“2026: the easiest year to get into an Ivy” is a phrase I’ve seen spread across my social media feed, specifically from Instagram creator Andreas Stamatkis, more commonly known as “Ivy_Roadmap.” Stamatkis claims that the Trump administration has made selective college admission easier- but how? The Trump administration has used federal money to puppeteer U.S. college admissions through actions like: a complete attack on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), capping international undergraduate admission, and having a stronger emphasis on “objective” factors, like SAT and ACT scores. Although many highly-endowed institutions (such as MIT) have refused settlements and agreements with the Trump administration, I predict that refusal or reluctance to comply will become more and more difficult for institutions, as Trump actively seeks further autocratic control, especially over higher education. For instance, 3 weeks ago, he said “smart people don’t like me,” proving that elite educational institutions are a huge part of what MAGA considers the enemy.
My first thought upon hearing that the 2026 admissions cycle would have more of an emphasis on “objective” factors like SAT and ACT scores was that admissions might actually be easier and even seem fairer to me and many of my peers. However, that is only because HHS students have access to many resources which are just not the norm in other parts of the country, like counselors who guide the admissions process and a community where nearly everyone is attending a four-year college. Many of my friends and classmates have private SAT tutors or take private SAT classes. Hastings High School also offers a culture where scores are a status symbol: people care about their scores, and other peoples’. This environment, although often extremely infuriating, can definitely be motivational for some students..
I also firmly believe that standardized test scores are simply a measure of how well a student can perform on standardized tests. A good SAT score is, first of all, not so much of an objective measure of intelligence, and second of all, accepting students test-optional or students who display different skill sets is not at all unfair to students with high scores on the SAT and ACT. Universities and colleges are supposed to offer challenging environments where students of all backgrounds, not just privileged ones, can learn from each other and develop open minds, critical thinking skills, life skills, and unique understandings of the world, not just students with specialized skills like high standardized testing performance. In trying to take over control of the college admissions process, Donald Trump is not allowing the collective future of American citizens and thinkers to live up to its full potential.
