College Admissions Trends for 2025–2026

Updated: August 22, 2025

What Changed, What Didn’t, and How to Adapt

TL;DR (for busy parents & seniors)

• — Several highly selective universities now require standardized test scores again (Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale’s test-flexible policy, Brown; MIT already required), while most colleges remain test-optional and UC/CSU stay test-free.
• – Common App: essay prompts unchanged; Additional Information trimmed to ~300 words; a new Responsibilities & circumstances section adds helpful context; Direct Admissions offers begin in September.
• – Application volume crossed 10 million on Common App in 2024–25, with ~1.5M applicants.
• FAFSA (2026–27): full public launch by Oct 1, 2025 after beta phases; create FSA IDs now.
• Expect active waitlists into summer due to yield volatility.
• – Nursing and Computer Science remain capacity-constrained at many campuses; admit rates can be single digits (or ~1% for some UC nursing programs).

1) Testing policies are diverging—plan by college, not headlines

Policy shifts continued: Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale (test-flexible), and Brown now require standardized testing again; MIT had already reinstated the requirement. Meanwhile, the University of California and California State University systems remain test-free (scores not used for admissions). Florida flagships like UF require SAT/ACT/CLT. In Georgia, most publics remain test-optional for 2025–26, but more campuses will require tests beginning Fall 2026.

Action: Build a “must-test” vs. “optionally-test” list for every college. If your score is at/above the school’s middle 50%, submit; otherwise consider skipping where allowed.

2) What’s new (and useful) in Common App

• Essay prompts: unchanged for 2025–26.
• Additional Information: reduced to ~300 words—treat it like a brief memo (facts, not fluff).
• Responsibilities & circumstances: a new checklist in the common portion captures caregiving, work hours, etc., giving crucial context.
• Direct Admissions: participating colleges will send proactive offers, with 2025–26 notifications starting in September.

3) Who’s applying (and how much)

Common App’s end-of-season update shows applicants up ~5% and total applications surpassing 10 million. First-gen and lower-income participation also rose year-over-year.

4) FAFSA & aid: back to an Oct 1 public launch

After last year’s turbulence, Federal Student Aid indicates the 2026–27 FAFSA will fully launch to everyone by Oct 1, 2025, following August–September beta phases. Make or confirm FSA IDs (student + contributors) now and track each college’s priority date.

5) Direct admissions is expanding

Common App’s Direct Admissions continues to grow, with offers beginning in September and an updated list of participating institutions released in late August/early September.

6) Yields are wobbly → waitlists are active longer

Unpredictable yield is pushing many colleges to use the waitlist deeper into the summer. Keep an affordable deposited option while you engage a waitlist spot with a crisp LOCI and meaningful updates.

7) Major choice matters: Nursing & CS stay crowded

Nursing: UC nursing programs admit tiny cohorts (e.g., ~50 BSN seats at UCLA) from thousands of applicants; recent reporting pegs UC nursing admit rates near ~1% at some campuses.

Computer Science: Many flagships and elites use direct-to-major or capacity-constrained entry (e.g., UW CSE), with much lower admit rates than the university overall.

8) The enrollment “cliff” is here—uneven effects

WICHE projects U.S. high-school graduates peaking around 2025 and then declining through the 2030s. Expect pressure on less-selective, tuition-dependent colleges (including mergers/closures), while demand at certain flagships and elites stays strong.

Quick checklist for the 2025–26 applicant

1. Testing map: Label each college test-required vs. optional/test-free; plan one digital SAT/ACT early fall if scores may help.
2. Common App setup: Draft the essay early; use “Responsibilities & circumstances” and the 300-word Additional Info to add context, not repetition.
3. Money plan: FSA IDs ready; submit FAFSA soon after Oct 1; watch each school’s priority date and CSS Profile (if required).
4. Balanced list: Include academic/financial safeties you’d actually attend; check program-level selectivity (nursing/CS/business).
5. Waitlist readiness: If waitlisted, opt-in immediately, send a targeted LOCI with 1–2 new updates, and maintain your deposited option.