degree in their home region, compared to 77% of those from urban areas? This was according to a survey from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. The ringing in of a new year is a time when we reflect on all our students, especially our seniors who we know will graduate high school and embark on a new significantly transformative chapter in their lives. Many have already been offered admission to great school, but the majority of decisions are still awaited. Ultimately, students land at universities that are the right fit where they grow and thrive becoming their own selves.
At Index, we continuously seek opportunities to grow professionally and redesign our services by listening and incorporating client insights. This year Sabrina is joining a group called Counselors Connect. This group of counselors, both independent and school-based, largely based in the US yet with some internationally-based ones, too, is a give-and-take group with monthly meetings. It was started by Mark Stucker of the amazing podcast, Your College Bound Kid. We're looking forward to all the knowledge we will share to help the entire group. Anu will present at the Annual IECA Conference in Michigan this May, alongside a distinguished panel in the session "Communicating with Parents: Strategies for Independent Education Consultants." The IECA Annual Conference is a premier event that brings together hundreds of IECs, admission leaders, and vendors, offering a range of educational sessions, networking opportunities, and campus tours. The session will equip Education Consultants with strategies to build strong, professional relationships with parents, especially those new to the educational process. She will share tools for navigating cultural nuances, managing demanding situations, and maintaining professionalism. Attendees will gain practical insights for effective communication, fostering trust, and collaborating with parents. Additionally, Anu will also be going for post-conference campus tours. The University of California published a fantastic article about how they evaluate applications, which you can read here. *** Did you know that there are more females applying to college than males? That can make it harder for girls as they are 16% less likely to be offered admission than boys. Generally, girls are higher performers overall and colleges aim for a 50/50 gender balance; another example of an institutional priority that can affect you and your application. The highly rejective schools have similar admit rates simply because of the number of applications they receive, but there are other big school like University of Vermont where this is a serious issue. It's so obvious that instead of being located in Burlington, Vermont, a new moniker of "Girlington" has become commonplace vernacular. You can read more about that here. Here are other time worthy articles: --WSJ's Elite Colleges have a Looming Money Problem (behind a paywall) --Brown Faces $46 Million Budget Deficit --Thoughts on 20 years of college teaching (at Duke) Here is the latest on the FAFSA Test Drive of 2024
What is being done to prevent another FAFSA crisis? The U.S. Department of Education is conducting extensive beta testing of the redesigned 2025-26 FAFSA form. This involves releasing the form to increasingly larger groups of students and carefully monitoring for any technical issues. The goal is to identify and fix problems before the form's official release on December 1st. How is the FAFSA beta test going so far? Early indications are that the beta testing is going well. The Department of Education reports that the system is working and that no "critical errors" have been found. However, some less serious issues have emerged, such as a recurring problem with missing signatures on submitted forms. What happened during the first phase of the FAFSA beta test? The first phase involved over 650 high school seniors completing the FAFSA at events hosted by six community-based organizations. Department of Education staff were present to observe and assist. While some technical problems were encountered, most students were able to successfully submit the form. What is the timeline for the FAFSA beta test? The second phase is currently underway and will include 16 organizations and over 1,000 students. The Department of Education plans to continue testing the FAFSA with increasingly larger groups throughout the fall. Why is there so much concern about the new FAFSA? The rollout of the redesigned 2024-25 FAFSA was plagued with technical issues, causing significant delays and disruptions to the financial aid process. This led to frustration among students, families, and college administrators. What are the stakes of a successful FAFSA rollout? A smooth and functional FAFSA is crucial for ensuring equitable access to higher education, particularly for low-income and first-generation students. A repeat of last year's problems could result in students missing out on vital financial aid. What is the Department of Education doing to address concerns about the FAFSA? In addition to the beta testing, the department has delayed the official release of the FAFSA by two months. They are also actively communicating updates and seeking feedback from college access organizations. What is the significance of community-based organizations in the FAFSA beta test? Community-based organizations play a vital role in supporting students, particularly those from underserved communities, in navigating the college application and financial aid process. Their involvement in the beta test helps ensure that the new FAFSA meets the needs of diverse student populations. Read below for important information: If you're considering law school in the future, you may be surprised at which majors do best on the LSAT and are in highest demand at law schools. For more info, read this article. As for ICC, our recent college visits included Univ. of Central Florida, University of La Verne, Azusa Pacific University, a lunch with Purdue, and tour of Univ. of Washington Bothell which has many new buildings that just opened this fall. We are going to make this post very succinct to emphasize this article: High Schoolers Need to Do Less So That They Can Do Better, by Tim Donahue. It's very timely at the start of a new academic year.
"We have pushed high school students into maximizing every part of their days and nights. Those who take the bait are remarkably compliant, diluting themselves between their internships and Canva presentations. We condition students to do a so-so job and then move on to the next thing. We need to let them slow down. Critical cognition, by definition, takes time. The underbelly of grade inflation is that now the ambitious student must clear more time in their schedule for the stuff that really makes a difference. Harvard’s dean of undergraduate education, Amanda Claybaugh, said: “Students feel the need to distinguish themselves outside the classroom because they are essentially indistinguishable inside the classroom. Extracurriculars, which should be stress-relieving, become stress-producing." Before you read on, you MUST read this article! Thanks to the NYT, we have an article that clearly addresses all the issues when applicants are considering the most rejective schools in the USA.
Moving on now.... When we start working with students, it always seems like there is so much ahead to do to cross the finish line. However, April of senior year inevitably comes so quickly with lots of admission decision considerations. Reflecting upon decisions this year, they were largely what we expected with only a few surprises. UC schools are receiving more applications and becoming even harder, especially for California residents. We found they are starting to lean more on institutional priorities, as evidenced by the selective majors at UCSD. Further, computer science remains in very high demand and those programs are only increasing in selectivity. Students/families are going to have to adjust their expectations of what schools are going to be realistic for them knowing that all colleges and universities have strengths and can provide an amazing experience. In our work, we are trying to balance motivating students to pursue their goals, but also keep their feet grounded in understanding selection is based on much more than grades/courses. We also widened our learning curve by visiting several campuses in the previous few months as an in-person visit offers tangible lessons. Our campus visits in three different states encourages us to dive into the nuances of the academic and cultural fit of the colleges for our students. Our visits--
For your reading, we recommend this article: Does an Ivy League Degree Matter.  Today, Nov. 30th, is always a monumental date in college admission--all the November apps are done and submitted! All the early Nov. 1 apps are done, University of Washington's Nov. 15th deadline is behind us, and the UC and CalState app deadline of Nov. 30th passes by.
We want to congratulate all our amazing seniors for getting to this point and submitting so many apps! It's not been easy for anyone, and we are noticing the effects that the COVID shutdowns and online schooling had on so many of our students. Our students have pushed themselves and shown great resilience to get so far. Additionally, many ICC students have already received wonderful offers of admission. Remember all offers of admission are offers and should be welcomed. Being welcomed to a college or university is worthy of appreciation and gratitude. A few interesting updates about admissions since our last post:
To write strong essays, here's a helpful checklist for students to follow:
Extended rules for commas (esp. when using the word "but")
 The recent SCOTUS decision regarding affirmative action in college admission didn't necessarily come as a surprise to us. We have been asking Admisssions staff for the past many months about their thoughts and unequivocally, all are committed to building a diverse and welcoming campus environment that enriches learning for all students. Diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and viewpoints in conversations, interactions, and work make students stronger and more prepared for success.
Prior to this decision, Washington State passed Initiative 200 in 1998 and was one of nine states that had already banned the consideration of race in university admission. The others were: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Nebraska. However, as Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his ruling, “nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university.” In reading between the lines coupled with our experience in working with universities that already did not consider race in admission decisions, we expect to see more opportunities for students to write about their experiences and extrapolating meaning from those experiences in addition to academic achievements, activities, and all the other parts of the application. Holistic review is very valuable, and now more so than ever. We will continue to encourage students to be mindful and reflect upon experiences that shaped them and how they can incorporate those perspectives into their applications. ICC had a very busy spring!
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