Whether the moment involves screaming, sighs of relief, disappointment, or tears, receiving an admissions decision can be an emotional ordeal. However, following the release of most decisions in late March, the choice of how to share their news is now up to students.
Announcing a college decision can be a great source of pride, but in some cases, it can amplify feelings of competition between students.
According to a 2010 report by Joyce A. Martin from the National Center for Health Statistics, 4,316,233 births were recorded in 2007, the most since the postwar baby boom of the 1950s. This spike makes the Class of 2025 a larger group of applicants than in previous years, leading to a record number of applications at many colleges and universities. According to College MatchPoint, the Class of 2025 submitted over 8 million college applications through the Common App—a 6% increase from last year. This year, UT Austin experienced a 24% increase in applications, with NYU seeing a 53% increase over the past five years.
Senior Julia Taylor has generally felt this impact on her class: “I do know this year was definitely a more competitive year for college in terms of applicants, especially at popular universities,” Taylor said.
Recognizing the possibility for this kind of competition, college counselor Evan Hansell emphasizes the individuality of college decisions.
“One of the things we let all seniors know at the beginning is that the choice of where they choose to go to college is one that is a choice for them, and they are welcome to share that with whomever they feel comfortable sharing that with,” he said. “However, they should know that it is a private choice, so we don’t recommend overdoing it on social media.”
The social account dedicated to the Class of 2025 college decisions is @spaclassof2025. These posts became a popular announcement method during the pandemic and have remained prevalent over the years.
“What I’ve seen on [the Instagram account] has always been a very tasteful way of announcing what they’re choosing to do next year. It’s always opt-in, so I think that’s a good thing too,” Hansell said.
One of the posts on the SPA decisions account is senior Leila Mosenfelder, who announced she will be attending Macalester College in the fall.
“I’ve told family and family friends…not many people at school, but then my mom told me about the Instagram posts, and I thought it was cool, so we did that…it felt good,” she said.
Mosenfelder chose to apply early decision, but others are still wrestling between choices. That’s where Taylor is.
“I was really fortunate to be able to get accepted in the places where I could see a future for myself, and I’m really excited. It’s honestly just choosing between good and good for me,” Taylor said.
“In terms of sharing,” she added, “I’m going to wait until I make a final decision to share with the broader community. And of course, I’ll put it on the Insta.”
Whether it’s something they would rather keep quiet or if they find pride in a huge celebration, every senior will settle on a higher education plan by National College Decision Day on May 1.
Following record application numbers, seniors announce decisions
April 24, 2025
