College Admissions News You Might Have Missed

I read every college admissions update so you don’t have to. In this edition:

• In a surprising twist, white men are the latest casualty of Trump’s higher education DEI ban. [Washington Post]
  
  “Brown University accepted nearly equal numbers of male and female prospects, though, like some other schools, it got nearly twice as many female applicants. That math meant it was easier for male students to get in — 7 percent of male applicants were admitted, compared with 4.4 percent of female applicants, university data shows. The Trump administration’s policies may soon put an end to that advantage enjoyed by men at some colleges, admissions and higher-education experts say.

  For years, universities and colleges have been trying to keep the number of men and women on campuses evened out at a time when a growing number of men have been choosing not to go to college. Nationwide, the number of women on campuses has surpassed the number of men for more than four decades, with nearly 40 percent more women than men enrolled in higher education, federal data shows.

  The results of ending this practice could be dramatic, experts predict. In 2023, the most recent year for which the figure is available, 817,035 more women than men applied to universities and colleges, federal data shows. Boys also have lower mean scores on the SAT in reading and writing, score lower overall on the ACT and have lower grade point averages in high school.

  Columbia took 3 percent of women applicants last year and 4 percent of men. At the University of Chicago, 5.6 percent of male applicants were accepted last year, compared with 3.7 percent of female applicants. The ratio at the University of Miami was 22.5 percent to 16.5 percent; and at Vassar College, 20.4 percent to 17.6 percent.”

• In a less surprising update, the University of Alabama suspended two student magazines — one appealing to women, another to Black students — for being “noncompliant” with the Justice Department’s ban on DEI. [NYT]

• Starting this year, the number of students applying to college will drop because of lower birth rates 18 years ago, hopefully leading to better admission chances around the country (unless of course, you’re applying to an Ivy). [Wiche]

• UVA removes their supplement essay questions this year, while the University of Washington removed their diversity supplement. [Cavalier Daily] [Inside Higher Ed]

• University of Southern California is seeing a record-breaking number of out-of-state students enroll, especially from the Northeast. (This is why I always recommend applying outside of your coast for better regional diversity chances). [Fox News]

• California State University (CSU) joins 15 other states in offering direct admission to students who can get automatic acceptance without needing to apply if they meet certain high school criteria. [LA Times]