College Admissions Crisis
College admissions today is more competitive, confusing, and emotionally demanding than ever. With shifting policies, unpredictable selectivity, and increasingly complex financial aid systems. Families are expected to navigate high-stakes decisions with limited guidance — creating stress, uncertainty, and a real risk of missed opportunities.
College Admissions & Recruitment are More Complex Than Ever
When admissions and recruiting keep shifting, families need trusted guidance earlier and more often. An external advising benefit keeps your employees’ kids on track and reduces stress while saving time for your employees.
The College Board, designer of the SAT, conducted a multi-year study examining student and parent perceptions of the college application process, specifically exploring confusing elements such as different application requirements, multiple deadlines, understanding steps to take, and information access challenges. Read Article
New York Magazine explores how the admissions landscape has changed — including the dramatic rise in early decision and early action strategies, and how that has pushed students to apply earlier and with more planning than ever before--and occasionally making course-altering decisions they didn't understand.
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Inside Higher Ed article details how early decision programs — where students must apply earlier — continue to grow and can greatly influence chances of admission, pushing families to prepare far earlier in a student’s high-school career. Read Article
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The future of college athletics remains uncertain, with a host of unresolved developments related to Title IX, NIL compensation and player movement complicating the landscape. Read Article
Nothing Changes Outcomes Like Expert Support
The data is clear: access to qualified counselors changes enrollment outcomes. Offering families structured access to experts is one of the few levers you control that directly improves their odds.
In the National Association of College Admissions Counselors annual report, they demonstrated Nearly three in five who have applied/are applying to college (59%) wish they had wish greater support in completing their applications and nearly seven in 10 (68%) have had difficulty finding unbiased information about colleges Read Article
Recent evidence from a national survey of counselors provides direct evidence for claims by counselors and school administrators that current counselor staffing levels are suboptimal. Just providing occasional access to a counselor increases likelihood of 4-year college enrollment by 10%. Read Article
With public school counselor-to-student ratios averaging 400:1, students and families have few options for consistent, timely support. When interviewed, those with a counselor not only recommend using one, but suggest doing so as early as possible because the important decisions start as early as 8th grade. Read Article
Using social capital theory as a framework, the authors examined how student contact with high school counselors about college information and other college‐related variables influence students' college application rates. In addition to some college‐related variables, the number of school counselors and student contacts were significant predictors of college application rates. Implications for school counselors and counselor training are included. Read Article
The Cost Of College Has Skyrocketed
As college costs outpace wages, families look to their employers for help navigating affordability. A curated, advisor-led benefit becomes part retention tool, part financial-wellness support.
This analysis shows how average tuition has risen dramatically over decades — more than doubling since the early 2000s — and how room, board, and fees have contributed significantly to overall cost increases. Read Article
Recent coverage shows tuition increases of up to 10 % at some schools along with rising dorm and dining costs, creating renewed financial pressure for students and families. Read Article
A broad survey of more than 5,000 students reveals that many students don’t fully understand the full cost of attendance, and even modest unexpected expenses can jeopardize enrollment. Read Article