UGA, Tulane, And TCU Dropped Their Supplemental Essays. Don't Mistake That For Easier Admissions.

Parents are about to see something that feels completely backward. Schools like the University of Georgia, Tulane University, and Texas Christian University are removing supplemental essays and short-answer questions from their applications. On the surface, this sounds like good news for stressed teenagers. Less writing. Less pressure. Faster applications.


But these changes may actually make admissions even more competitive at these schools. "Easier" applications mean more students apply, which creates larger applicant pools filled with academically qualified teenagers who often look very similar on paper.

In that environment, transcripts and SAT or ACT scores may matter more than ever because they remain two of the clearest signals colleges use to measure academic preparation and rigor. Students should focus less on collecting random resume lines and more on building real depth in the classes, activities, and interests that connect to who they are and what they may want to study.

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These three schools have become dramatically more competitive over the last five years. The University of Georgia received more than 51,000 applications this year, a 47% increase over the last five years driven heavily by out of state demand. Tulane University has seen its admit rate fall to roughly 8% after years of rapid national growth. Texas Christian University has evolved from a more regional university into a nationally recognized destination attracting students from across the country. These schools are no longer competing primarily for local applicants. They are competing nationally, and simpler applications will likely accelerate that trend even further.


Families often assume simpler applications mean colleges are becoming easier to get into. In reality, the opposite usually happens. When colleges remove extra essays, far more students apply because there is less work involved. A student who may have skipped an application because of one more writing supplement may now apply anyway. That means larger applicant pools, lower admit rates, and more students competing for the same number of seats.


AI is also shaping these decisions. Admissions offices know students are increasingly using AI tools to brainstorm, edit, and sometimes heavily generate essays. Colleges still care deeply about authentic student voice, but many admissions readers no longer trust short supplemental essays the way they once did. Instead, they are placing more weight on parts of the application that feel harder to manufacture or polish quickly with technology.


This is creating what many admissions officers quietly describe as “the brutal middle.” Thousands of students now look qualified on paper. Strong GPA. AP classes. Leadership roles. Volunteer work. The challenge is that admissions offices are sorting through enormous groups of students who all appear capable of succeeding academically. As supplemental essays disappear, students have fewer opportunities late in the process to explain inconsistencies or reshape how colleges understand them.


That means transcript rigor matters more. Course selection matters more. Long-term involvement matters more. SAT and ACT scores may also become increasingly important for students trying to stand out in giant applicant pools filled with strong applicants. A high score cannot guarantee admission, but it can help create clearer academic differentiation when thousands of students already have strong grades and similar resumes. As applications become easier to submit, colleges are leaning harder on measurable academic signals they trust.


The students who stand out are usually not the students doing the most. They are the students whose applications feel clear and connected over time. The future engineer whose classes and activities consistently revolve around building and problem solving. The business student who shows sustained interest in entrepreneurship across multiple years. The psychology applicant whose experiences reflect a genuine curiosity about people and behavior. Admissions readers are increasingly looking for coherence, not just accomplishment.