Senator Bill Cassidy opened a formal inquiry into college math preparedness, sending letters to roughly 35 selective colleges asking for math‑placement data and policies after a UC San Diego report flagged rising remedial math needs. Cassidy framed the issue as a spillover from K–12 achievement gaps and requested multi‑year placement trends, course descriptions and an explanation of admission testing practices. At the same time, critics and courts are targeting early‑decision practices and the admissions pipeline. Rising use of early decision has concentrated admits earlier in the cycle and sparked a lawsuit by applicants claiming the practice reduces competition and inflates tuition outcomes. Colleges are balancing demands to widen access with yield management strategies that preserve selectivity and revenue. The twin pressures—federal scrutiny of academic preparedness and legal challenges to admissions practices—could drive rapid policy shifts in placement, developmental education, and admission strategy. Campus leaders must prepare transparent data packages and defend policy trade‑offs with evidence while simultaneously aligning academic support programs to reduce remediation reliance.