Once upon a time, applying to college was simple and straightforward: earn a 3.0 GPA, babysit the neighbor’s kids, and walk their dogs. Then, sit at a typewriter, fill out applications to anywhere from one to five colleges, and voilà! Much-awaited acceptance letters arrive via snail mail hand-delivered by Mike the Mailman to the metal mailbox at the end of the driveway.

Times have changed.
 
As a parent, it’s become not only difficult but next-to-impossible to properly and effectively guide your child through the process of college acceptance. This is not for any lack of desire or motivation, but because over the last 25 years the college admissions landscape has transformed dramatically. 

Take Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, for example. When I started working as a high school guidance and college admissions counselor in 2002, 85% of students who applied to Northeastern were accepted. Today, Northeastern accepts a scant 5.6%. 

Just what, exactly, happened?!?

Well, it all started with the significant spike in population that began with the baby boomers. When they became parents, we had a large generation who wanted to give their children the opportunities they themselves may not have had. This meant that increasing numbers of college applicants were now competing for the same number of limited spots. Simply put, the laws of supply and demand started taking their toll on college admission rates. 

Combine that with US News and World Report rankings alongside winning highly-watched football bowl games, and all of a sudden many formerly non-competitive colleges and universities — the kind you could once sneeze and get into — are now considered “Tier One” and “sub-Ivy” schools. And this trend has not slowed down.

So, what’s the secret to college admission in 2025?!? 

Since I’m a fan of keeping it simple, here are 10 tips to help streamline the college admissions process for your family:

 
1. Find the Right Fit. Not every school is right for every student. Focus more on pairing students with appropriate colleges — based on academic, social, extracurricular, and personal needs — instead of on school rankings or comparisons with other students.

2. Start Early. Rather than endure a feverish race to the finish line, initial steps in the college process should be taken freshman year.
3. Discover a Niche. Every student is good at something; the key is finding what exactly that is (as early as possible). Students should sample various extracurricular activities beginning in middle school and throughout freshman year to hone in on their craft.

4. Pick and Stick. Once students find their area of expertise, they should give it their all. Commitment and consistency-over-time are highly regarded by college admissions officers.

5. Claim to Fame. Developing talents throughout middle and high school serves to highlight students and separate them from the pack during the admissions process. No one talent is more valuable than another; level of involvement and proficiency reign supreme. Whether an accomplished yodeler or the more traditional middle linebacker, each student has a gift.

6. Record Extracurricular Activities. Students should begin developing their résumés during freshman year and add to them periodically throughout high school.

7. Create a Transcript Identity. Selecting electives is yet another opportunity for students to stand out from their peers. Whether journalism, theater, engineering, or debate … consistency among elective coursework is the key.

8. Challenge Matters. While students should challenge themselves appropriately, they should not be afraid to take risks. Students should enroll in the most challenging curriculum available while still maintaining a healthy GPA, earning grades of A or B.

9. Maximize School Offerings.
Students are evaluated within the context of their own school. Just as no student is penalized in the admissions process for not taking calculus if it isn’t offered, students are expected to enroll in higher-level coursework when appropriate and to involve themselves in a rich extracurricular life.

10. There is No One-Size-Fits-All Formula.
Because colleges seek diversity among students, there’s no mathematical equation that determines admission. 

The message? Be yourself, work hard and proactively, and the right colleges will emerge.