College Board Ends Landscape Tool Amid Evolving Admissions Policies

What's Happening?

The College Board has decided to discontinue its Landscape tool, which was designed to provide admissions officers with a comprehensive view of a student's high school environment. Landscape, initially launched as the 'Adversity Score' in 2019, offered insights into the economic makeup of a student's high school class, participation in Advanced Placement courses, and local community data. Despite its popularity in certain admissions offices, the College Board cited evolving federal and state policies regarding the use of demographic and geographic information in admissions as a reason for its decision. The Trump administration had previously issued guidance discouraging the use of geographic targeting as a proxy for race in admissions, which may have influenced this decision.

Why It's Important?

The discontinuation of Landscape is significant as it impacts efforts to increase economic diversity in college admissions. Landscape provided admissions officers with crucial information that could enhance the chances of low-income students being admitted to selective institutions. The tool was particularly valuable because it helped fill gaps in high-quality data about applicants' high school environments, which disproportionately affects low-income students. The decision to end Landscape may hinder efforts to broaden economic diversity at elite institutions, reflecting broader challenges in maintaining diversity in higher education amid changing policies.

What's Next?

Colleges and universities may need to explore alternative methods to assess applicants' backgrounds and maintain commitments to diversity. Despite the College Board's decision, race-neutral methods to pursue diversity remain legally valid, as affirmed by recent court decisions. Institutions might need to develop new tools or strategies to ensure that they continue to support economic diversity in admissions, even as race-conscious admissions policies face restrictions.

Beyond the Headlines

The decision to discontinue Landscape raises questions about the future of diversity initiatives in higher education. It highlights the tension between legal challenges and the commitment to diversity, particularly economic diversity. The move may signal a broader trend where institutions and organizations become cautious in defending diversity tools due to fear of litigation, potentially impacting the accessibility of higher education for underrepresented groups.