Admit It! With Alexis White Admit it with Alexis White | Ep. 24 Macro Trends in College Admissions
Mar 18, 2026
They unpack macro forces reshaping college admissions, from demographic shifts to global competition. The conversation covers how AI is changing evaluation and why authentic curiosity matters more than polished outputs. Trends like the birth dearth, shifting international student pipelines, and financial pressures on universities get explored. Practical talk includes changes to prompts, merit aid shifts, and which majors may stay resilient.
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Authenticity Matters More As AI Polishes Outputs
- AI is forcing admissions to value authentic student thinking over polished outputs like essays and resumes.
- Alexis White notes colleges now look for a consistent student voice across essays, activities, and quick-response prompts to detect genuineness.
Show Deep Intellectual Curiosity Not Resume Padding
- Do focus on intellectual curiosity and deep dives rather than assembling random resume items.
- Alexis recommends projects like research, community college coursework, or niche passions (e.g., daily crosswords or gallery-going) to show sustained engagement.
Prepare For Shorter Lightning Round Prompts
- Prepare for colleges to ask shorter, rapid-response prompts or require video/portfolio pieces to verify student voice.
- Alexis predicts more quick supplemental questions and lightning-round formats like USC's quick takes.