Of course, we’re also going to take this as a chance to highlight some of our student’s successes. We’re quite proud of how our students succeeded in admissions this past year, and want to share their joy with you. In this article then, we’re first going to discuss broader trends in admissions, and then delve into specific student cases. Let’s get started!

College Admissions in 2025

Not every college has published their acceptance rate for this year yet; we may have to wait up to another month to get that information. Some have, however, and the results we are seeing there are unsurprising. Acceptance rates overall are down, not universally, but incrementally, following a pattern we have seen over the past years. This was not another shift like Covid, where college applications and acceptances fluctuated wildly, but a confirmation of what we all expected: it’s going to be hard to get into an elite college. 

While a number of top colleges have been in the news lately, any impacts from those headlines won’t show up in admissions yet; applications were already in before the recent governmental policy shifts impacted Columbia and Harvard, so it remains to be seen how exactly those will impact where students choose to apply. 

The return to more schools requiring SAT or ACT scores doesn’t appear to have shifted the admissions needle much. There has been a shift at some schools, true, but the overall trend of admissions becoming more competitive continues. We are advising all of our students to take standardized tests; while a great many schools do remain test optional, there are simply more options available if you have standardized test scores. 

The final trend we have seen is that the overall number of applications submitted is still increasing. This isn’t a sharp increase, but a steady continuation of past trends. We are seeing students apply to more colleges on average, so even as the overall pool of applicants doesn’t grow quite as much (though it is still growing slightly), the total number of applications received by colleges continues apace. 

łÔąĎąŮÍř Admissions Results in 2025

So how did our students fare in this admissions cycle? Quite well, on the whole. Here is a table showing łÔąĎąŮÍř’ students acceptances to a number of top universities, when compared to the overall acceptance rate those schools had this year (or in some cases last year, where data was unavailable): 

You will notice that not every top school is represented here; this is because in several cases, we had too few students apply to a school to gather any statistically meaningful data. Sure, the one student we had apply to Dartmouth got in, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to claim a 100% success rate. Similarly, the one student who applied to Caltech was not accepted, but we aren’t going to declare that a total failure either. 

We also noticed some interesting things anecdotally, which imply broader trends for admissions, based on the concerns of our students. First, as always, we encouraged our students to apply early as possible; as always most did. We saw slightly fewer acceptances early this year, but a marked increase in waitlists and deferrals to the RD round. 

We aren’t sure specifically why this is; colleges are notoriously reticent to share details of their admissions process. Our belief, however, is that more schools are becoming concerned with yield, and are increasing reliance on the waitlist to manage this. We also believe that as more students are applying early, admissions officers are increasingly overwhelmed. Thus students who are not clear admits or rejects are deferred in increasing numbers, to give admissions officers more breathing room to review applications. 

The next thing we’ve seen comes from students themselves. Many of our students are interested in maximizing their potential for merit aid, and this year we saw a significant increase in students applying for merit scholarships at state schools. Thus we had students who applied to some elite colleges, and also to some great but perhaps less famous schools as well, with the idea that they could evaluate the scholarship offers from both when it came time to decide where to attend. 

As economic uncertainty increases, we are working closely with students and parents to find the best colleges to match their own situation and needs. In some cases, that means looking to see which elite schools will offer some need-based aid, in spite of an upper-middle-class background. In others, that means finding great merit-based scholarships at highly ranked state schools. We did both this year, and are looking to do the same going forward. 

Individual Cases From 2025

Now that we’ve looked at our overall admissions results from the 2024-25 round of admissions, we’re going to look at some individual students we are particularly proud of. In these cases, we are proud of the work that they did, the results they saw, and how much we were able to help them. We have anonymized these accounts, to protect our student’s privacy. 

Zaniya – Journey to BS/MD Programs

BS/MD programs are some of the most competitive in college admissions; even more so than the most elite Ivy League schools. With an average acceptance rate of just over 1%, these programs only admit the students that are the best fit for them; to learn more, see our guide to these programs here. 

Zaniya knew from the start that she wanted to aim at these programs, and worked with us to help her become the kind of student they wanted to admit. This began with helping her find and connect with excellent extracurriculars; we helped her research and begin a podcast, apply to summer internships that allowed her to conduct research in a laboratory setting, and helped her find an internship with a nonprofit in her city, volunteering her time to help them in their mission serving underresourced students. 

Once that was done, her mentor worked with her to figure out the best schools and programs for her to apply to. BS/MD programs are incredibly competitive; even the best prepared students may not get in. A balanced list of reach and safety programs is therefore always the best choice when you are aiming for these programs, and that is what we did with Zaniya.

She applied to a mix of programs; some Ivy+ schools, some top tier state schools, and some pure safety schools. We always believed she was going to a great school, but you need a net if you aim for the stars. 

We helped her craft ideal applications; polishing her essays, describing how she dedicated herself to her extracurriculars, and introducing herself to these colleges. We also helped her with the separate BS/MD applications; which go over and above what colleges ask for. Writing essays, managing strict timetables, and preparing for interviews. 

Zaniya’s hard work paid off, as colleges recognized the talent and effort she possessed. She was admitted to almost every school she applied to, and several BS/MD programs as well. We are so happy to see what she has accomplished, and look forward to all she does going forward.

Christian – Excellence and Entrepreneurship

Christian came to us in very different circumstances; he had previously worked with another consulting company, and was greatly dissatisfied with the work they provided. For that reason, he came to łÔąĎąŮÍř, to see if we could better help him on the road he was set to walk. 

This gave us far less time to work with him; we jumped right into the thick of college applications with Christian, and hit the ground running. Christian wanted to pursue a degree in business, and one which offered a focus on entrepreneurship specifically; he had begun his own business in high school, and wanted the tools and techniques to build on that which only a top tier entrepreneurship program could provide. 

Christian already knew which programs he wanted to apply to, so his mentor jumped right in and they got to work on essays. Our goal was to help Christian tell his story, and highlight his experiences with business to date. We helped him discuss what he had done, and how his plans for the future would be best supported by the kinds of entrepreneurship programs he was applying to. 

Christian’s hard work paid off; we helped him apply to a number of top business schools, and he was admitted to several. Notably, he was admitted to USC’s Iovine and Young Academy, which is one of the top options for entrepreneurship in the country for undergrads. 

Diya – Applying Strategically

Diya was one of our Laurel Scholars students; these are deserving and talented students who lack the resources to afford our paid program. We offer them the same support and resources all of our paid students receive, and help make sure they get into a college that will give them the financial support and academic opportunity they need to prosper. 

In Diya’s case, she came to us at the end of her junior year, and we started by helping her prepare for the SAT. Her scores were quite good coming in, but getting a great scholarship often depends on having great test scores as well as grades and extracurriculars, so we worked with Diya to make sure she scored as well as she was able. Mastering the SAT isn’t just about intelligence, but practice. Taking tests is a skill on its own, and mastering it takes effort. 

Once this was done, she and her mentor began to examine college and major strategy. Diya was interested in pursuing biomedical engineering, but didn’t have much experience in high school in that field. She did, however, have some truly impressive geology experience, including conducting research with professors. Geology is also a less popular field than engineering, while still being in the hard sciences. 

Not every student we work with applies in this manner, but for some students to some programs, it makes sense. Her mentor helped her craft applications by school and program; some applying directly to engineering programs where changing majors was difficult, others applying to study geology. She wrote essays explaining what she had done and accomplished, and showcasing her truly impressive extracurricular accomplishments. 

Her hard work paid off; she was admitted to a range of programs, but decided to attend UT Austin after receiving a generous scholarship offer. We are quite glad for her, and look forward to seeing what she accomplishes going forward.

Final Thoughts

Every year, we work with a great many students to apply to their dream schools, from the nation’s top colleges to their local flagship state school. This year, we are quite heartened by how successful our students have been. We helped students get into Dartmouth and Yale, Columbia and UPenn, the US Airforce Academy and Georgetown, UChicago and Duke, UCLA and UC Berkeley. These are all great schools, and we are quite certain all of our students will go on to do great things at them. 
As we bid farewell to our current group of students, we wish them well in all their endeavors ahead, and hope the best for them. We turn now to welcome in a new group of students, eager and excited and trepidatious about the future, but willing to work hard to get into the college that will make their dreams come true. If you want to learn more about how we help students, or to embark upon your own journey with us, then schedule a free consultation today. We have a long experience helping students get into some truly wonderful schools, and are always happy to hear from you.

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Harvard has made news headlines , as it has come into an escalating conflict with the federal government. This has caused concern among parents and students, both those who are planning on attending Harvard in the fall, and those who are starting to consider their college applications. In this article, we’re going to explore what’s happening, and how it might impact you. We’re going to look at what the administration is asking of Harvard, the consequences Harvard has suffered so far, where things may go next, and how all of this will impact you. Let’s get started!

Why is Harvard in the News?

On April 11th, the current administration sent to Harvard University with a list of concerns and demands. We recommend reading this in full, but to sum up, they are stating that they have concerns with both antisemitism on ±á˛ą°ů±ą˛ą°ů»ĺ’s campus, and whether or not Harvard is following the precepts of the civil rights act.

Their proposed remedies to this include a massive restructuring of ±á˛ą°ů±ą˛ą°ů»ĺ’s administrative structure, federal oversight of hiring, admissions, and teaching, and vastly reshaping how Harvard works as an institution. Unsurprisingly, Harvard was unenthused about this prospect. All universities, and indeed organizations generally, prize their independence, and it is unsurprising that Harvard is resisting this particular government policy.

After this refusal, the government to Harvard steeply, both for current commitments, and for long term grants. These grants were made to support various research initiatives at Harvard; as with all university research, the government foots much of the bill because it sees this as an investment. Studies to ameliorate various diseases, research into new technology, and methods to improve public health are all considered good things by the government.

Harvard then doubled down, stating its intention not to give in, and has begun drafting lawsuits against these moves by the government. In response to this, there have been statements from the administration calling ±á˛ą°ů±ą˛ą°ů»ĺ’s status as a nonprofit into question. This would be a significant escalation, and many other universities have issued statements of support for Harvard, or joined in on its lawsuit against the government. The threat of loss of funding is very real to these schools, and they see no option but to fight against it.

In part, this is because of the situation with Columbia. As we covered previously, the federal government cut funding for their research grants if the school did not address concerns about antisemitism on campus. Columbia , and made major changes. After this happened, the federal government ; $250 million on top of the $400 million already frozen. This alarmed other universities, and raised the question as to whether or not negotiating with the administration is ever a viable option. 

Why Does Nonprofit Status Matter to Universities?

All top research universities are non-profit institutions. They don’t exist to create money, but to generate knowledge. They do often have a fair bit of money, but this is concentrated at the top end; most schools have far smaller endowments than Harvard. There are for-profit colleges of course, but these are generally not worth the time or money to attend. A school should focus its energy on education and research, and not see students as a source of income. 

Nonprofit status gives universities certain privileges, the most prominent being tax exemption. This is important, because many universities are major land-owners, and this status lets them avoid the property taxes they would otherwise be saddled with. This is a trade off for the government to be sure, but one they have been happy making thus far. They lose out on the income from taxing universities, but gain a major benefit from the innovations those universities create. The relationship is symbiotic, with both benefiting. 

Losing this, coupled with a loss of government grant funding, will greatly increase the costs universities face, while simultaneously slashing their incomes. Even Harvard with its billions will be unable to cope with this long term; yes they have a $50 billion endowment, but they spend over $6 billion each year to operate, so that pool can be drained quite quickly. 

What Happens to Harvard Next?

The one thing we can say for certain is that there will be significant legal action forthcoming. Harvard is claiming that most every portion of the government’s order and actions has been unconstitutional, and they are being joined by most of the top universities in the US in this claim. 

This will be an interesting lawsuit, not least because the universities whose graduates now fill the Supreme Court can afford some truly spectacular attorneys, and they have the alumni network and connections to make their positions known broadly. It is likely the government will take further action to bring these universities in line with their desires, but in the end, it will all fall to what the courts determine is allowable. 

In the near term, we don’t anticipate any significant changes on the ground at Harvard, at least for most students. There may be increases in tuition, but unless the government takes drastic action, business should continue as normal. The most likely scenario is that courts put a stay on these executive actions until the cases are decided, which would likely be a few years out; the legal system is not known for its breakneck speed. 

This holds true for any further actions the government takes as well; we anticipate they will threaten or enact further restrictions on Harvard; cutting more funding, attempting additional regulations, coming after their nonprofit status or accreditation; but each of these will be challenged in court, and will need to be deliberated over and decided on. 

If you are considering applying to Harvard, then you should still do so, because the biggest takeaway from this is that Harvard is not unique. (Well they are, but also aren’t, let us clarify). Harvard is a great school, but they aren’t alone in being targeted by the government here; they are merely the first to get targeted to this extent, and to fight back this much. The same measures being brought against Harvard can be brought against any other university in turn.

Thus you should not be discouraged from applying to Harvard specifically because of this, because it is likely that every top university will be facing similar tribulations in its own time. How that plays out in the future depends in large part how things go for Harvard over the next few months.

Final Thoughts

We are living in interesting times, and that makes the college admissions process more exciting than ever. Of course, this is more excitement than most students or parents want, especially on top of all of the stresses already associated with the admissions process. 

We hope that this article has given you a solid understanding of what’s going on between Harvard and the federal government, and how these machinations may impact your own college journey. We don’t know what’s going to happen next, but we will keep you updated, every step of the way. 

When dealing with a constantly shifting situation, an expert guide can make all of the difference, be that in wilderness exploration or the wonders of college admissions. If you would like a guide for your own educational journey, łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can make your life less stressful. We have a long experience helping students find a spot in the college of their dreams, and are always happy to hear from you.

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But how will this impact students, and are universities actually at risk of going broke and shutting down? After all Harvard has an endowment in the billions, and assets to run for centuries. In this article we’re going to examine the claims in the Journal’s article, and how these evolving financial trends will impact the college experience for students like you. Let’s jump right in!

What’s Going on with College Finances?

To summarize the Journal’s article, and a number of other sources, colleges and universities are facing a confluence of circumstances which are going to strain their financial resources. Any one of these alone would be a challenge, but in combination will prove problematic for schools to endure. We’ll go through each challenge in turn, to explain why it’s a problem. 

Investment Strategies

Colleges invest their endowments, to make more money off the money they have. Often, one of the highest paid positions at these private schools is whoever is in charge of managing these investments. The actual skill they have at it, however, can vary. Harvard in particular has made money with their investments, but less than many of their peers. Schools tend to follow fairly conservative strategies, and are very sensitive to market turndowns. 

Decline in Gifts

Universities count on alumni giving to fund a significant amount of their budget, especially new developments. The promise of getting your name on a building does still hold an appeal, but as personal budgets tighten, giving to universities decreases, causing an increased reliance on other revenue streams. 

The Demographic Cliff

There are only so many high school students in the US, and only so many of those go on to attend college. For a long while both these numbers rose steadily, but there has been a decline. As birthrates shrink, the number of students applying to college overall has shrunk as well, and many colleges are beginning to face an enrollment crunch. This is not the case for Harvard of course, nor for its peers at the top of the pyramid, but even some second and third tier schools are beginning to eye these demographic trends nervously. 

Administrative Bloat

The problem for universities lies not just in income, but in expenditures. Many schools have added layers and layers of administrators, to the point where they often outnumber teaching faculty. In some cases, these are useful, as schools add counselors or student support services. The countless layers of associate deans and vice-provosts however, are of more questionable value, and a significant drain on a school’s financial resources. 

New Administrative Policies

The final concern is that the new Trump administration may create even more financial hurdles for top schools, in a number of different areas. The first is in the introduction of new taxes or regulations on endowments, which they have threatened to do several times. While the feasibility of getting this regulation passed is uncertain, the mere threat of it is enough to make these universities nervous. 

The second is a possible crackdown on international students. As these students often pay full tuition, they are a major revenue stream for universities, many of whom rely on tuition dollars to make ends meet. While it is uncertain what visa policies the new administration will enact, their rhetoric on immigration in general has made a number of universities nervous, and may be enough on its own to drive down application rates from international students. 

Finally, a significant amount of funding for research at universities comes from governmental grants. Doing research is very expensive, both in terms of the equipment you use, and in paying for all of the hours needed to conduct it. The benefits of the research done are also sometimes not immediately apparent, but can build upon each other in the long term. This is not the kind of research corporations will pay for, and without governmental grants to foot the bill, many schools will need to cut back as well. 

What Does this Mean for You?

Ok, so universities may be facing a significant budget crunch in the near future. But what does that mean for you as a student? It’s impossible to predict the exact impacts these trends will have, but there are a few things we anticipate seeing that may make life more challenging for college students. 

Increased Tuition Costs

So this isn’t a majorly exciting prediction; tuition costs have increased a lot, and all the signs point to that trend continuing. There could be a significant increase however if schools are forced to turn to tuition to raise operating costs. Instead of the handful of percentage points of gain per year we have been seeing, costs could jump by thousands of dollars.

A corollary to this is a drop in financial aid. This is often the first thing schools cut when they need to tighten their budgets, as every dollar spent on financial aid is one they don’t receive in the form of tuition. This may mean students are expected to take out more loans, or that students intending to apply will need to focus on schools which have large enough endowments to weather this storm while still offering scholarships.

Loss of Research Opportunities

Research, as mentioned above, is really expensive to conduct. While professors will still undertake projects, their number, scope, and scale will decrease commensurate to the amount of funding they acquire. A loss of government funding for these research projects will also lead to a loss of places for students on them, as professors need to stretch their budgets and don’t have the resources to train new undergrads in proper lab technique.

Uncertainty for International Students

This is one where we can’t predict exactly what will happen, save that it will cause significant headaches for everyone involved. We do not know the extent of how the visa process will be altered, and whether or not international students will still be able to continue attending schools they are already at, much less the impact for new applicants. We will continue to update you as new information comes to light, and will publish articles with the best advice we have. 

Possible School Closures

This is a more remote concern, and not one we foresee being immediately relevant. As demographics continue to shift however, there is a significant chance that a number of schools will face closure due to budgetary and enrollment shortfalls. This is most likely to impact smaller and less popular private universities, the ones which are not as famous as the Ivy League or their peers.These schools tend to rely on tuition funds to keep the lights on, and a drop in enrollment can send them into a spiral.

This is also likely to be an issue for many of the smaller liberal arts colleges. While some of these do have large endowments, most have far smaller funding pools than their research university peers. These may act as an indicator for a broader collapse to come in the system, and are likely to be among the first schools to fail.

Can Universities Do Anything?

We are, of course, not in control of any actual universities, but we do see a couple of things they could do immediately to at least lessen the impacts of the coming financial issues. There is not much they can do when it comes to governmental policies, but they can still take actions that make their current state more feasible in the long term. We do not anticipate them taking our advice, but here is how colleges could restabilize their finances.

First, and most importantly, they need to cut administrative bloat. There are some positions where administrative support staff are crucial and appreciated, such as student support services. The endless parade of deans and chancellors and provosts, however, is probably not the best use of limited resources. 

Next, mergers and consortiums may be in order. We’re not saying that Harvard and Yale should form a single entity (Yarvard?), but that many small liberal arts colleges would benefit from pooling their resources together. Merging administrations could allow for the cutting of overlapping positions, while increasing the number of courses and options available to students. 

Finally, colleges should reconsider their investment strategies, and how they choose to manage their money. Those who invest money do usually claim that paying money managers high salaries is a wise investment, but they aren’t quite neutral arbiters in that regard. Colleges should, however, seek to maximize returns on the endowments they do have, in order to become self-sustaining, and no longer subject to the shifting needs of tuition increases and public demand.

is an excellent example of how this can work, using their own endowment to be completely tuition free for all students. While most colleges will not follow their example, we do believe many could learn valuable lessons from how Berea operates. 

Final Thoughts

Colleges are likely not at risk of imminent financial collapse, but there are a number of factors brewing which make their financial futures far more unsteady than they would like. These factors are also likely to impact students seeking to attend these colleges as well, though the full extent of this impact is still difficult to tell. 

Colleges often feel like a world unto themselves, but they are here with us as well, subject to the same market forces and regulations that govern everything else in the modern world. As these forces impact colleges, and colleges are forced to react, the impacts on students can be far reaching. Our goal at łÔąĎąŮÍř is to help students keep abreast of these changes, so that they can manage the always arduous process of admissions. To learn more about how we can help you with your own college journey, schedule a free consultation today. We’ve helped hundreds of students navigate this complex landscape, and are always happy to hear from you.

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In this article, we’re going to answer these questions for both high school and college. We’re going to look at what the Department of Education does for schools and students, and what potential ramifications of its removal may be. We will look at the impacts on high schools and colleges separately, as the department has influence over both. 

What the Department of Education does for High Schools

There are a lot of different things that the Department of Education does (and doesn’t) do, so we’ll look at the most important ones in turn. We will note that these mostly only apply to public schools; we will note specifically where they apply to private schools as well. 

Funding

As always, the most noticeable impact of any program is money. Schools districts receive on average 10% of their total funding from the federal government, and this is administered and distributed by the Department of Education. Most of this funding goes to Title I schools, or to support disability programs; thus these funds are not evenly distributed. 

Title I refers to passed by Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s; this act set up most of the basis for the federal government’s involvement in education. The goal of this portion is to provide additional funding to schools with a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds. 

This funding may still be authorized if the Department of Education is done away with, but this is uncertain. Schools in the suburbs will be least impacted, while those in urban and rural areas may lose a greater share of funding proportionally. Losing this funding will have a negative impact on education, as many school districts already face budget shortfalls. 

Curriculums

The DOE does not set curricular standards for public schools; this is done at the state and local level. What they do enforce is mandated testing; the standards students must meet are set by the states, but the DOE requires testing be done. This was first implemented by the , but this was altered by the .

In general, the federal government has no mechanism to enforce curricular changes through the DOE; this is left to the states and local school boards. Any removal of the DOE does not end the testing mandate, as this was signed into law by Congress, but it does end any enforcement mechanism. Whether or not an end to standardized testing is ideal is uncertain, but we don’t expect sweeping curriculum changes because of this; any of those will come at the state level. 

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities have a right to an education. This is protected and funded by the DOE. This takes the form of 504 plans and IEPs; we discuss how these work in practice in this article. The end of the DOE will impact these students in two ways. First, as we already mentioned, is funding. Students with disabilities often require additional support or resources, and these cost money. This comes in large part from the DOE; while it is authorized by Congress, the DOE handles distribution.

The other point of influence is enforcement. A law doesn’t really count if nobody makes sure it’s being followed; otherwise it’s just a suggestion. The DOE is in charge of investigating complaints of violations of disability protections in education, and mandating punishments should they be needed. It’s important to note that this can also impact private school students. While private schools may set many of their own standards, they must still abide by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which many of these protections are based in. 

These laws don’t go away if the DOE does, but the question of who manages funding and enforcement is entirely open. This could be a major issue for students with disabilities. While we believe that schools want to help all students, they may not have the resources or support they themselves need in order to do so without the backing of the DOE. Some districts facing budget cuts may also have no choice but to cut back on these services. 

What the Department of Education does for Colleges

The Department of Education has even less of a direct influence on colleges than it does on high schools. Certainly it has no way to impact curriculums or admissions decisions. That said, it does still have influence, and we’ll now look at what the DOE does in relation to higher education. 

FAFSA and Student Loans

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is, as the name implies, administered by the federal government. This is true of both the direct aid for students in the form of Pell grants, and the indirect aid in the form of subsidized and unsubsidized student loans. 

There has been a significant debate over the place of student loans in the college education space, but it is certain that a significant number of students could not afford education without these loans. Further, without these students paying tuition using loans, many colleges themselves would face significant budget shortfalls. The colleges with the largest budgets can exist indefinitely off of their investment income, but this only applies to a small number of colleges. Most schools require tuition dollars to keep the lights on. 

Existing student loans are also administered by government policies, though the actual servicing of the loans has been turned over to third party firms. While there is an ongoing debate over the possibility of debt relief, the DOE is still in charge of setting interest rates and terms of repayment for student loans. 

An end to the DOE raises several important questions here, namely as to whether or not this funding will still be available to students, and who will administer it. The struggle with the FAFSA update this year demonstrates how stressful any hiccups with this system can be for students; any alterations here, even if the funding is maintained, will likely create many headaches for students and parents. If the funding is cut off entirely, then many students will need to find alternate sources for funding for college, and may need to take out third party loans. 

Title IX Protections

First passed in the 1970s, Title IX serves to address issues of sex discrimination in education. The Department of Education has the mandate to interpret and enforce these laws, and in so doing impacts college experiences in myriad large and small ways. 

The most visible impact is in collegiate sports. Colleges are required to have equivalent scholarship offers and spending on men’s and women’s athletics. WHile they usually fall somewhat short of equivalent facilities, they do offer equivalent funding for scholarships and recruiting. This has had multiple unanticipated effects, including the long-term dominance of the US Women’s national team in soccer tournaments. 

The protections also extend to sexual harassment on campus. The case established that incidents of sexual harassment count as illegal sexual discrimination, and a barrier to equality in education. The DOE is given the mandate to enforce this by potentially cutting off funding to universities who do not address incidents of sexual harassment or discrimination on their campuses. 

The DOE can further investigate and assess fines on colleges who do not adequately address reports of sexual assault on their campuses. They mandate options for reporting, and define what behaviors constitute assault. This is all done by departmental mandate, and can and has been changed by different administrations.

The Title IX protections still theoretically exist without the DOE, but this leads again to the question of enforcement. Without the DOE to lead investigations or file suit against colleges which do not obey the regulations, then there may as well not be regulations in the first place. These duties could theoretically be given to another government agency, but the impact on college education will be significant. 

Accreditation

How do you know that a college provides a valuable education, rather than merely an incredibly expensive piece of paper? . This is the process of certification which ensures that an education offered by a college does what it is supposed to, and that students receive the value they are supposedly paying for. 

The DOE itself does not accredit colleges; this is done by a series of third party bodies. These bodies are national and regional; there used to be a distinction, but the DOE recently made them equivalent in terms of how their accreditation is handled. Colleges are generally able to self-regulate in terms of what counts for accreditation, but the DOE is able to set general policies. 

We saw the results of their ability to regulate accreditation recently with the crack-down on . These schools, according to the DOE, were making unsubstantiated claims about how well they were preparing students for the job market after graduation, and the salaries students were earning were not commensurate with those of alumni from not-for-profit institutions. 

This impacted a large number of students, both those who were considering attending these schools, and those who already had; the DOE used this move to also begin forgiving debt that students took out to attend these schools. 

There is still a need for accreditation without the DOE, but it is uncertain how it would be handled. It could either be taken over by another governmental department, or outsourced fully to a third party group. This could lead to competing standards for accreditation, depending on how well universities are able to collaborate with each other. 

Final Thoughts

The Department of Education contributes both a fair amount and not much at all to the educational process of American students. We hope this article has shown you the various concerns it oversees, and how it impacts the various levels of education in the US. 

Of course, the way something has been is not always a good guarantee for the future, especially as political winds change. If you want to be updated for the future of education, then our newsletter is a great source of information on the constantly changing course of college education. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how our expertise can help you.

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To this end, some colleges offer deferred admission MBA programs. These are refereed to as 2+2 programs generally; as you spend two years working, then two years completing the program. In this article, we’re going to explore what these programs are, how they work, and whether they’re a good choice for your goals. Let’s jump right in!

What are 2+2 Deferred MBA Programs anyway?

MBAs are generally 1 or 2 year programs, depending on how much material they cover, and how intensive the instruction is. Most MBA programs work the same as college or other graduate programs; you apply and then immediately begin work in the program. Deferred 2+2 programs, however, work differently.

In college admissions, you have the option to defer your attendance for a year. This is a rare choice, but is often done by students who want to work for a year, or have a concrete project they are pursuing which would interfere with their time in college. These students apply as normal, but don’t begin attending the school until a year after they normally would. We explore more how this works for undergraduate programs in this article. 

For deferred 2+2 programs, however, this is structural, and a core component. After you apply and are admitted, there is a built-in two-year gap before you enter the MBA program at the university. This is meant for you to gain experience working, either in the private sector, for the government, or with nonprofits, then apply this experience to what you learn in the MBA program. 

This is generally two years, but can be extended to up to four, depending on the program. Harvard, , has a two year gap as the standard, but allows you to defer up to four years if the work you are doing requires it. 

The reason this exists is because many universities have found that having practical experience helps students succeed in MBA programs. Further, many students who plan on doing MBAs want to work for a spell after college anyway; both as a break from academics and to gain the sort of experience these programs like to see. 

These programs allow students to apply for an MBA while still in undergrad, then have a built-in break to pursue a career before beginning the next phase of their education. The actual work done in the MBA program is standard for these programs; the only real variance is in the structure of the program.

Who Offers 2+2 Programs?

MBA programs vary in quality, with those offered by top schools offering significantly more to students in terms of networking ability and job prospects than lower tier programs. We are therefore not going to list out every single 2+2 deferred MBA program, but give a sample of some of the ones offered by top universities. 

Top schools which offer deferred MBA programs include: 

• : 6-7% acceptance rate
• : 9-12% acceptance rate
• (UPenn): 14-20% acceptance rate
• : 20% acceptance rate
• : 12-20% acceptance rate
• : 14% acceptance rate
• : 18-22% acceptance rate
• : 5% acceptance rate
• : 26-35% acceptance rate
• : 13-20% acceptance rate

This is not an exhaustive list of these programs, but gives you a sense of the options available to you. There are subtle variations in what these programs offer, but that is the case for all MBA programs; the broad generalities are the same, while the specifics differ (much like colleges themselves). 

To give you a sense of these differences, we’re going to look at a few of these programs in more detail, so you get a more in-depth understanding of what they offer. 

This program is aimed at undergraduate students, and in its specifics is exactly the same as ±á˛ą°ů±ą˛ą°ů»ĺ’s regular MBA program. The application is the same as well, though the due date is later. They have preferences for students who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, those who are first generation students, and those who are planning to enter underrepresented industries. 

The program is open to students in their final year of undergraduate study to apply to. If you are in a joint BA/MA program or another master’s program you are eligible to apply, so long as you have not had professional experience. Students enrolled in PhD or MD programs are not eligible to apply for this. 

A GMAT or GRE score is required to apply. TOEFL or IELTS scores are required if your primary language is not English, and you attended an international university where the primary language of instruction is not English. 

If you are accepted by the program, you must pay a $1,000 deposit to secure your spot, and withdraw from all of the other MBA programs (including deferred ones) you applied to. 

As with undergraduate colleges, similar programs at different universities have different names and descriptions, despite being quite similar otherwise. Thus Wharton’s deferred 2+2 MBA program has a different name, despite functioning nearly the same as ±á˛ą°ů±ą˛ą°ů»ĺ’s program structurally. 

You apply for this program during the final year of your undergrad program, or during your graduate degree program. Unlike the Harvard program, you may still apply if you have already graduated from your undergraduate program, but it must be recent. A GMAT or GRE score is required to apply. 

You must pay a split deposit; $1,000 is required when you accept your place in the program; another $1,000 is required the year you would enroll. You must submit a yearly declaration of intent to enroll in the program. You must withdraw from other MBA programs you have applied to, including deferred ones.

This program allows you to apply to ł§łŮ˛ą˛Ô´Ú´Ç°ů»ĺ’s standard MBA program now, then enroll after one to four years of professional experience. A notable difference between this program and others of this type is the one year option; most of these deferred programs require at least two years and up to four, but Stanford allows you to defer for only a single year should you so choose. 

They are looking for either undergraduates in their senior year or graduate students in their final year to apply. Unlike some other programs, they will accept students who are currently pursuing PhDs, MDs, or law degrees, so long as you entered these programs directly out of undergrad, and you did not work full time before beginning your graduate program (this includes full-time internships). 

The application for the deferred program uses the exact same application as ł§łŮ˛ą˛Ô´Ú´Ç°ů»ĺ’s regular MBA program, with all of the same components. You request a certain amount of deferred time when you apply, but they may offer a different amount of time based on your application. A $1,000 deposit is due if you are accepted, with another $1,000 deposit due the year you are set to matriculate. Both are applied to your first year’s tuition for the program. 

UChicago’s deferred MBA program sets itself apart by not including the terms “deferred” or “MBA” in its title. The program accepts applicants who are in their final year of undergrad, including joint Bachelor’s/Master’s programs, but not students who have graduated or those in other graduate programs. If you transitioned directly from undergrad to a master’s program, you are still eligible to apply.

Unlike other deferred programs, you may defer from two to five years before beginning coursework at the Booth school. In all other ways, the coursework you end up taking is the same as that done by all other MBA students at the school. 

GMAT or GRE scores are required in order to apply. If you are an international student whose primary language of instruction in college was not English, you are required to submit scores from an English proficiency test. You must maintain full time employment during the period of deferral. You must submit a form each year of your deferral which updates the program on your employment. 

Is a Deferred MBA Program Right for You?

This depends entirely on your goals with your MBA. Certain careers and fields require one, especially to advance past a certain level within the corporate hierarchy. Some of these fields have additional requirements, and only look for candidates who have both real work experience and an MBA under their belt when they apply. 

This is true of many consulting firms, plus many management positions across a wide array of industries. You should consider what your own ambitions are in light of getting an MBA, and whether or not having career experience would help you attain your overall goals. If so, then a deferred program offers a number of benefits. 

First, and perhaps most importantly, it saves you the stress of applying again. Applying to graduate programs is stressful enough when you’re in undergrad, but when working full time (or more than full time, as is often the case in finance and consulting), finding the time to apply can be a dicey proposition. Having a spot ready and waiting for you already is a major stress reliever. 

Further, having a set time frame to do work then return to an MBA can help you reconfigure your career path, and open new avenues for advancement. There is often a set amount you can advance within one company; having a set deadline where you return to education provides a clean break, often on good terms, and allows you to either pivot the direction of your career, or reinvigorate it in the same setting.

Finally, having real world experience puts a lot of the things you encounter during an MBA into a new light. Having the practical experience with how a business runs, regardless of field, gives you new insights, and lets you take more away from many of the courses you will be taking. This makes the work you do in an MBA far more valuable overall. 

Final Thoughts

MBA programs are a key stepping stone for any number of careers in business and administration, and offer students a wealth of information and experiences. Deferred programs are an avenue of MBAs which many students are unaware of, but which offer a unique set of advantages, especially to students who are already thinking about their long term career goals. 

We hope that this article has given you a good sense of what a deferred MBA program can offer, and the kinds of variance you can find in top programs. If you are looking for help in applying to one of these programs, or advice on planning out just how an MBA can fit into your long term goals, schedule a free consultation with us today. We understand exactly what admissions officers are looking for, and are always happy to hear from you.

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We only have the allegations thus far, and the colleges have not had the chance to respond yet, but these are very serious, and the filing presents remarkable evidence for these claims. In this article we’re going to cover what exactly is being alleged, who suffered from this, and what the outcome of this lawsuit may be. We’re also going to briefly discuss how financial aid is supposed to work for divorced parents, as that is central to the matter at hand. Let’s jump right in!

How Financial Aid Works for Divorced Parents

Even if your parents are divorced, most top colleges expect both to contribute to a student’s expenses for college, even if this isn’t feasible for a variety of reasons. This is not true across the board however. 

FAFSA only requires financial information from one parent in the case of divorce. The parent with more financial resources in the case of split custody, but if one parent has sole custody, only they need to report their resources. Both alimony and child support are considered among the financial resources available to you. 

The CSS Profile does require information from a noncustodial parent, which is then used in calculating your aid award. Some schools do not require this information; a full list of these can be found , but notably includes: 

• UChicago
• Vanderbilt
• Oberlin
• William & Mary
• Loyola Maryland
• Georgia Tech

You may note that none of these schools are named in the lawsuit. While colleges do have a separate form you can fill out on their site in the case of extenuating circumstances, schools tend to only consider a noncustodial parent’s ability to pay, rather than their willingness. 

What Does the Lawsuit Allege?

It is exactly this part of the CSS Profile that is core to the plaintiff’s lawsuit, and is the reason College Board is named amongst the parties being sued. The allegation is that by asking for information from noncustodial parents, colleges were able to inflate the presumed financial resources of the students, and therefore offer less financial aid. 

They further allege that this was the result of coordinated decision-making on the part of the defendants, who acted in concert to implement these policies with the help of the CSS Profile. This collective action made the process seem more inevitable, since it wasn’t just one institution taking part in it. 

As a result of the alleged price fixing, plaintiffs contend that the total cost of tuition was $6,200 more on average at these schools than at other top 50 universities which did not engage in the practice. This is a class action lawsuit, meaning that any judgment would go out to students who the court rules were impacted, if they decide in favor of the plaintiffs. In this case, that would be students who had divorced parents who received financial aid from these universities during a period determined by litigation. 

For motivation, the colleges colluded because they did not want to compete with each other for students on this metric. Previously, colleges would have lower yield if they asked for financial information from a noncustodial parent, as students chose to apply to schools which did not ask. The introduction of the CSS Profile, and the increase in schools using it, allowed many top schools to act in concert when asking these financial questions, thus lowering the competitiveness of the market.

What do the Accused Colleges Say?

Most of the accused colleges have chosen to remain silent; they have policies of not commenting on ongoing legal action. Those that have commented have of course denounced the allegations as groundless, and promised that they will be exonerated over the course of the ensuing trial. 

This is unsurprising; when accused of wrongdoing, very few people will immediately say: “Yep, you got me. We had a good run though didn’t we? Really had you fooled!” Even if they are responsible for these allegations, they certainly aren’t going to admit to it publicly. That is what the lawsuit is for. 

We should note that this lawsuit will take time, and further details will emerge periodically through rounds of discovery and testimony. At the moment, we only have the initial filing by the plaintiffs. While this is a truly worrying allegation, we will have to wait until more evidence is revealed before we can say anything about what actually happened. 

What Does This Lawsuit Mean for You?

At the moment, not much. While lawsuits can result in significant changes, in the short term, they do very little; they take a long time to wind their way through the courts, and for final judgments to be rendered. That said, there are several groups who can expect to see something from this lawsuit. 

First, any major changes are predicated on the court siding with the plaintiffs. If courts side with the colleges, then the colleges will continue acting as they have, and nothing will change. This will have no impact on you, since your situation will remain the same as it was prior to the lawsuit being filed. 

If the courts decide with the plaintiffs, then several groups will see impacts. First, students in the class who have graduated from college in the period discussed by the case will see some monetary return. As with all class action lawsuits, this is likely to be a small amount for each individual, regardless of how large the total judgment is for.

A more notable change will be for students with divorced parents who are actively applying for financial aid. While colleges may still ask for financial information from noncustodial parents, this case is likely to discourage it, and may even force College Board to reconfigure the CSS Profile. While the exact results remain to be seen, we predict that this will result in more generous aid offers for children with divorced parents. 

Is Collusion on Financial Aid Common?

This is a difficult question to answer, because collusion is, by its very nature, a secret practice, done out of sight. We do know that this lawsuit is not the only one; earlier this year, and last year, other colleges a lawsuit which contended they fixed prices to limit the amount of need-based aid they awarded students. While the colleges admitted no wrongdoing, millions of dollars is now being amongst parties to the lawsuit. 

As for why colleges would collude on financial aid, the answer is as easy as it is boring: money. Money is at the root of all kinds of malfeasance, and while colleges do have higher aims, they are organizations like any other, run by people like anyone else, and can fall afoul of the same misdeeds that plague any other kind of institution. 

The reason this draws so much attention is because of the incredible cost of college, and how unfair it feels for colleges to be adding on to these already very steep charges, especially for students in need of their assistance. This often leads colleges to settle, even if they claim no wrongdoing, simply to get the stories out of the public mind. 

Overall, we don’t think actual collusion on financial aid is all that common, but many universities do keep an eye on their competitors. There’s a reason that most financial aid offers are similar, why top colleges have similar cutoffs for who gets aid, and why incredibly different schools have similar policies on aid. This isn’t any grand plan to cheat you, but the simple movements of a market self-adjusting. 

Final Thoughts

College is expensive, incredibly so, and the price is only increasing each year. Any sign that this price is even steeper than it needs to be due to malfeasance understandably causes consternation, so we aren’t surprised by this latest story grabbing . We’ll have to wait and see what result this case has, if any, but the worries many students have about affording college are clear. 

If you’re worried about affording college, or want advice on how to apply strategically to maximize your chances of financial aid, we can help. We have long experience helping students get the most out of their education, and find the best scholarship opportunities for their needs. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more, or check out our pro bono Laurel Scholars program. We look forward to hearing from you in either case, we love helping students succeed with their educational goals.

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The federal government is concerned about this as well; they don’t want students taking out onerous loans for no reason, especially when they are the guarantor of those loans. Their program to ensure this is the concise and easy to remember Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment act. In this article, we’ll discuss the purpose of this act, how it works, and how it can help you. Let’s get started!

What is the Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment Act?

The act itself is the latest update of an old piece of legislation, the . This is the act which established most of the modern federal funding for education, including loans, unsubsidized loans, Pell Grants, and other significant sources of money for students. Generally, if you can receive federal funding by filling out the FAFSA, it is because of this act. 

Unfortunately, some institutions sought to take advantage of both students and the federal government. For-profit colleges provided a substandard level of education, charged high fees, and encouraged students to take out high loans. The level of education provided by these schools was often poor, leaving graduates unable to get the kind of jobs other college graduates were qualified for, and thereby unable to pay back their government loans. 

In order to combat this, various amendments to the original act have been introduced. As the act has changed over the years, the impact of for-profit schools has waxed and waned, with each administration prioritizing their actions differently. The latest update came in 2023, and entered full effect on July 1, 2024. This is the act mentioned above, generally abbreviated .

The purpose of this is to increase financial transparency from colleges for students; all colleges which received any federal funding are required to have net price calculators on their websites, and to make clear how much they charge, and what the overall cost to students will be up front. 

Further, the act seeks to limit abuses by for-profit colleges, and make sure that students receive an education which allows them to become gainfully employed. This applies to both vocational schools and more traditional colleges. 

Finally, there have been plans to use the act to serve debt relief programs, when certain schools are identified which took advantage of students by not providing full transparency or which misrepresented the value of their programs. There have been significant federal loan forgiveness programs for students who attended these for-profit institutions. 

How Does This Impact Me?

While some of the data compiled by these reports is publicly available, much of it is in fairly dense formatting. That is because this information is meant primarily for government use, to make sure any college receiving federal funds (directly or through loans) is following all of the required regulations associated with these. 

This legislation does impact you in several ways, a few of which are visible to and directly accessible by you. We’ll go through each of these in turn, and explain how to make use of them.

Net Price Calculator

A net price calculator is something all colleges receiving federal funding must have on their sites. The form and function of these can vary; for example, compare calculator to . The intent of them is universal though; to give you an approximation of how much you will need to pay to attend a particular college based on your financial situation. 

They work by having you enter details of your financial situation, and running these through the aid policies of a college. This should tell you how much a college costs overall, how much aid you can expect to get, and how much in total you will be expected to pay. Note that these are not absolute, but only serve as estimates. Your actual aid award from a given college can be different from what a calculator suggests. 

You should use the Net Price Calculator provided by every college you add to your college list, especially if the cost of college is a major concern for you. If a college does not provide any kind of price calculator on their site, that is a significant red flag; the education department provides schools with a template to work from, so they have no excuse to avoid having one unless they have something to hide. 

College Scorecard

While the data from colleges is not collected in any easily viewable way on the FVTGE site, the government does present all of this data in a more accessible form for students through the . To see how this works, let’s look at the entry for . 

The scorecard presents you with the school’s graduation rate, its average cost of attendance, and career and income data for graduates. Note that this data only comes from students who receive federal assistance, either grants or loans, but this provides a good picture of the value a school provides, and the cost associated with that value. 

To compare, let’s look at , a for-profit school. Their graduation rate is lower, their costs are higher, and the average earnings of graduates is only marginally higher than the average for high school graduates. You do not need to look up the college scorecard for every school, but if you are suspicious of a college’s quality, this is a great external source to verify if it is worth your time and money. 

Student Loan Debt

There is an ongoing debate on the rising costs of student loan debt, and whether and how any of it should be forgiven. This is less of a concern for future students, but know that adjustments to how college debt is handled will likely stem from new applications of this law. 

A Note on For-Profit Colleges

Much of the debate and revision to the Higher Education Act has been in response to the actions of for-profit colleges, many of which have been accused of misleading students, and taking advantage of government programs while providing little in value. While this is not true for all vocational schools, there is a large subsection of for-profit colleges which do not provide value equivalent to their costs.

We recommend looking into any college which offers something which seems too good to be true, or which advertises aggressively. The tools provided by this act, and the public reporting by the US Government offer some protections to consumers, but being informed is still your best defense.

Final Thoughts

The government has a lot of influence over how education works in the US, both through the laws they set and because of how many students rely on federal loans to pay for college in the first place. As college is such a large purchase, it makes sense that they try to have some laws to protect the primary consumers: the students. After all, if students take out loans and can’t pay them back, that hurts everyone involved. 

We hope this article has given you a good understanding of how this act works, and how these regulations can impact you, and your search for college. There are many tools and a lot of information out there, but finding and using it can be a major challenge for many students, as much of it is not well publicized. We have a long history helping students navigate the complicated admissions landscape, and find the information they need to make informed decisions when applying to college. If you want to learn more about how this works, or have questions specific to your situation, schedule a free consultation today. We’re always happy to hear from you.

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In this article, we’re going to explore another aspect of educational rankings: high schools. Much like how there are many ways and rankers for colleges, so too are there many rankings and metrics for high schools. We’re going to start by looking at the methodology of these rankings, and some shortcomings of them generally; then we’re going to go through the most popular rankings of US high schools, to give you a guide to all the ways they are weighed and measured. Let’s get started!

How do High School Rankings Work?

The purpose of high school is multifaceted, because its original purpose has evolved. There was a time when a high school education alone was enough to prepare a student for a career, and only a small percentage of students went on to further education. Now, the purpose for most high schools is to prepare students for the next step in their educational journey, be that college or trade school. 

Thus how effective a certain high school is depends on what you think the role of high schools is. Most rankings are aimed at students and parents interested in applying to colleges, and so are evaluated on that metric. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does impact the rankings in some interesting ways. 

Many rankings also divide schools into categories, allowing you to view the best schools in a certain geographic region, or only the best public schools, or only the best private schools. In combined lists, the top schools are often private schools. This is because of what metrics they use.

By their nature, private schools are selective about who they enroll, while public schools for the most part are not. Many top private schools have application processes reminiscent of college applications, and some are nearly as competitive. They are allowed to only take the best prepared students, and have the financial means to provide them with all of the resources necessary to succeed.

Public schools, in contrast, generally enroll everyone in their district, with some limited exceptions in the form of selective enrollment magnet schools. Thus while the very brightest students at well-performing public schools have many of the same resources and opportunities as their peers in private schools, the average performance at public schools tends to lag behind. 

We go more in depth into how you can tell whether or not a school has the right opportunities for you in our guide to choosing a high school. Our purpose here is to explain why private schools tend to universally dominate the rankings of the top rated high schools, regardless of who is doing the ranking.

Finally, some specialized high schools are not ranked highly, but provide wonderful opportunities for students in specific niches. This is especially true for high schools which focus on the arts. While these schools tend to have strong academic programs, these are not their only focus. If you are interested in performing arts, then you should look for arts high schools specifically, rather than viewing their rankings compared to their peers.

The Different High School Rankings

There are many different organizations which rank high schools. We will go through each in turn, and cover the benefits and shortcomings of their particular approach, and discuss the methodology they use to get their specific results.

Just as with college rankings, US News has the most cited list of high school rankings in the US. Their rankings are subdivided specifically; while there is an overall list, they also provide the best high schools by both state and metropolitan area. Unlike with colleges, almost everyone attends high school close to home, so knowing the best high schools close to your location is often the most important thing to be able to judge. 

Separating public schools by state also makes sense generally. Educational policies are set at the state level, and the standards students in Mississippi need to meet are very different from those in Pennsylvania. Schools are best compared against their peers, and for public schools, that means comparing them at the state level. 

The used by US News considers six different factors, each of which has its own weighting. These are combined to determine each school’s overall score. They do include information on how a school performs relative to both its district and state. This can be useful, since it lets you know how good a school is in its circumstances, and whether you should look outside that district for educational excellence. 

The factors they consider are: 

• College readiness (30%). This is calculated based on the school’s participation in AP or IB testing. 
• College curriculum breadth (10%). This is based on students taking and earning qualifying scores on multiple AP exams.
• State assessment proficiency (20%). This is based on how many students are proficient based on their state’s standardized testing. This is another reason why comparing schools between states is problematic; each state has their own proficiency standards.
• State assessment performance (20%). This measures how well students at the school do on state assessments compared to predicted results.
• Underserved student performance (10%). This measures the success of underserved and low income students on state assessments. This is measured compared to the median performance for their state.
• Graduation rate (10%). This measures what percentage of entering freshman graduate four years later.

These rankings are good for a rough view of which schools do the best on a few select metrics, but are a very broad overview, and do not cover all of the quirks within a school. They are better at highlighting which districts over or underperform within a state, which many parents want to consider when deciding where to move.

Originally created just to rank colleges, Niche expanded its rankings to other areas of education, including K-12 schools. They now have a ranking of the best highschools in the US, and allow you to narrow this by both location and category, so you can view just the best religious schools in an area for example.

Their for this list is interesting, as they don’t go into the fine details of how they do it. Schools are generally evaluated based on the following weighted categories: 

• Academics (60%). This broad category combines performance on state assessments, college enrollment success, and survey results from Niche users.
• Culture & Diversity (12.5%). This is based on demographic data and survey results.
• Surveys on Overall Experience (10%). This is based entirely on surveys and reviews completed by Niche users on their experience with a school.
• Teachers Grade (10%). Based on teacher salaries, absenteeism, and survey responses on teachers.
• Clubs & Activities (2.5%). Based on expenditures per student and survey responses.
• Resources & Facilities (2.5%). Based on expenditures per student, staffing data, and survey responses.
• Sports (2.5%). Based on the number of sports, number of participants, and survey responses.

One thing stands out immediately, namely that a significant portion of their data comes from survey responses submitted to Niche. While these can be a great source of data, they are hardly unbiased, and may not paint a complete picture of a school. That said, Niche is one of the best resources to find reviews of high schools from students and parents who have interacted with them.

As with all product reviews online however, take everything you read with a grain of salt. Niche is a great supplement to other rankings, but the overreliance on survey data makes the results they get questionable.

Newsweek just uses Niche rankings, with some additional commentary provided. This is useful at times, but we recommend just going to Niche in the first place.

GreatSchools is a nonprofit organization that ranks and compares K-12 schools, with a focus on public schools especially (though they also compare and rank private and charter schools). 

They out of 10 on a number of different metrics, with 10 being the best and 1 the worst. There is an overall summary rating, and then four different categories: 

• Student progress. This measures whether students progress during their time at the school, based on their performance on state standardized tests. This is sometimes swapped out for academic progress, depending on what level of data the state and school make available for students.
• College readiness. This measures graduation data, student success on the SAT and ACT, and student participation and success in advanced courses, such as AP and IB coursework and exams.
• Equity rating. This measures both the performance of disadvantaged students at the school, and any gaps which exist between their performance and that of their peers.
• Test score rating. This ranks schools based on their performance on state standardized tests, seeing how many students are proficient based on the standards of the state. 

These rankings are somewhat broad, but do serve as a useful way to quickly compare the strengths of different schools. This works best for schools in the same town or state, as different educational standards between states can impact these rankings significantly. 

Final Thoughts

High school is an important time for students, as it is the culmination of their educational journey on one hand, and the preparation for the next step on the other. Here students begin to understand just what they might want to do afterwards, and the support they receive in high school sets them up for all else they will undertake going forward. The high school they attend matters greatly for this, and for their chances of attending a top college.

We hope that this article has helped you understand the various rankings of high schools out there, along with their strengths and shortcomings. These rankings can be helpful, but do not give you the full picture of a school, and how it might support your student. If you want help finding the right highschool, or managing the transition to it, schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students find the right academic home, and are always happy to hear from you.

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We’ve discussed rankings before in a general sense, and raised some criticisms of them. In this article we’re going to go more in depth, and cover the most popular of the college ranking sites, covering how they work and their shortcomings. We’ll also include a section at the end on how you can use rankings, and when you should disregard them.

US News is the original source of college rankings, the longest running one, and arguably the best known source of college rankings. They began as a purely reputational ranking, but realized that was hard to describe as scientific. Now they evaluate colleges on a collection of .

These mostly focus on student performance; how many students graduate, how big the class sizes are, the debt of graduates, how well first generation students perform, and how much academic output the school’s faculty have. Notably, however, the single biggest factor in the rankings is still peer assessment, at 20%. 

There has been significant of the list, with the most pointed comment being that you already know what the top schools are going to be before it’s published. It’s always going to be Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, or MIT. There might be some excitement in the top ten, but for all the fluctuation, the list has remained relatively static for its entire existence. Caltech took the top spot exactly once, and they drastically changed their methodology immediately afterwards. 

The point of the methodology used by US News is, in part, to ensure that the colleges which you expect to be on top are on top. They began with their conclusion, and have altered their methodology to match. While there is more movement outside the top 20, many schools have purposefully and intentionally gamed the rankings; is the most famous for doing so, but they are hardly alone. 

While US News has the best known rankings, they exist to confirm what we all already “know” (even if we aren’t sure how we know). They are a thermometer for cultural zeitgeist, and list the best colleges as what we all expect to hear. 

Unlike most other rankings organizations in this article, Times Higher Education focuses on international universities, not just US ones. While they do produce a US-only list, they are best known for their global rankings. They are the second most commonly cited organization after US News. 

As with US News, however, the single most important factor in their rankings is still reputation, which they actually count twice; both for teaching and research. They have a significantly higher focus on research than some other rankings as well, which has led to . While citations and research are incredibly important for academic progress, they matter far less for the experience of undergraduates. How recently your professor has published is unlikely to change your experience in your introductory Stats class. 

The price of education is also not factored into the rankings, which may also be important to consider for students. Many universities in Europe are low cost or free, which is significantly less expensive than their US counterparts. 

Poets & Quants is a website primarily dedicated to reviewing graduate business degree programs, and is most well known for their rankings and explorations of MBA programs. They do review undergraduate business programs as well, though they tend to focus on these instead of reviewing colleges more generally. While they used to be an independent website, they were acquired by Times Higher Education in 2023. 

Their evaluations of business programs come from data from both the schools themselves and from alumni surveys. They break down how they weight each factor, and explain their reasoning in some depth. They also clarify that they aren’t attempting to rank and review all of the business programs in the country, but a sampling of the best ones. Their list only had 90-odd entries on it this year. 

We believe this list is useful specifically for students interested in the merits of different business programs, or to get a sense of some top business programs that they may not have heard of before. For students not interested in business, it is somewhat less helpful.

Forbes is best known as a magazine focused on the economy, but entered into creating their own college rankings list in 2008. As you might expect from their prior orientation, their ranking is heavily concerned with affordability and career outcomes, with schools that provide students with the best jobs for the lowest debt load frequently ranking highly. 

One unique feature of their rankings is their reliance on notable alumni; that is those who are ranked highly by Forbes itself on various metrics, and those who win significant achievements (such as Nobel prizes). There are a few potential issues with this, the first being the alarming trend for Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees to be . Further, the peak success of some alumni does not necessarily point to major success for all students; in most statistical analyses these people are seen as outliers and excluded from data sets. That said, we do commend Forbes for their focus on economic concerns, especially as the affordability of college is an ever-present concern.

Quacquarelli Symonds (usually abbreviated QS) is a higher education analysis firm based in London. Their rankings are also known as topuniversities.com, as that is the web address they are found at, and that is an easier to remember name. They originally published their rankings in collaboration with Times Higher Education, but have worked independently since 2009. Like THE, they rank universities globally, not just ones in the US. 

As with several other rankings, they use reputation as the single most important metric, weighted at 30%. They also have a major focus on faculty citations; while these are a good thing to see, they are often not directly impactful on undergraduate experiences. 

(ARWU)

Published by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy is the third of the global university rankings to be widely read, alongside QS and THE, and like them seeks to evaluate all global universities using the same metrics. Note that not all universities are evaluated; only those with professors who have significant academic achievements; Nobel Prizes, Field Medals, or publication in journals such as Nature. They publish 1,000 ranked universities on their list. 

Their ranking is heavily based on research output, both of current faculty and alumni. This is weighted based on the size of the university, which is positive, but does not really speak to the student experience. Indeed, some professors who engage in research full time may rarely ever interact with undergraduates. While this is impressive for the rankings, it does little for your experience in college.

There has also been some criticism of this approach for overly favoring STEM subjects, and those which prioritize high research output. Poets & Quants focuses on business programs specifically, but they make this clear. ARWU claims to evaluate all universities by this metric, but seems unconcerned at how it focuses on STEM fields.

Niche combines both student reviews of universities and rankings of those universities. Their discussion on their methodology is both interesting and sorely lacking; they describe how they combine data from student surveys with data from government agencies and reports rather than from universities themselves. This is a good trend; we’ve seen several cases where universities manipulate data to impact their spot in the rankings.

In spite of this, they don’t go into any detail on what statistics they use, or from which agencies. They also don’t touch on how they weigh any of these factors, or much depth on what factors are even considered. This makes their rankings difficult to parse, because it’s hard to know what exactly they are evaluating these colleges on.

This doesn’t make them useless; student reviews are a good way to get a sense of what current students think of the school they are attending. These too should be taken with a grain of salt however; just as with product reviews most are either going to come from those who loved it or who hated it, and may not provide a full picture of what life at the school is like.

This is a college admissions and tutoring company, and is not associated with Princeton University (just as łÔąĎąŮÍř is not associated with the Ivy League). They publish their own list of college rankings.

Their list is based entirely on surveys of students at the schools, and does not create an ordered ranking list, but instead lists the top 25 in each of their categories, with no further rank beyond that. In some ways this is helpful; students can evaluate some parts of college life very well, especially from the perspective of a student. That said, they may not be the best source on how well a school is preparing them for life after graduation. Opinion surveys are a good resource, but they are no replacement for good hard data.

Are College Rankings Useful?

This is really the crux of the issue. We’ve gone over the most cited and popular college rankings, both nationally and globally, but do they really mean anything? Most have the same leveled against them, many of which are valid. So are these rankings useful at all for students?

Yes, kind of. 

The fact of the matter is that reputation does matter for students. As we discuss in our article on career outcomes, reputation is one factor many companies consider when recruiting graduates of certain programs, and reputation is what makes some schools feeders for business or law school. Knowing which schools have the best reputation can be helpful, even if that doesn’t tell you much about how good of a fit the school is for you. 

College rankings can be a useful starting point when beginning your college search, or can expose you to schools you might otherwise be unaware of. But they all have their own shortcomings, and all rankings should be taken with a grain of salt.

Final Thoughts

The human desire to know what’s the best, the fastest, the newest, the shiniest is probably innate in some way, but that doesn’t make it relevant to college admissions. What really matters is how well a college fits with your wants and needs, which is often not represented at all in its spot in the rankings.

Of course, it can be quite difficult to know whether or not a college is right for you without a good deal of research. As students apply to more and more colleges each year, this becomes an increasingly daunting task, especially with all of the other demands high school students have on their time. 

We have a long experience in helping students find the schools that best fit with their needs, and have an in-depth knowledge of what colleges offer. If you want guidance researching and applying to colleges, and understanding what they offer in more depth than you can find in a spot on a rankings list, then schedule a free consultation today. We’re always happy to help you find your collegiate home.

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In this article we’re going to explore the implications of the merger, both what it means in the moment, and what it signifies for the broader college landscape. This merger matters most for students at the two schools of course, but its causes and after effects will ripple through the rest of higher education, and are worth exploring. Let’s jump right in!

Which Colleges are Merging, and Why?

Northeastern University is a large private research university based in Boston. They are a good school, but are also well known for their aggressive push to climb in the US News rankings, and their other recent expansions. They have grown remarkably in recent years, absorbing two other colleges since 2019; the New College of the Humanities in London and Mills College in Oakland. 

Marymount Manhattan College, on the other hand, is a small private liberal arts college in Manhattan. They were founded as a Catholic school, as the name suggests, but are no longer associated with any faith. They have a particular focus on the performing arts, with strong connections to the dance and theatre scene in New York. 

Both schools have their own motivations for the merger. Marymount has seen declining enrollment since the pandemic, and while they are still financially solvent, they are dependent on tuition to keep afloat. As their pool of students has dropped from above 2,000 to closer to 1,400, they believe that the merger is the best way to keep the school viable, and that it will be unable to survive on its own. The closure of other liberal arts colleges in New York, including and suggests that this is not a limited phenomenon. 

Northeastern, in contrast, has seen a dramatic surge in interest in recent years. The number of applications they receive has gone up significantly, and while they can expand their offerings in Boston somewhat, adding a whole new campus, and all of its student availability, is the fastest way to expand. On top of this, the school gives them a toehold in New York, a business and cultural capital of the world. Boston is a grand city, but a campus in New York will let them build new opportunities for their students. Location, as they say, is everything. 

What Impacts Will This Have on Northeastern and Marymount

The first thing to note is that while this major was just announced, like all mergers, it needs to receive before it is allowed to proceed. This could postpone it for as much as two years before it goes into effect. Thus we will not see any effects on the ground for a while. The universities have announced their plans for how this merger will affect students and faculty, but when it actually occurs is an open question. 

Students at Marymount will be directly enrolled in Northeastern, and be able to continue their studies in their chosen field. They will receive personalized guidance to ensure they are able to navigate their studies and graduate on time. Students at Northeastern will gain access to the resources at Marymount as well, but those appear to be in for more of a shakeup. 

The faculty at Marymount will receive one year contracts, and be considered for tenured, tenure track, and non tenure track positions based on availability. This is much worse for the faculty, as there is no guarantee that tenured faculty at Marymount will receive tenure at Northeastern. 

Northeastern is also looking to expand and possibly modify the course offerings at Marymount’s campus going forward. While they will likely keep the performing arts focus, they are likely to add significant coursework in business and technology, as the school’s Manhattan location makes those fields very attractive. Northeastern already sends a small number of students to do internship experiences in New York; a new campus in the city will only expand those opportunities. 

Once the merger is complete, admissions will be run solely through Northeastern, and Marymount will be renamed to Northeastern University – New York City. While there are likely plans beyond that, they are being played close to the chest for now, save for general comments about an expanded need for faculty at the new campus. 

What This Merger Signifies for Colleges Generally

This merger is the latest canary for small liberal arts colleges, many of which have experienced increasing pressure after the Covid 19 pandemic. College enrollment as a whole has been steadily declining since then, even as application rates are significantly up at the most competitive schools. The institutions being squeezed the hardest by this are small private liberal arts colleges, especially those without major names or large endowments. 

These schools rely directly on tuition funding to remain solvent, and so need students to enroll who are able to pay some or most of the tuition expenses. As more students opt to attend lower cost options, such as state and community colleges, private liberal arts colleges are left in a pinch. 

Whether or not we will see more mergers like this is uncertain, but we believe it is unlikely. Northeastern is an exception, rather than a rule; most universities expand slowly, if at all, and the ones who open new campuses generally do so abroad, rather than within the US. That said, mergers of several small liberal arts colleges together may happen, as they pool their resources to attempt to remain afloat. WHile we have not seen this yet, as closures mount, some may look for whatever options are available to them.

The high cost of college is one of the largest factors in why this is happening. While the most expensive universities are pushing $100,000 a year in tuition costs, all prices are rising steeply. This leads to students wanting to ensure that the price they pay is worth it, and focusing on schools seen as providing the best return on investment. This focuses on two categories: public schools with lower tuition rates, and the very top tier of private schools, ones which students believe give them a better chance of landing high paying careers. 

What the Northeastern Merger Means for You

Unless you are currently a student at Northeastern or Marymount, this merger is unlikely to impact you directly in the near future. If you are considering applying to Northeastern, then the expanded opportunities in New York the merger will provide may serve as another point in their favor; though this of course depends on your own priorities for your collegiate studies. 

The broader implications of the merger may be of more interest to some students. As the acceptance rate drops at many top universities, it’s actually becoming easier to get accepted at some other schools where registration is falling. The trick is determining where this is the case.

While the very top tier of small liberal arts colleges is still maintaining their enrollment rates, as you go down to the second and third tier liberal arts institutions, where endowments are smaller and they are more dependent on tuition to remain solvent, they are becoming more desperate for students. 

Many of these schools are need-aware in admissions. Specifically, if you are able to pay the full cost of tuition, you will receive an advantage in admissions. This doesn’t mean you can get in regardless of your grades, but that they may be more willing to overlook shortcomings in other areas of your application. 

This can alter your college list and application strategy, as a higher tier liberal arts college may be struggling to manage their enrollment successfully. This can make it easier to get into a high tier school than it would be otherwise, so long as you are careful about where to apply. Note that this only applies to these small liberal arts schools, not to larger high tier research universities. 

Final Thoughts

The college landscape is constantly shifting; while this is a larger change than most it is not unprecedented. It remains to be seen if any other universities will follow in Northeastern’s footsteps and merge with a small liberal arts college to expand their footprint. We don’t anticipate it spreading, but will be sure to let you know if any changes develop. 

College applications, and the entire higher education system, is incredibly complicated, with many caveats and pitfalls when trying to apply to top schools. We hope this article has explored one such, and the strategic implications thereof. If you want advice on college application strategy, either related to this or any other aspect of your journey to college, schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students in every step of their educational journey, and are always happy to hear from you. 

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