The Chilling Effect: Deportations of International Students and the Future of U.S. Higher Education

Last month, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University was detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Tuesday, March 25th, Rumeysa Ozturk had just left her home in her university town of Somerville when she was stopped and detained by six individuals in masks claiming to be the police. Homeland security officials claimed it was due to her sympathy and possible connection to the Hammas terrorist organization, leading to the termination of her student visa, though no evidence of this has been made public. 

The month of March was filled with President Trump making good on his promise to be ruthless in his deportation efforts. On March 9th, four days after attending a sit-in protest of several students involved in pro-Palestinaian activism, ICE agents showed up at the home of Yunseo Chung’s parents’ home to arrest her (a federal judge has since ordered the Trump administration to halt its efforts to arrest and deport Yunseo).

On March 25th, Momodou Taal, a Ph.D. student in Africana studies at Cornell was instructed to to turn himself to ICE following involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. Taal had previously filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting universities and foreign national protesters. 

While there is much to make of these recent targetings of international students involved in political activism, particularly those supporting Palestinian causes, I cannot help but wonder what the ramifications of these actions will be for universities and international enrollment in the coming years. If I was an international student - whether I supported Palestinian causes or not -  I would certainly be thinking twice about investing in American education knowing that my visa could be revoked at any time based on my political beliefs, or in this case, a lack of support for the sitting American president. 

Implications for College Admissions and Enrollment

Certainly, we can anticipate this will have a direct impact on how students from the Middle East and South America will feel about the U.S. as a host country. Co-Founder of Adams Admissions Consulting and Dean of Student Success Services at Trinity Christian College, Rocio Mendez-Rozo, talked about the potential impact on international student communities as a result of the new Trump Immigration policies. “International students already weigh multiple factors when choosing where to study, and a country’s immigration policies play a significant role in shaping that decision. Policies that are perceived as restrictive can create a lot of anxiety for students, as well as administrators on college campuses who work hard to make sure that their students follow visa guidelines, while also supporting them through a major life transition. At a time when higher education enrollment is already low, international students contribute significantly to campus economies and institutional growth. These policies risk pushing incredible students away, exacerbating enrollment challenges and forcing U.S. colleges and universities to reckon with long-term impact on the sector’s sustainability.”

It’s not just at the undergraduate level. In fact, the aforementioned incidents all involved advanced degree seeking students at elite private institutions. It seems safe to infer that top international talent from targeted countries will likely think twice about studying abroad and that these recent incidents will force universities to either double down on their support for their international students, or align with a president that has threatened to revoke federal funding from any university that doesn’t concede to supporting his policy initiatives.

Even if universities aren’t compelled morally to protect their students, they must assess the ramifications of Trump’s most recent deportation efforts on their own institutional well-being. The United States has long positioned itself as a beacon for academic freedom and opportunity to international students; these values are now increasingly at odds with current immigration enforcement tactics. The international student community contributes significantly to the diversity and intellectual vibrancy of university campuses, but what is likely even more important to these universities is that they also significantly contribute to most universities’ financial health. As Dean Mendez-Rozo describes, international students comprise up to 25% of elite institution student bodies, most of whom are full-pay students; a significant dip in international student enrollment could have major ramifications financially. 

Not only are International students a vital component of the U.S. higher education financial ecosystem; they are part of the American financial ecosystem. The economic impact on the United States of international students at American Universities is staggering. According to research conducted by NAFSA, in the 2023-2024 academic year alone, over 1.1 million international students contributed approximately $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy, supporting more than 378,000 jobs.  

While current targets seem to be students involved in pro-Palestinian activism, President Trump has consistently been less concerned with particular issues and more concerned with loyalty and adherence to his agenda. Who is to say that there won’t be a different target next week? Or next year? Or in the next four years? This environment of uncertainty and fear of visa revocation based on political beliefs or ethnic association creates an atmosphere that will likely impact international student recruitment more broadly. 

Final Thoughts

In our current political climate, international students are being asked to prove not just academic merit - but ideological alignment with President Donald Trump. Today, students are having their visas revoked for ties to pro-Palesitinian causes. Tomorrow, it could be a student from Scotland publicly standing with the European Union. A month from now it could be graduate students from Ukraine. 

For institutions, and a country, that rely heavily on the global pipeline of talent and financial resources, the stakes are incredibly high. 

Summer Reading List for SAT/ACT Prep: 10 Great Books to Build Vocabulary and Reading Skills

Summer is a great time to relax, recharge—and read! If you're preparing for the ACT or SAT, picking up a few well-chosen books can make a real difference. Reading strong fiction and nonfiction helps build vocabulary, strengthen reading comprehension, and improve your ability to tackle the challenging passages you’ll see on test day.

You can find most of these books for free at your local library, or use the links below to purchase them online. We’ve also included a recommended grade level to help guide your selections.

At Adams Admissions Consulting, we encourage students to use summer break intentionally. Whether you're an avid reader or just looking to get started, these books will stretch your thinking, expose you to new ideas, and strengthen the exact skills tested on the ACT and SAT.

Why These Books?

The ACT and SAT assess your ability to understand complex texts, draw inferences, analyze arguments, and recognize rhetorical strategies. The books below were selected for their rich language, thematic depth, and alignment with the reading skills tested on both exams.

Classic Literature (For Vocabulary and Comprehension Skills)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Recommended for: Grades 10–12
A timeless novel filled with advanced vocabulary and subtle wit. The complex social dynamics and nuanced tone make it an excellent primer for ACT/SAT-style reading passages.
Buy on Amazon

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Recommended for: Grades 9–11
A dystopian classic that introduces students to sophisticated language and layered symbolism while also prompting reflection on censorship, media, and society.
Buy on Amazon

Nonfiction and Argumentative Writing (For Rhetorical Skills and Essay Prep)

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
Recommended for: Grades 10–12
This powerful firsthand account teaches students how to track an argument, recognize rhetorical devices, and build empathy—skills crucial for both reading and writing sections.
Buy on Amazon

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Recommended for: Grades 10–12
Blending science, ethics, and biography, this narrative nonfiction book closely resembles the kind of real-world informational texts featured in the SAT and ACT.
Buy on Amazon

How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur
Recommended for: Grades 11–12
An entertaining yet thoughtful exploration of moral philosophy, written by the creator of The Good Place. Schur makes complex ethical concepts accessible and engaging.
Buy on Amazon

Contemporary Fiction (For Narrative Voice, Tone, and Interpretation)

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Recommended for: Grades 11–12
A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel based on a true story. This emotionally powerful read sharpens your ability to interpret narrative voice and explore complex moral themes.
Buy on Amazon

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Recommended for: Grades 9–11
This modern classic explores race, identity, and family with poetic language and strong emotional depth, helping students learn to identify tone, imagery, and symbolism.
Buy on Amazon

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Recommended for: Grades 11–12
A beautifully written novel by a Pulitzer-winning author. This book explores identity, justice, and the power of literature. Ideal for advanced readers looking to challenge themselves.
Buy on Amazon

Accessible and Engaging Nonfiction (For Reading Stamina and Real-World Context)

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Recommended for: Grades 9–11
A popular nonfiction book that blends data, storytelling, and social science. It offers engaging content while helping students build reading stamina and interpret arguments.
Buy on Amazon

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022)
Recommended for: Grades 11–12 (Mature Content)
A powerful memoir that deals with complex family dynamics, abuse, and identity. Best for mature readers, it offers a compelling narrative voice and a unique writing style.
Buy on Amazon

Final Tips for Students

• Choose at least one classic and one contemporary work to build a well-rounded foundation.

• Keep a vocabulary list and jot down unfamiliar words as you read.

• After finishing a book, write a short reflection summarizing the main idea and how the author conveyed it.

• Treat your reading like a workout: challenging books build stamina and resilience.

Looking for a personalized reading plan based on your strengths and test timeline? Schedule a session with one of our expert coaches to map out your summer strategy.

Let’s make this summer a launchpad for stronger scores and better reading skills.

The Future of Standardized Testing: What You Need to Know

On February 14th, 2025, two major announcements were made that will dramatically impact the admissions cycle for 2025-2026 and years to come. Most significantly, the Department of Education released their “Dear Colleague” letter, addressed to educators from K-12 through post-secondary education. The letter outlined numerous ways in which the new administration feels that students, predominantly white and Asian-identifying students, have been discriminated against in admissions processes. Not only did the Department of Education address overt DEI admissions policies and practices, they also directly named race-neutral admissions policies, like test-optional policies, as “unlawful.” The Department of Education gave universities a two-week mandate to comply in eliminating all such practices. On the same day, UPenn became the sixth Ivy to reinstate their testing requirement. In this blog, we will discuss the ramifications for students applying to undergraduate programs in the next application cycle, and how you can ensure you are ready to apply under the new guidelines.

The first university to adopt a test-optional admissions policy in the United States was Bowdoin College in 1969. Over the next half-century, educational professionals would debate the value of standardized testing, citing its propensity to favor certain populations of students, barriers to access, and its lack of validity in assessing predicted college performance. In 2020, colleges and universities across the country were forced to adopt more flexible testing policies because of the Covid-19 pandemic and stay-at-home mandates. Many educational professionals thought these policies would persist, with schools such as the University of California system even going test-blind (meaning they do not look at any student’s test scores in their application review). Over the past two admissions cycles, however, we have seen a shift in university admissions policies going back to emphasizing standardized testing, with Harvard most notably making the decision in April of 2024.

The Department of Education’s letter, written by Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Craig Trainor, states:

Relying on non-racial information as a proxy for race, and making decisions based on that information, violates the law. That is true whether the proxies are used to grant preferences on an individual basis or a systematic one. It would, for instance, be unlawful for an educational institution to eliminate standardized testing to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity.

The question is, will schools with flexible testing policies feel pressured to eliminate such policies, rather than attempting to prove they are not an attempt to increase racial diversity on campus?

Our answer: unfortunately, many schools are likely to comply. As the Executive Branch looks to extend its legislative power, backed by a Supreme court that has historically lacked sympathy for universities when it comes to DEI and Affirmative Action lawsuits, schools will likely fear retribution if they do not move away from their test-optional policies. One former admissions officer from a top 10 undergraduate institution noted, “In the last office I worked in after [Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard], our conversations were almost exclusively focused on how not to be the next school to get sued…I think universities, particularly those with big names, will be even more concerned about being the next ‘example’ now.” Another former admissions officer from a T10 MBA program noted that their former institution “Seemed to be leaning into Trump’s America.”

What does this mean for you?

As noted, we are likely to see more institutions drop their flexible testing policies, meaning it is more important than ever to invest time and energy into standardized testing preparation.

 Assume every school will require an ACT or SAT score.

 The Department of Education has mandated that universities comply two weeks from when their letter was released (which would be this Friday) and it is likely we will see many universities move away from their testing policies by the end of the week. But, universities tend to move slowly, and we predict that schools will roll out testing policy updates over the next several months. Because some schools may remain unclear on how they will move forward, it is in your best interest to assume that you will need a test score for every school you are interested in. That means, having a test-prep plan.

Have a test-prep plan.

Now more than ever, it is important to have a test-prep plan. For both admissions and scholarship consideration, we anticipate standardized testing will continue to play a key role, regardless of the type of school you are applying to. So, it is important that you are prepared. If financial resources are a concern, look to free resources such as Khan Academy, College Board SAT Practice Tests, and ACT Practice Tests. If possible, we highly suggest investing in prep courses or 1:1 tutoring when possible. Below is our suggested testing strategy:

·      Grade 10 – Sit for the ACT or SAT to get a baseline score.

·      Grade 11 – Begin intentional test-preparation such as 1:1 tutoring, or take an ACT or SAT study course.

·      Grade 11 – Take the exam 1-2 more times as needed.

Remember that there are 4,000 schools out there!

With more selective programs moving towards re-emphasizing standardized testing, there is likely going to be concern from students who may struggle with getting that 1450+ SAT score, or the 34+ ACT composite score required of most highly-selective institutions. Remember, there are 4,000+ colleges and universities in the United States. Make sure to have an application list that consists of target, reach, and safety schools to maximize your chances of success in this process.

 You don’t have to go it alone!

We are here to help! Schedule a free consultation to learn how Adams Admissions Consulting can support you in your college admissions journey. With over 10 years of experience, and a 96% success rate, we can help you and your family navigate the everchanging world of college admissions. Don’t go it alone! Sign up for your consultation today.