Common App reported a 2 percent rise in first‑year applicants this season and a notable increase in racial diversity: Black and multiracial applicants grew fastest year‑over‑year, the nonprofit said. The mid‑season report also showed the share of U.S. applicants identifying as white declined slightly, continuing a multi‑year trend. A separate data brief highlighted three application developments — standardized test submissions rose modestly, international applicants fell, and timing shifts in applications that admissions offices should track. Admissions officers told counselors the pattern reflects policy changes, demographic shifts, and colleges’ evolving recruitment strategies after the Supreme Court’s 2023 decisions.