Admissions Trends to Watch: Past Challenges, Future Priorities

• 03/11/24

Admissions leaders find themselves at a crossroads. The shifting landscape is undoubtedly a challenge for higher education, but it's also an opportunity to innovate, implement much-needed improvements, and reinvigorate the admissions processes.

Amid these changes and challenges, the following priorities will remain top of mind for many academic institutions:

1) Revamping admissions processes. Higher education leaders spent much of 2023 weighing their options when it comes to new approaches to admissions and recruitment. In 2024, they will need to take action to revamp their admissions processes and find alternative ways to support diversity while complying with the new legal framework. However academic institutions need to keep a close eye on whether changes will introduce new barriers for candidates, perpetuate biases, and hinder diversity efforts.

Many schools are already considering moving toward more holistic admissions processes that consider an applicant's access to resources, socioeconomic status, and life experience beyond traditional academic metrics. A recent Acuity survey found that 56% of schools are turning to holistic admissions practices to support student diversity — and that trend will likely continue as schools look for new ways to broaden education access and diversity. With a focus on holistic admissions you can not only expand access to higher education and improve your school's programs, you can also prioritize the holistic success of students beyond graduation.

2) Reevaluating technology. As AI and other advanced technologies continue to shape day-to-day work, academic institutions will need to determine whether they are receiving value from digital tools — and whether they have the necessary safeguards and strategies to ensure technologies are used effectively and responsibly.

Administrators should leverage AI tools to streamline processes and improve efficiency while relying on human expertise to provide necessary oversight and to handle creative thinking, collaboration, and communication. AI can help applicants navigate the complex admissions process. For example, prospective students can find schools that align with their needs and values by using AI tools to research institutions' missions and programs.

3) Refocusing on mission. Whether revamping admissions, expanding recruiting efforts, or strengthening academic programs, higher education leaders have a lot on their plate in 2024. But now more than ever, it's crucial they remain focused on their core promise: creating a transformative learning environment that nurtures intellectual growth, cultivates critical thinking and creativity, and prepares individuals for meaningful contributions to society.

In particular, higher education leaders have the opportunity to use advanced data analytics to ensure programs align with the institution's missions and evolving student and industry demands. By leveraging the vast amount of data collected throughout students' academic careers, schools can improve decision-making and create better strategies to broaden access to education and support student diversity. Moreover, schools can leverage data in recruitment and marketing to underscore the continued value and opportunities of an academic degree.

Reinvigorating Higher Education

Amid increased public skepticism, changing legal frameworks, and other pressures, higher education leaders have their work cut out for them in 2024.

But institutions also have a critical opportunity to reevaluate core practices and policies and set a new course for the future. If 2023 was marked by change, 2024 will be marked by renewal — and a reimagination of the role and purpose of higher education.