What's new — and what's not — in college admissions

Admissions officers say some things will never change, but applying to college these days does have a few new wrinkles. Like the move many universities in the U.S. are making away from requiring standardized test scores. Or the states that are short-cutting the application process for top-ranked graduating seniors. Or grade inflation at some high schools, which compromises the reliability of a GPA as a predictor of academic success.