GoKawiil
Tech News
College admissions consultancy Ivy Coach says students with strong grades and activities are frequently rejected from elite schools because they fail to present a single, compelling narrative. The firm says these applicants often write generic essays on common topics and spread themselves across too many extracurriculars rather than excelling distinctly in one area.
Direct admission programs, which offer college acceptance to students who meet set eligibility criteria without requiring an application, have been adopted statewide in 15 states as of December 2025, according to the National College Attainment Network. A peer-reviewed study of Idaho's program found it raised first-time undergraduate enrollment by 4-8%, mostly at two-year, open-access schools, but showed little to no increase in enrollment among Pell-eligible students.
A leading college consulting firm, Ivy Coach, observes an increase in parents asking for guaranteed college placements, despite the unlikelihood of such outcomes. The firm emphasizes that no expert can promise admission results, especially for highly competitive schools like Harvard. This trend highlights a shift in parental expectations that may not align with reality.
Vermont's Mountain School enrolls high schoolers for roughly $40,000 per semester, having them cook, clean, farm and care for animals on its 418-acre campus instead of following a typical classroom schedule. About 30% of students receive financial aid, and many come from wealthy families unfamiliar with basic chores like cleaning a composting toilet or sweeping a floor.
Gohar Khan, a 2021 MIT graduate who is a first-generation, Pakistani-American student, turned his own difficult college application experience into a media and consulting business. His YouTube channel, Gohar's Guide, now reaches more than 10 million followers with advice on applications, essays and study habits, and he co-founded Next Admit, a paid consulting service for prospective college students.