About this podcast
Join Stephen Friedfeld, COO of AcceptU and former admissions officer at Cornell, Sarah, a former admissions officer at Vanderbilt, and Leslie, a former admissions officer at USC, for a closer look at why colleges are dropping supplemental essays and what these changes mean for applicants.
In this discussion, we’ll cover:
- Why colleges are changing or eliminating supplemental essay requirements
- How rising application volume and AI are reshaping college admissions in 2026
- How colleges evaluate applications beyond essays
- Why applying early may matter more in an increasingly competitive admissions landscape
Listen to this episode
Presented by
Sarah P.
Sarah received a BA from Davidson College and M.Div. from Vanderbilt University. She has admissions experience at Emory University, Vanderbilt University and College of Charleston. Sarah manages AcceptU’s partnerships with college access organizations and a caseload of clients. Sarah is an IECA Associate Member.
Leslie
Leslie has a BA in theater from the University of Southern California and an MA from Boston College. Leslie worked in the admissions offices at both USC and Babson College, and was a college counselor at two independent schools for more than a decade.
Stephen Friedfeld
Stephen received a BA from Cornell University, an MA from Columbia University Teachers College and a Ph.D. from Rice University. Prior to founding AcceptU, Stephen was an Assistant Dean of admissions at Cornell and an Associate Dean of graduate admissions at Princeton University. Stephen is an IECA Member.