Bay Area counselor gives advice on navigating the college process during Trump administration era

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- These are tumultuous times -- not just for the stock market, but also for American universities.

Facing federal research funding cuts, revocation of student visas and demands for admissions reform, the college landscape is changing fast. This presents new challenges for students and families navigating the already difficult college search journey.

How might Trump administration policies affect them, whether they're seeking financial aid or concerned about discrimination or diversity? Leading Bay Area college counselor Lauren Cook, dean of College and Gap Year Advising at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco, gave ABC7 News Anchor Kristen Sze a framework for considering these issues.

The Trump administration's early actions have already had a seismic impact, beginning with the effort to eliminate the Department of Education. Although that legally required Congressional approval, it raises questions about the handling of federal student aid.

Cook says, so far, there's no sign of a drop in aid offers for this year. Current borrowers have seen some disruption, but overall, prospective student activity is business as usual.

MORE: Loan expert breaks down Department of Education's changes on repayment rules for student borrowers

"I will say that if admitted students are concerned about what they're signing up for going into college, call your admitted campuses, ask if they've got plans in this moment," Cook said. "But I don't think that, at this particular moment, there's something to respond to or act on specifically. We just have to kind of wait and see."

Trump has also ordered investigations into dozens of universities, including UC Berkeley and Stanford University here in the Bay Area, for alleged antisemitism arising from the nationwide campus protests over the war in Gaza. In addition, the administration is investigating and threatening to withhold research funding over the universities' admissions practices and DEI programs. Already, several prominent universities, such as Cornell, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania, have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in federal dollars.

"I actually think it might be more important to notice changes or closures to campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices, if that's something that you are concerned with. This has been happening in drips and drops since the inauguration and includes schools that are sort of well beyond the scope of that list," Cook said.

For students worried about discrimination or antisemitism, Cook advises they talk to current students, as what they see in the news or on social media may not present the full picture.

MORE: More than 50 universities face federal investigations as part of Trump's anti-DEI campaign

Another seismic change is the administration's redefinition of Title IX. In response, the NCAA has banned transgender women from competing in women's sports. While this applies to very few people, changes to gender-affirming care and general safety may vary from campus to campus and state to state. If this issue is important to your student, Cook suggests consulting the Campus Pride Index for assessments on individual campuses, as well as consider the geographic location and recent state legislation before enrolling.

Politically influenced factors aside, this is a stressful time for high school seniors who have finished the grueling application process, received their college decisions, and are deciding where to commit. That's easy for students lucky enough to be accepted to one of their top choices, but what if they were rejected or waitlisted?

"The best advice is coming from the school that waitlisted you. So read that notice carefully, because they will tell you their instructions on how best to potentially be considered. Sometimes that's just opting into a waitlist to say, 'Yeah, I'm still interested. Please keep me in mind.' Sometimes it is to do more of a statement, a 'Letter of Continued Interest,' as they call it online," Cook said. "But please follow directions, because I would hate for students to spend two, three hours crafting this sort of dissertation about why they should be admitted, only to know that that's just going to within in an email inbox and isn't going to be read."

MORE: Stanford, UC Berkeley among 60 universities being investigated by DOE over antisemitism claims

In the meantime, Cook suggests committing to a college that admitted you, learning more about that school and becoming excited for that journey in the process.

For high school juniors, there are some key changes to be aware of as they begin the application process. More universities are going back to requiring standardized testing, giving up the pandemic-era test-optional policy. The most recent universities to require testing for the Class of 2026 include Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, University of Miami, Ohio State and University of Pennsylvania. Note that Columbia has gone permanently test optional, while Princeton is now the only Ivy League school that has a temporary test-optional policy.

The SAT implemented changes last year. This year, it's the ACT's turn. Beginning this month, ACT will move from paper to online, reduce the test length and make the science section optional. Colleges have not responded to the ACT changes, so Cook says some students may prefer to take the SAT until there's more clarity.

Above all, it's important to remember there's no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to colleges, and a place that feels right will likely be the best place for a student to thrive, regardless of the university's rankings.