If you’re a parent of a college-bound student, you’ve probably noticed that the college admissions process feels more stressful. It is also more competitive than it was a decade ago. Maybe you remember your own college search being simpler. You applied to a handful of schools. You wrote one essay. You waited for the mail to bring either a thick or thin envelope.

Today’s students are facing a high-stakes and data-driven system. The system is often confusing. It feels more like an Olympic event than a rite of passage. The question many parents are asking is: What changed?