HILLHOUSE COLLEGE ADVISING
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
  • Services
  • SERVICE ACADEMIES & ROTC ADVISING
  • MEDIA
  • Blog
  • Parent Reviews
  • Colleges
  • Resources

Preparing for College Blog

A blog supporting and encouraging families and their students applying to college, the military service academies, and ROTC scholarships

Lessons I Learned from This Year's Admissions Cycle (and other events)

6/22/2026

 
Picture
​Sending a young person to college now is more challenging than ever. Inflation, a tight job market for new grads, and war abroad all weigh on families. Layer on what's happening specifically in admissions: pandemic-disrupted learning, a steep drop in international applicants, growing skepticism about whether a degree is even worth it, plus the demographic cliff reshaping who's even applying, and you get a genuinely wild ride for this year's families.

As a college admissions professional, a business owner, and a parent, I watch all of this closely, and honestly, it weighs on me in two different ways at once. As a counselor, I worry about whether my students are ready for what lies ahead. As a parent, I've sat on the other side of this same table, and I know how much of it you can't measure with a spreadsheet. Here's what I'm seeing play out in the Class of '26's outcomes, along with where I think things are headed. Let's get into it to help you evaluate the best choices for your family.


Read More

    Author

    Lisa Hillhouse is an Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) who works with families throughout the US virtually on the college search and application process. 

    Archives

    June 2026
    May 2026
    April 2026
    March 2026
    February 2026
    January 2026
    June 2025

    Categories

    All
    College Prep
    Finance
    Marine ROTC
    Naval Academy
    Navy ROTC

    RSS Feed

hillhouse college and career advising, LLC

Lisa Hillhouse, Founder and Independent College Adviser
Active Professional Member of  IECA, HECA, and NACAC.


A Veteran-Owned Business



© COPYRIGHT 2024
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
  • Services
  • SERVICE ACADEMIES & ROTC ADVISING
  • MEDIA
  • Blog
  • Parent Reviews
  • Colleges
  • Resources