Expert Admissions hosted a webinar to discuss trends and insights from the 2025 admissions cycle. They answered questions about testing strategy, summer strategy, fit, what colleges really want, and more. Keep reading for highlights from the conversation, and watch the webinar above.
The Admissions Landscape
It has been an interesting year in admissions outcomes at highly selective schools.Some have reported record high applications and their lowest admit rates ever, while others announced their highest admit rate in five years. At the same time, an increasing number of colleges have stopped releasing acceptance rates and other data.There has also been a remarkable amount of waitlist movement prior to May 1 this year, across a broad range of schools.
The “Fit” Factor
Another major theme is the rising importance of “fit” — specifically, how well an applicant aligns with a college’s identity, culture, and values. Having strong academic credentials alone is not enough; colleges want to see that students authentically articulate their alignment with that school’s unique mission or character. This holistic approach to admissions reinforces the need for students to write strong essays that reflect deeply on who they are, what they care about, and why they are prepared to thrive in — and contribute to — a specific college’s classrooms and campus. Some schools want to see creative thinkers, others want interdisciplinary thinkers, still others want real “do-ers” or extroverts, etc.
The main Common App personal statement is important in communicating your authentic self, but it’s very flexible. We don’t even have our students read the prompts. Instead, we tell them to first identify the story they want to tell, then match it to a prompt, since many are broad and adaptable, and one of them is simply a topic of your choice.
Instead, it’s the supplemental essays that often matter most for assessing fit. While some supplements may seem similar (e.g., questions about “community” or “impact”), colleges often use multi-part prompts with nuanced language to probe different values that matter to them. So, take the time, and don’t work on them all at once. Keep to a methodical, organized process to learn about each school and determine what matters to them and how you’re going to write about it. It can be tempting to simply recycle an essay — but reading prompts closely and tailoring your responses are essential steps to showing fit. You have to truly adapt an existing essay and not just adjust it. Sometimes the best thing to do is start from scratch.
College admissions can feel very unpredictable, especially in the past few years — but if you understand the process, know the schools and yourself, and have a good sense of how others will describe you, you can actually have a fairly high level of predictability for your schools.
Highly Competitive Majors
Majors such as computer science, engineering, and business remain some of the most competitive across the board. Colleges have shared with us that, if they wanted to, they could fill an entire class with qualified applicants for these fields. Therefore, students applying to these majors need to show more than just interest — they must show sustained, substantive engagement with their subject through courses, extracurriculars, independent projects, or internships. Ideally, students have multiple experiences that demonstrate their knowledge, commitment, and readiness to contribute meaningfully to these relatively narrow pre-professional programs.
Standardized Testing Updates
Though many colleges remain test-optional, a growing number are reinstating testing requirements. Unfortunately, these changes can occur abruptly and are sometimes announced late in the admissions cycle, leaving students unprepared if they haven’t tested. As such, it’s crucial to prepare for and take either the SAT or ACT, even if you might not ultimately submit the scores. For schools that remain test-optional, scores are still valuable if they fall at the top of the school’s middle 50% range. Being strategic about which scores to send — and to which schools — is essential, particularly when applying to a mix of test-optional and test-required institutions.
Post-COVID, schools are being more transparent about their score expectations, especially at the most selective institutions. It’s now openly acknowledged that scores in the 1500s (SAT) or 34+ (ACT) are often necessary for competitive applicants at elite schools. Average score ranges probably won’t change much as schools reinstate testing requirements, as applicants with weak scores will increasingly choose not to apply at all.
Most schools allow self-reported scores through the Common App, but for schools that require official score reports directly from the testing agency as part of the application, students should request them well before the deadline, as delivery can take longer than expected. Superscoring policies differ by school, so students must research individual policies.
For As of fall 2025, the ACT test will be a bit shorter and offer more time per question, and students can choose between paper and digital formats.. The science section is now technically optional, but most colleges have not indicated whether they will require it. Therefore, we strongly advise that students continue to take the science section .
Choosing Your Test and Improving Your Score
Despite changes to both tests over the years that have made the SAT and ACT more user-friendly, the relative difficulty remains the same. As in previous years, students should take the test that is better for them; colleges have no preference between the two.
We recommend that students take a full-length diagnostic exam of both the SAT and ACT, in the second half of tenth grade. The key is not only looking at those starting scores, but also examining why one test may have felt easier or harder. By working with an expert, students can select the test that better suits their strengths and develop a plan accordingly. Don’t expect to be test-ready right off the bat; the process generally includes months of practice and sitting for the official test more than once. Overall, improving your score is about gaining fluency. Much like learning a foreign language, test fluency takes time and repetition, and having a knowledgeable tutor helps a lot! Many students don’t reach their goal score until fall of their senior year.
What Colleges Really Want
While there is no formula for getting into college, academic performance remains the foundation of any successful application. Students who are applying to the most selective schools must demonstrate high achievement as well as academic rigor, meaning that they are taking the most challenging courses that are available at their high school.
Ideally, applicants will take four years of core academic subjects (English, math, history, science, and foreign language), although this isn’t always possible. Foreign language is the area where students most commonly drop the fourth year, but if they do, they should replace it with a similarly rigorous, core-adjacent elective.
Around 80-85% of applicants at most schools pass this initial review and are academically “qualified,” so then the admissions officer’s attention shifts to softer factors – i.e., who you are as a person and a student and what you have to contribute. Your essays, along with your activity descriptions and recommendations, should all reinforce a coherent narrative that is self-aware, reflective, and authentic.
This may seem like a tall order, but it’s also good news. It means that rather than trying to fit into a mold, you can truly let your interests guide you in choosing your path in high school. Colleges don’t care as much about what you do as why and how you’re doing it, what you’re putting into it, and how the lessons you learn translate into other areas of your life. So, when choosing extracurricular and summer activities, focus on whatever interests you for now — it doesn’t have to be your life’s passion.
Summer Strategy
With summer on the horizon, many high school students and their families are wondering how best to spend this time. Indeed, summer vacation is a valuable time for exploring interests, doing standardized testing preparation, and strengthening specific academic areas. Taking structured classes over the summer is generally most useful for ninth or tenth graders who are still figuring out their interests; for juniors, it’s better to pursue hands-on or interdisciplinary experiences that reflect deeper interests or complement intended majors.
However, students should not overload their summers with too many activities. One or two substantial, focused experiences are far more valuable than four shallow ones. Make sure you get downtime where you just relax — even if, ironically, you have to schedule it! Rest and recovery are essential, and no student should be booked solid from the last day of school to the first day back. A thoughtful balance of enrichment and rest sets students up for a strong school year ahead.
For all the details on these topics and more, watch the webinar above.
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