Blog Posts:
Institutional Research

The March 18, 2026, deadline for the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) is no longer an "IR project," it is a matter of institutional risk and strategic positioning....

In our January post, we made the case that ACTS is more than a compliance exercise, it’s a leadership opportunity. That’s still true. But with the deadline now firmly in view, the conversation has shifted from strategy to execution. And for many institutions, that’s where the real challenge begins....

As colleges and universities begin working through the new Admissions, Completions, and Transfer Student (ACTS) reporting requirements, a familiar pattern is emerging: even highly mature Institutional Research (IR) teams encountering the same operational, definitional, and technical barriers. ...

The Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) represents the most significant expansion of federal admissions reporting in decades and offers a pivotal moment for higher education leaders. While ACTS introduces new compliance requirements, it also creates a strategic opportunity to modernize admissions analytics, strengthen data governance and elevate institutional decision-making....