This week in college admissions, Northwestern makes a deal with the Trump administration, some schools still include diversity-related essay prompts, Columbia considers expanding undergraduate enrollment, and college completion rates are holding steady.
Northwestern University has struck a deal with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay $75 million to resolve a discrimination investigation and restore $790 million in federal funding. Per the agreement, Northwestern will also maintain clear policies regarding protests and demonstrations and implement mandatory antisemitism training for students, faculty, and staff.
According to a recent review by Inside Higher Ed, many colleges and universities are still including diversity-related essay prompts in their applications. Others have cut the prompts, either in response to pressure from the federal government or as part of an effort to make the application process less strenuous. Two new categories that have become popular this year are prompts asking students about how they handle conflict, and prompts asking students about their relationship with AI.
Columbia is considering expanding its undergraduate enrollment by up to 20 percent, after enrolling a larger-than-usual first-year class this fall. The expansion would provide valuable revenue for the university, but would also put additional pressure on already crowded facilities. University officials plan to make a final decision in December.
College completion rates are holding steady at around 61% within six years, according to a recent report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The report noted that full-time students were almost twice as likely to graduate within six years as part-time students. College women also reported higher completion rates than men.
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