As competition intensifies, many institutions are experimenting with new admissions practices—such as direct admissions—or rethinking policies left over from the COVID era, like hastily-adopted test optional approaches. But how effective are these changes, really?
To help answer that, let’s turn to a group of expert “judges” in the process—parents. Not only are they influential in application decisions, but they often foot the bill. So, what do parents think of your admissions practices?
Show Me the Money
The Eduventures 2025 Prospective Parent Research™—conducted each fall with parents of college-bound high school students nationwide—examines the factors that shape how parents view the institutions their children should consider. Notably, 62% of these parents believe they have at least equal influence over where their children apply.
While reputation is shaped by many elements, we asked: Does the admissions process itself play a role? Figure 1 below highlights how parents perceive institutions that employ specific admissions practices.
Figure 1.
Overall, most parents have a neutral to positive perception of institutions that use the admissions practices featured in Figure 1. This is particularly true of institutions that award merit scholarships at the time of admission. In fact, about half of all parents expect their children to receive merit-based aid, trailing slightly behind need-based aid expectations. More might secretly hope for it.
For parents, merit-based aid represents more than financial relief—it’s a sign that the institution recognizes and values their children’s hard work and achievements. This acknowledgment leaves parents with a positive impression of the school. In many ways, this expectation has been cultivated by higher education itself. Years of a high-tuition/high-discount model have trained families to anticipate substantial aid, with merit awards now seen as a standard part of the process.
Institutions with rolling admissions also earn positive marks from parents. Rigid application deadlines create stress not only for college administrators but for families as well, and rolling admissions offers welcome flexibility in the process.
Even direct admissions—a relatively new and less familiar practice among families—receives largely positive reviews from parents. Overall, few changes to the admissions process appear likely to generate significant pushback from families.
Attention should be given, however, to test optional or test blind practices. Institutions that do not require test scores or do not consider them in admissions decisions garner the least positive reactions from parents. Perhaps this is due to the reversal of these policies at some top-tier institutions in recent years.
On the flip side, parents are not especially enthusiastic about institutions that weigh standardized test scores in admissions (49% approval, compared to 41% for test-optional or test-blind policies). Perceptions also vary by the types of schools parents prefer. Table 1 highlights which parent groups expressed the most positive—and the most negative—views of specific admissions practices by institutional type.
Table 1. Most Positive and Negative Perceptions of Admissions Practices by Institutional Preference
|
Admissions Practice |
Most Positive Perception - |
Most Negative Perception – |
|
Considers admission and merit scholarships at the same time |
Private, secular institution (86%) |
Private, religious institution (4%) |
|
Offers rolling admissions |
Private, secular institution (68%) |
Out-of-state, public institution (8%) |
|
Offers direct admissions |
Private, secular institution (58%) |
Private, religious institution (11%) |
|
Uses early action or early decision deadlines |
Private, secular institution (61%) |
Public, in-state or private, secular institution (7%) |
|
Considers standardized tests in admissions |
Private, secular institution (61%) |
Out-of-state, public institution (8%) |
|
Does not require standardized tests and does not consider in admissions |
Out-of-state, public institution (43%) |
Private, religious institution (25%) |
Table 1
As Table 1 shows, parents who prefer private, secular institutions tend to view most admissions practices positively—aside from test-optional and test-blind policies. In contrast, parents favoring religious institutions are more critical, particularly of test-optional, test-blind, and direct admissions. Still, even through the lens of institutional preference, negative perceptions are proportionally rare.
Standardized testing policies emerge as the most polarizing issue. They may also be the most confusing for parents, since the meaning of “test-optional” or “test-blind” can vary widely by institution and is not always communicated clearly.
So where do parents stand when it comes to standardized testing? When we asked which factors parents believe institutions should focus on when evaluating their children’s applications, standardized test scores played an important role, but two other factors were rated higher (Figure 2).
Figure 2.
Two-thirds of parents believe high school GPA should play a deciding role in admissions, while 42% say test scores should be considered. This indicates that parents place greater value on their children’s sustained efforts across high school than on performance from a single test day. Far fewer, however, want institutions to weigh course rigor or class rank in the evaluation.
Parents, it seems, want their children evaluated as individuals rather than strictly measured against peers. They believe GPA should carry weight as a reflection of achievement, but they also place high importance on character and personal qualities—the second most valued factor in admissions.
The Bottom Line
No matter the admissions practice, most parents tend to approve—if they pay attention at all. One possible exception is test-optional policies, which appear to have fallen out of favor. Overall, though, parents are less concerned with the fine print of your admissions processes and more focused on whether you recognize their children as the talented, hardworking individuals they are—and ideally in the form of merit aid.
When it comes to getting parents to advocate for your institution, there are a few things to consider:
- Prioritize transparency and timing of scholarship offers. Parents (and students!) believe their children have worked hard and deserve to be rewarded with merit aid. When possible, try to synch the timing of admissions and financial aid offers and be transparent about merit aid options and requirements.
- Direct admissions can impact yield. Results vary but admitting non-applications can muddy the yield waters. Will families feel flattered that you expressed strong interest in their students? Yes, likely. Will this sway them toward your institution? It depends. As the practice spreads, you can sweeten the deal by sending scholarship offers along with the admissions notice.
- Personalization is key in communications about admissions decisions. Of course, you don’t have to justify every admissions decision you make, but transparency about how you evaluate applicants and inclusion of holistic reviews can ease the anxiety families feel over the admissions process.
