--- title: "Watch the Recording: What Colleges Want Now | InGenius Prep" description: Watch Nick, a Yale Former Admissions Officer, share what admissions deans said at NACAC about Early Decision, AI essays, and what colleges weigh first this year. --- [Skip to content](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/igp-webinar-11.10.26-recording#main-content) ![InGenius Prep ](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/hs-fs/hubfs/inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white.png?width=1219&height=218&name=inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Contact us](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/igp-webinar-11.10.26-recording#contact) [Contact us](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/igp-webinar-11.10.26-recording#contact) ![inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/hs-fs/hubfs/inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white.webp?width=202&height=36&name=inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white.webp "inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white") ![Nick, Yale Former Admissions Officer](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nick-S-2.png?width=300&height=300&name=Nick-S-2.png "Nick, Yale Former Admissions Officer") #### Yale Former Admissions Officer Nick ## **What Colleges Want Now: Early Decision, AI, and the New Admissions Priorities** ### What You’ll Learn: College applications are up 43% compared with before the pandemic, which leaves admissions offices less certain about who will enroll. Nick, a Yale Former Admissions Officer, was at NACAC this fall and shares what admissions deans said about the year ahead and what it means for your student, whatever grade they are in. - **Why Early Decision Matters More:** Colleges want to know who will enroll, and schools like Michigan and USC have added an Early Decision round. - **Beyond the Perfect Transcript:** What admissions officers look for once grades and scores check out, from context to how a student handles a setback. - **What Readers Weigh First:** Course rigor, GPA, and test scores, in the order admissions officers rank them. - **AI and the Essay:** How colleges read essays now that nearly two in three seniors use AI, and why a natural voice matters more than a flawless one. ##### MEET YOUR HOST ![Nick, Yale Former Admissions Officer](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nick-S-2.png?width=300&height=300&name=Nick-S-2.png "Nick, Yale Former Admissions Officer") ## **Nick** ## **Yale Former Admissions Officer** Nick served as a Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Yale, where he read thousands of applications, traveled the country to meet with students, and sat on the committee that made final admissions decisions. He also managed Yale's Senior Interviewer program, training the undergraduates who interview applicants. He has taught and counseled students at a boarding school and at a major public research university, and he holds a PhD in History and Educational Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. **Where Nick’s Students Have Been Admitted** Princeton · MIT · Yale · Harvard · UChicago · Cornell · Northwestern · Emory · Georgetown · WashU in St. Louis ## Our Results | 2025–2026 Admissions Results Ivy League + Top 10 Offers ###### 201 Top 20 Offers ###### 384 Higher Ivy+ Acceptance Rate *vs.* National Average ###### 12.5x Top 30 Acceptance Rate ###### 87% Elite Offers Per Student ###### 4.37 © 2026 InGenius Prep. All rights reserved. facebook-f icon linkedin-in icon Twitter icon instagram icon --- [![InGenius Prep ](https://go.ingeniusprep.com/hs-fs/hubfs/inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white.png?width=1219&height=218&name=inGeniusPrep-logo(Final)-white.png "InGenius Prep ")](http://www.ingeniusprep.com) 123 Main Street, City, State 11111 Copyright © 2026, InGenius Prep