What Changed in 2025?

Three major shifts reshaped the college admissions landscape this year—and together, they’ve created what many are now calling the “next normal”:

• Fewer students are graduating from high school. With the national birthrate declining, colleges are facing a smaller pool of applicants.
• Budget pressures are rising. Cuts in federal funding and shifting financial priorities have left many schools scrambling to close gaps.
• Application behavior is harder to predict. More students are applying to more schools, and many are waiting longer to commit. This makes it difficult for colleges to know how many admitted students will actually enroll.
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Here are three surprising trends we've seen so far during this year's extended admissions cycle:

Big Merit Scholarships Arrived After May 1

In a surprising move, many colleges are sending out major scholarship offers after students had already committed to other schools. These weren’t minor incentives—some students received new offers worth $20,000 to $40,000 per year, adding up to $80,000 or more over four years. Colleges like Syracuse, Santa Clara, Seton Hall, and University of Miami were among those extending generous merit aid packages so far this May.

Why now? Many schools are feeling pressure to meet enrollment targets. With fewer students committing early and more families weighing cost heavily in their decisions, colleges are using late-stage financial offers to secure more students—especially those with strong academic profiles. For families, these surprise offers can create a tough question: stick with the original plan or take a second look at a better financial fit?

Waitlists Are Bigger, Earlier, and More Active Than Ever

Waitlists, once seen as long-shot backups, played a major role this year. Colleges used them not as a last resort, but as a core part of their enrollment strategy.

Here are some examples:

• Boston University has offered waitlist spots to more than 15,000 students—and admitted 1,800 so far.
• Cornell admitted 388 students off the waitlist after offering spots to over 8,000.
• Emory extended more than 6,000 waitlist offers and admitted over 100 students.

And the process isn’t over. Many colleges are still admitting students from waitlists well into the summer. Some began pulling from their waitlists as early as mid-April—weeks before May 1. Others are clearly planning to continue through July and even into August. That means your student’s admissions journey may not be over, even if a deposit has already been submitted.

Summer Is Now Part of the Decision Season

In the past, summer was the time to exhale—college decisions were made, deposits were in, and families could shift into celebration mode. But for many students in the high school class 2025, summer has become another active phase in the admissions process.

Colleges are continuing to admit students off waitlists and extend new financial aid offers. For many families, this means revisiting decisions that were thought to be final. If your teen is still on a waitlist or receives a new offer, you may need to evaluate options all over again.

This doesn’t mean you should automatically change course—but it does mean those college conversations may last longer than expected. Staying flexible and focused on what matters most—academic fit, financial clarity, and well-being—can help your teen make a thoughtful decision, even later in the game.

What This Means for the Class of 2026 and Beyond

If your teen is a rising senior or junior, here’s what we want you to know:

• Expect changes to continue. Even if your student commits to a college this spring, things might still shift in the summer. Keep an eye on waitlist updates and financial aid portals.
• Leave room for late decisions. Whether it’s holding off on ordering dorm essentials or simply staying open to new conversations, it helps to keep some flexibility.
• Mentally prepare for a longer timeline. Admissions now unfold in phases—early, regular, and summer. The more patience and perspective you bring to each stage, the better.

We often remind families that college admissions today isn’t a sprint—it’s more like a triathlon. There are multiple legs to the journey, and the course may change along the way. But with clear goals, steady support, and a flexible mindset, your teen can still find the right school—and feel confident in the path that gets them there.