734. COLLEGE ENROLLMENT TRENDS FOR 2026 AND 2027

If you’ve been paying attention over the last year, you’ve observed tremendous change, chaos, and uncertainty roiling higher education.  Behind the scenes, things are even crazier than they seem, which affects every single applicant. Amy and Mike invited educational consultants Aly Beaumont and Meg Joyce to unpack college enrollment trends for 2026 and 2027.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is the big theme for college admissions right now?

2. What two pathways do students need to decide between in selective admissions?

3. How are adverse economic conditions affecting colleges and financial aid?

4. What are the unforeseen benefits to applicants from the endowment tax?

5. How can students and families navigate the current enrollment climate?

MEET OUR GUESTS

Aly Beaumont is the founder of Admissions Village, a family-focused, affordable, one-on-one college guidance consultancy. Aly is deeply committed to making the college admissions process less stressful, and her success in this objective can be measured by both the growing number of referrals she receives and the repeat business from family members. Aly is also a founder and advisor to The College T, a website connecting high school students with college students and recent graduates so that first-hand information and experiences can be shared.

Aly is a graduate of Tufts University, where she majored in History with a concentration in Modern Women and African American History, and was captain of the Equestrian Team. She lives in Wilton, CT, with her husband Perry, their two dogs Buddy and Buzz, and their three sons. Two of their sons are currently in college at The University of St. Andrews in Scotland and Kenyon College in Ohio, and one graduated from Santa Clara University. Aly is a Professional member of IECA, and she has her certificate as an Independent Educational Consultant from the University of California, Irvine.

Aly previously appeared on this podcast in episode 212 to discuss PREPARATION FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS, in episode 341 to discuss COURSE SELECTION FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS, in episode 406 to discuss WHAT DOES UNHOOKED MEAN IN ADMISSIONS?, in episode 537 to discuss WHAT DO TRULY TEST OPTIONAL COLLEGES FOCUS ON?, and was the subject of an IEC PROFILE in episode 264.

Meg Joyce works with Aly at Admissions Village, helping students and their parents navigate every step of the college search and application process. A self-professed research and detail geek, her favorite part of her job is watching students grow in skills and confidence as they work their way through high school and eventually college applications. Meg wants every student to feel supported and heard, and most of all - special - because when students feel that, it comes through not just in their applications but in everything they do. 

Meg is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied finance and English and worked in the alumni office, talking to alums to learn about their time on campus and later volunteering for many years as an alumni interviewer. Meg works with Aly at Admissions Village helping students and their parents navigate every step of the college search and application process. A self-professed detail geek, her favorite part of her job is watching students grow in skills and confidence as they work their way through high school and eventually college applications. She likes to say she treats every student as she would want her own child to be treated (she’s got four grown ones of her own). Meg is a Professional member of IECA, a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and has a certificate as an independent educational consultant from the University of California, Irvine.

Meg and Aly previously appeared in episode 630 to discuss THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS PROFILE.

Find Aly and Meg at https://www.admissionsvillage.com.

LINKS

Trends in Admissions and Higher ED, Part 1 - Colleges are Following Two Pathways

Trends in Admissions and Higher ED, Part 2 - Admissions is Competitive Not Just For You, But Colleges As Well

Trends in Admissions and Higher ED, Part 3 - Students Should Follow One of Two Pathways

FAQs: How the 2025 Net Investment Income Tax (“Endowment Tax”) Rate Increase Affects Harvard University

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ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you’re interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.