Hi, Reader!

Ever wonder what’s happening on the other side of the application? Well, it’s a good thing you have me, because I read way too much admissions news. (An occupational hazard, for sure.)

This week had a few stories worth passing along, plus a couple of things I’ve been meaning to share.

The short version: juniors should plan on testing, and seniors can quit sweating the small word swaps.

Remember when most schools were test-optional — and that decision felt permanent? Well, times are changing.

The College Investor counted 72 colleges and university systems that require the SAT or ACT in some form for fall 2027, including six of the eight Ivies, MIT, Stanford, and all 12 Florida public universities.

Columbia, Princeton, Notre Dame, and Claremont McKenna are optional this year but will require scores starting with fall 2028. Vanderbilt follows in fall 2029.

Most colleges are still optional (only about 5% of Common App members required a score in 2025-26), but more first-year applicants sent one (779,300) than didn’t (748,028).

Closer to home, UT Austin already requires scores.

Texas A&M is test-optional for fall 2027 but intends to require them again starting with spring/fall 2028 applicants, pending approval from the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents (final rules are due by the end of June 2027).

So what does that all mean, practically speaking?

If you’re a junior, I’d plan on testing. A practice test this winter will tell you where you stand, and some test-optional schools (Tulane is one) still use scores for merit aid.

Have you ever spent 15 minutes agonizing over small wording details in your writing? (Should I use “said” or “stated”?) Turns out, it’s a pretty common writing roadblock.

College Essay Guy’s Andy Simpson tells the story of a student who did exactly that. His post calls these edits “lateral moves,” meaning changes that have essentially no effect on how an admissions officer reads your essay.

Other examples include swapping “many” for “plenty,” picking a semicolon over an em dash, and agonizing over whether something belongs in Awards or the Activities list or whether it should show up as number 5 or 6 on the list.

Here’s why they don’t matter. Admissions officers spend roughly 5 to 15 minutes on an application (ouch, I know), and in the first round they’re often skimming. What they take away is a few lines about your experiences, values, and skills.

(A Princeton study the post cites found that fancy vocabulary used just to sound smart can backfire, too. Here’s looking at you, “plethora” and “myriad.”)

Your revision time is better spent on clearer transitions, specific details, deeper reflection, and making sure each supplemental answers the exact prompt. Here’s the full post if you need permission to stop tweaking.

See my full calendar here.

While this isn’t essay-related, it caught my eye and I wanted to share. Thursday, Nov. 12, is the first National Day of Connection.

The ask is simple: At noon your time, stop what you’re doing and spend 12 minutes with someone. A friend, a family member, a neighbor, a coworker, or the person you keep meaning to call.

The day was created by The Cost of Loneliness Project. Its founder, Lucy Rose, spent about two months walking across 17 states, collecting stories about loneliness.

She started the project after admitting to her daughter that, despite years surrounded by people, she was chronically lonely.

A 2023 U.S. Surgeon General advisory found that about half of American adults report experiencing loneliness, which research links to higher risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, and early death.

I know these moments of connection can be hard, especially for busy students and introverts.

Rose’s advice is to decide now who gets your 12 minutes. I’m planning to go introduce myself to a new neighbor. Maybe I’ll even bake cookies. (Some for me, some for them, of course.) I’d love to hear if you end up participating.

Happy Writing!

Julia

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