Don’t like New England weather?  Wait five minutes.

Yup, the old adage that makes people smile can certainly be applied to higher education in the U.S. today. In the 40+ years I’ve been in education, I have never seen changes like these. 

So I sat down and made a quick list;

• The Supreme Court struck down the Affirmative Action in college admissions. Both Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and can no longer consider race in admission decisions. Students can use the personal essay or supplemental essay questions to write how race has affected them and their education but colleges can no longer look at the race factor and admit on that basis (not that they ever did).
• A new bill in Congress proposing to ban legacy admissions, (If a parent or grandparent attended a school the student is applying to, that factor is used in decision-making at some schools .)
• The continuation of test optional policies after Covid and the College Board’s move to place the test online.
• The state of Florida is moving to use CTL (Classic Learning Test) as an entrance exam to state universities.
• Closing of colleges due to low enrollment and projected decreases in the number of college students, now forcing state supported colleges to merge. This is happening now in the states of Vermont and Pennsylvania,
• Private college closures whose financial support is tuition driven.  
• Continuation of the decline of state financial support to state operated schools.
• Introduction of ChatGPT and how it will affect college essays.
• More high school students (particularly males) choosing not to attend college, (for numerous reasons like the continual increase in cost, accumulated debt post-graduation, etc.)
• Confidence in higher education is dwindling. Fewer people have confidence in the system, from 36% (Gallup Poll) this year to 48% in 2018 to 57% in 2015.
• Varsity Blues Scandal probably attributing to the decrease in confidence in higher education, the rich and privileged families getting their children into highly selective schools through writing checks.
• State lawmakers infringing on state campuses decisions, like rejecting tenure of faculty members, removal of college presidents and removal/addition of board members.

I remember many conversations in grad school classes where we discussed higher education reflecting the political climate in the country. Turmoil, increased   costs of products/services, governmental interference in our personal lives, that’s what’s going on today and it is reflected in our educational systems. 

Wow, kinda scary. What should high school juniors and seniors do as they look at prospective colleges and universities? Here are some suggestions;

1. Visit the campus, if possible.  Don’t just listen to college officials but walk around and interact with current students to get a sense of the campus culture.  

2. If you can’t visit, talk to college reps during their visits to your high school or during a college fair. Ask them questions about campus politics. What’s the atmosphere like on campus?  Are there any issues that students are most concerned about?

3. Utilize the internet to gather information about school culture and politics. The school’s website, the student newspaper, social media, and forums like Reddit can offer insights from current and former  students.

4.  In state politics – Get an overview of what’s happening in the state(s) where your prospective schools are located. Is the state government making changes in policy, personnel and dictating whose granted tenure, for example? There are school boards that make decisions in addition to the college president. Florida, North     Carolina and Texas are states where the state government is intervening in decisions usually made by the college’s board, president or faculty senate.

5. Talk to present students – Track down some current student(s) or recent graduates during your visit to campuses. Tour guides, are told how to answer questions or find students when they are home during breaks.

And lastly, go with your gut feelings. What are your instincts telling you about the school? Do you see enough diversity politically or ethnicity-wise? Collecting this information will help you make an informed decision about where to attend.

Joanne Clary Apesos is the owner of College Pursuits, a college counseling business. She has advised high school students and their families in planning their college experience for many years and has presented HEF workshops for students and parents about the college selection process. Prior to assisting high school students she worked in higher education for 20+ years as an admissions counselor, adjunct faculty and director of student activities at both public and private colleges and universities in the Northeast. She holds a master’s degree in Higher Education from Columbia University and completed UCLA’s College Counseling Certificate Program. She is also a recipient of the State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Award and selected Holliston’s Citizen of the Year in 2011. She can be reached at joanneapesos@gmail.com.