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By Paula Wheeler
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We have seen that admissions and policies at highly selective universities typically affect the broader higher education landscape. While admissions data for the class of 2030 is still being finalized, some of this admission cycle’s big-picture trends in selective college admissions are already emerging.
A Shift in Standardized Testing Requirements
Dartmouth made a splash in 2024 by returning to test-required admissions, after many schools went test optional when the pandemic limited opportunities for students who sought to take an SAT or ACT. Soon to follow were Harvard, Yale (which instated “test-flexible” policy), Brown, and University of Texas-Austin (as selective as some Ivies for out-of-state applicants). For students who applied to start college in Fall 2026, Cornell, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania and even previously test-blind Cal Tech began requiring standardized tests. Princeton applicants applying for Fall 2027 admission will also need to submit test scores. Today, among the Ivy League, only Columbia maintains a policy of being permanently test-optional.
Potentially influenced by the highly selectives, the University of Miami asked for test scores from this cycle’s applicants. Test-optional policies at Vanderbilt and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are also set to expire for fall 2027 applicants.
Super Selective Schools’ Admission Rates Continue to Fall
Even with a minor decline in the U.S.’s number of 2026 high school graduates versus 2025 (reportedly less than 0.5%), the most competitive universities continue to admit smaller percentages of applicants, suggesting that competition will remain fierce for top colleges even as the applicant pool shrinks. Brown, Emory, MIT, and Notre Dame are among schools that have reported admitting a smaller percentage of applicants to their classes of 2030 versus their classes of 2029.**
More Applications, More Competition
Commonapp.org recently reported a 2% increase in the number of applicants who used its platform to apply to colleges, as well as reporting 5% more applications to the public and private schools on its platform as compared with the 2024-25 cycle.* This growth was despite a 9% drop in international applicants. In addition, the number of schools applied to per student is averaging 6.59, up slightly from last cycle’s 6.41.
High school students interested in similarly competitive institutions will want to start as early as possible to start creating a profile that will stand out in a sea of highly qualified applicants. This includes making strategic choices about course selection, summer opportunities, leadership, impact and test prep. With our expertise in college application advising and standardized test prep, Galin Education is here to help! Our guidance helps students highlight their strengths, improve where needed, and position themselves in the best possible way when entering ever-more-selective application pools. Please reach out to us any time to get started!
*Data collected through March 1, 2026
**Applicants who applied early (fall 2025).
