James S. Murphy
@jamessmurphy.bsky.social
Sometimes I write slow, sometimes I write quick. Mostly about college stuff.
Email: jstephenmurphy@gmail.com
Website: www.jamessmurphy.com
Email: jstephenmurphy@gmail.com
Website: www.jamessmurphy.com
Community colleges? Falling.
November 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Community colleges? Falling.
But what about private colleges??? COA also falling.
November 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
But what about private colleges??? COA also falling.
Look everybody! It's your annual reminder to look at the actual cost of attending college, not the sticker price. Even if it means acknowledging the the COA of public colleges has been falling.
November 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Look everybody! It's your annual reminder to look at the actual cost of attending college, not the sticker price. Even if it means acknowledging the the COA of public colleges has been falling.
I added Tufts to the post-SFFA tracker, which now contains 23 colleges and institutions. No Hopkins, no Duke, no Stanford, no Brown, no Dartmouth.
At this point last year, I had 35. I do not think we are going to get there this year.
At this point last year, I had 35. I do not think we are going to get there this year.
November 6, 2025 at 2:39 AM
I added Tufts to the post-SFFA tracker, which now contains 23 colleges and institutions. No Hopkins, no Duke, no Stanford, no Brown, no Dartmouth.
At this point last year, I had 35. I do not think we are going to get there this year.
At this point last year, I had 35. I do not think we are going to get there this year.
Today is the deadline for Early Decision. I've got a new report out called "The Use and Abuse of Early Decision." I'm worried that the political and financial pressure created by the Trump Administration is going to lead some colleges to lean in even more on ED.
November 1, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Today is the deadline for Early Decision. I've got a new report out called "The Use and Abuse of Early Decision." I'm worried that the political and financial pressure created by the Trump Administration is going to lead some colleges to lean in even more on ED.
This is what I was coming here to say. IPEDS suggests the New College is not seeing a ton of money in federal grants.
October 27, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This is what I was coming here to say. IPEDS suggests the New College is not seeing a ton of money in federal grants.
LSU will spend more money paying off a fired coach than it did on merit scholarships last year.
October 27, 2025 at 2:21 AM
LSU will spend more money paying off a fired coach than it did on merit scholarships last year.
That chart doesn't indicate those comparisons aren't all apples to apples.
Some institutions continue to report %ages in ways that aren't consistent w/ federal reporting standards. Harvard reports in a way that's utterly bespoke
Here's a more accurate view. jamessmurphy.com/2025/09/15/t...
Some institutions continue to report %ages in ways that aren't consistent w/ federal reporting standards. Harvard reports in a way that's utterly bespoke
Here's a more accurate view. jamessmurphy.com/2025/09/15/t...
October 26, 2025 at 4:21 PM
That chart doesn't indicate those comparisons aren't all apples to apples.
Some institutions continue to report %ages in ways that aren't consistent w/ federal reporting standards. Harvard reports in a way that's utterly bespoke
Here's a more accurate view. jamessmurphy.com/2025/09/15/t...
Some institutions continue to report %ages in ways that aren't consistent w/ federal reporting standards. Harvard reports in a way that's utterly bespoke
Here's a more accurate view. jamessmurphy.com/2025/09/15/t...
The nest time you see a story about the kid who got over 1500 on the SAT and got rejected from their dream school remember this: ~40,000 people break 1500 on the SAT each year, and they're all applying to a lot of schools.
October 25, 2025 at 9:07 PM
The nest time you see a story about the kid who got over 1500 on the SAT and got rejected from their dream school remember this: ~40,000 people break 1500 on the SAT each year, and they're all applying to a lot of schools.
Here's what happened with enrollment after the SFFA decision, comparing the average of the 2 years before and the average of the 2 years after.
October 25, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Here's what happened with enrollment after the SFFA decision, comparing the average of the 2 years before and the average of the 2 years after.
The post-SFFA admissions tracker is now up to 22 schools with the addition of MIT, Williams, Bates, and Harvard. The last one there once again chose to publish numbers in the least clear fashion possible.
At this point last year, I had 35 schools.
At this point last year, I had 35 schools.
October 24, 2025 at 7:18 PM
The post-SFFA admissions tracker is now up to 22 schools with the addition of MIT, Williams, Bates, and Harvard. The last one there once again chose to publish numbers in the least clear fashion possible.
At this point last year, I had 35 schools.
At this point last year, I had 35 schools.
I added Amherst to the tracker. We're still at less than half the institutions I had by this point last year, but thinking we might see at least one more tomorrow.
October 23, 2025 at 1:03 AM
I added Amherst to the tracker. We're still at less than half the institutions I had by this point last year, but thinking we might see at least one more tomorrow.
Except that's not what LSAC is showing
October 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Except that's not what LSAC is showing
Based on this op-ed from one of its trustees (and not just any trustee!), it's hard to see Vanderbilt signing the Compact.
October 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Based on this op-ed from one of its trustees (and not just any trustee!), it's hard to see Vanderbilt signing the Compact.
I added Swarthmore to the tracker.
October 17, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I added Swarthmore to the tracker.
Once you realize that the ambition of the Compact is not to create a class of favored schools with extra benefits but a contract ALL IHEs will be required to sign to get ANY benefits, this line from the Compact makes more sense:
October 17, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Once you realize that the ambition of the Compact is not to create a class of favored schools with extra benefits but a contract ALL IHEs will be required to sign to get ANY benefits, this line from the Compact makes more sense:
Second, calling the "allowance for increased overhead payments where feasible" a benefit or describing it as "looser restraints on overhead costs" is weird.
The WH is offering to give back a little bit of what they want to take from colleges. And have been stopped by a judge already from taking.
The WH is offering to give back a little bit of what they want to take from colleges. And have been stopped by a judge already from taking.
October 17, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Second, calling the "allowance for increased overhead payments where feasible" a benefit or describing it as "looser restraints on overhead costs" is weird.
The WH is offering to give back a little bit of what they want to take from colleges. And have been stopped by a judge already from taking.
The WH is offering to give back a little bit of what they want to take from colleges. And have been stopped by a judge already from taking.
So, the first thing to point out is that big newspapers misconstrued the so-called benefits of signing on.
First, There is no talk of "priority access" to grants. The Compact just says a university will have access to grants--something they already have.
First, There is no talk of "priority access" to grants. The Compact just says a university will have access to grants--something they already have.
October 17, 2025 at 2:16 AM
So, the first thing to point out is that big newspapers misconstrued the so-called benefits of signing on.
First, There is no talk of "priority access" to grants. The Compact just says a university will have access to grants--something they already have.
First, There is no talk of "priority access" to grants. The Compact just says a university will have access to grants--something they already have.
I finally saw the letter that Sec. McMahon sent to the 9 colleges about the compact (h/t @dangordondc.bsky.social). And, as Dan pointed out to me, the media coverage of the letter seems to have missed some important points on the "benefits" and on the ask.
Here's the letter:
Here's the letter:
October 17, 2025 at 2:16 AM
I finally saw the letter that Sec. McMahon sent to the 9 colleges about the compact (h/t @dangordondc.bsky.social). And, as Dan pointed out to me, the media coverage of the letter seems to have missed some important points on the "benefits" and on the ask.
Here's the letter:
Here's the letter:
The Complaint: We're handing out too many As to students doing sham work.
The Place: Harvard College
The Year: 1894
The Place: Harvard College
The Year: 1894
October 16, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The Complaint: We're handing out too many As to students doing sham work.
The Place: Harvard College
The Year: 1894
The Place: Harvard College
The Year: 1894
Here's a screenshot from when the campaign was active.
October 16, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Here's a screenshot from when the campaign was active.
Quite the detail in there.
October 14, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Quite the detail in there.
Here are some of the really good comments that have been posted about how the admissions transparency survey will be a huge administrative burden. Many colleges have a single employee who handles reporting to IPEDS and that's a small part of their work.
October 12, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Here are some of the really good comments that have been posted about how the admissions transparency survey will be a huge administrative burden. Many colleges have a single employee who handles reporting to IPEDS and that's a small part of their work.
Almost 90% of the comment on this admissions data collection, which will likely be used to target universities the Trump Administration does not like, have been generated been generated by a Facebook petition.
There's still time for authentic feedback.
There's still time for authentic feedback.
October 12, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Almost 90% of the comment on this admissions data collection, which will likely be used to target universities the Trump Administration does not like, have been generated been generated by a Facebook petition.
There's still time for authentic feedback.
There's still time for authentic feedback.
Comments on Department of Education's plans to add a *massive* new survey component to IPEDS are due this Tuesday. Here are the 4 recommendations I made as a private citizen in my comment.
October 12, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Comments on Department of Education's plans to add a *massive* new survey component to IPEDS are due this Tuesday. Here are the 4 recommendations I made as a private citizen in my comment.