I delved into the article with rapt attention, since it promised to deliver the keys to college admissions in 2030. Once I was done, here’s what I had gleaned:
- An increase in the use of portfolios.
- A decrease in the use of personal statements, since they will soon be written by someone other than the student.
- Utilization of information for student potential, so “(S)tudents who blossom later, or whose potential isn’t captured by exam performance alone, might finally get noticed.
- The prediction that “By 2030, applying to a university halfway across the world will be as seamless as applying to one down the road.”
- All of this, the article says, suggests that “For parents, it might mean a shift in focus from chasing prestige to finding the right personal fit”, and that the key to admissions in 2030 will be, in one word—trust.
Popular colleges have long had processes in place that go beyond test scores and grades to get to the essence of a student. Personal statements are part of that mix, but recognizing the significant “editing” of these essays by others, there are other means of verification of the student’s profile, including counselor letters and teacher letters, as well as a place where students can refer colleges to websites, research, and other artifacts to support their applications.
Since about 1/3 of the students at my last high school came from outside the US, I’m pretty aware of how fluid the college application process is beyond our borders—to the point that, if it gets much more fluid, we many need some serious paper towels.
And in terms of parents—is there any college counselor or advisor who doesn’t approach their work from the perspective of what’s best for the student? Sure, some parents are overly wed to the name of a school, and not what it has to offer. But that’s as true for parents who want their incredibly talented child to stay close to home, and not bother applying to top tier schools. The work there is all about good counseling.
I understand our world—both the one we live in and the one we work in—is all aflutter over the impact AI is having now, and could have in the future, and it may be I’ve just seen too many fads to get stirred up about this just yet. But portfolios were supposed to be a game changer 20 years ago; are we supposed to believe that’s going to change since they’ll soon be digitized? Are AI-generated essays really going to be that much harder to discern than the ones Mom and Dad write now? And let’s not forget the doom and gloom of two years ago that predicted the College Boardization of FAFSA. It’s still ticking as a federal entity, and rolled out early this year.
This field changes dramatically every year, to be sure, but it’s too easy to get caught up in the potential damage of those changes than it is to focus on what still matters, and always has mattered in this work. When that happens, do yourself a favor. Read this page from the Colleges That Change Lives website, and ask yourself two questions.
What part of that will, or needs to, change by 2030?
What college or college counselor/adviser doesn’t aspire to deliver this now, and will do so in five years?
I hope that makes you feel better if the future bothers you.
My wishes for a restful holiday, and hopes that we all work together for an even more peaceful new year.
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