YCBK 640: Why Do So Many Admission Leaders Say 2026 Was Their Hardest Year Ever
In this week’s episode you will hear
Introduction : Mark shares two special events coming up no 6/1 and 10/6 for YCBK listeners and then Hilary takes a question from a listener about the activity section of the application
This week’s question : Jed Applerouth-Trends on the ACT and SAT and answers to listener questions about the ACT/SAT – Part 3/3
This week’s interview : Mark interviews Andy Strickler about the challenges college admission leaders faced in 2026.
Part 1-Preview
o Mark and Andy have a discussion about what made 2026 so challenging for so many colleges
o Andy tells us some of the reasons why so many colleges felt blindsided by how difficult it was to attract and yield students in 2026, what made 2026 so different
o Mark and Andy talk about things like:
o The job market for recent grads,
o Return on investment
o The power of brand name
o The focus on grad school
o The difficulty of meeting families’ financial expectations
o We talk about how some colleges have a veneer of selectivity but behind closed doors, they are very worried about feeling fully enrolled, very worried about meeting their class
Andy explains why Conn College is adding Early Action when they already have Early Decision1, Early Decision2, and Regular Decision, and we talk about the challenges adding EA is going to add when they already have Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2 and Regular Decision
Mark’s recommended resource of the week : JG Talks: Helping prospective and current college students achieve success
Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores
Colleges that Allow Self-Reporting of SAT and ACT Scores
Great source for questions about finances and college
Edvisors: Financial Aid, Student Loans, Scholarships and Money Management
FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends
Complete FAFSA 2026‑2027 Walkthrough | From Start to Submit
2023-2024 FAFSA Walkthrough Video English
CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs
CSS Profile Walkthrough
MEFA Institute: A Deep Dive into the CSS Profile
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