New Common App data shows application growth among Black, low-income, first-generation and rural students, while international applications fell—especially from India—raising questions about visa policy impacts and enrollment mixes at selective institutions. The report also flags that the most selective colleges saw the slowest growth, intensifying competition for access and yield management. In response to affordability pressures and to broaden access, Johns Hopkins announced a sweeping financial-aid update: undergraduates from families earning below $100,000 will pay nothing, and many households up to $200,000 will pay no tuition. The move will reshape admissions and aid strategies and could create pressure for peer institutions to reassess price and aid models.