What College Admissions Can Teach Us About the New Era of Federal Contracting
- Lilla Szucs
- Nov 3
- 3 min read
How Changes in Government Contracting Mirror the Modern College Admissions Process
Recently, I have had to reintroduce myself to the modern world of college admissions. It’s been a couple of decades (or more) since I last navigated that process, until now, as my oldest daughter begins applying to colleges.
Back in my day, I applied to three schools (one of them a “safety”), was accepted into two, and waitlisted at one. I ultimately attended Northwestern – ranked #13 nationally at the time. My daughter, however, with a higher GPA, stronger ACT scores, impressive extracurriculars (including being captain of a Division I-level high school sport), and even a professional internship on her résumé, has little chance of getting into the same schools I did (with a scholarship), years ago.
What I’ve learned is that the college landscape has changed dramatically. Schools are far more competitive, and much more expensive. Today’s students are also more ambitious. The application process is fully digital and centralized through platforms like the Common App, making it easier to apply to more schools. Grades and test scores have inflated, which has leveled the playing field rather than differentiating students.
Lower application barriers mean more students are applying to more schools, often 10, 20, or even 30. The result? Lower acceptance rates and higher pressure on students to stand out. It’s no longer enough to have stellar grades and leadership experience; it feels like you need to have cured cancer or founded a multimillion-dollar AI startup to get noticed.
As I have watched my daughter navigate this process, it struck me how similar these dynamics are to what’s happening right now in federal government contracting.
The New Reality of Government Contracting
Just like college admissions, federal contracting has become significantly more competitive. Fewer opportunities, driven by budget constraints and contract consolidations, mean more companies are chasing fewer awards. Lower win rates, in turn, push contractors to bid on more opportunities, expanding their pipelines but decreasing their success ratios even further.
From the government’s perspective, this surge in proposals has forced changes, too. Agencies now receive far more bids per opportunity, leading them to simplify RFPs, shorten proposal page limits, and reduce turnaround times. Companies, meanwhile, are managing larger pipelines and facing tougher evaluation standards.
In short, today’s contracting environment is like the modern college admissions process:
More competition for fewer “spots.”
Higher expectations just to be considered.
More submissions required to secure a win.
Having strong past performance and a low-risk technical approach are no longer differentiators, they are the baseline.
How Companies Can Adapt
To stay competitive in this new environment, contractors must evolve just like students have had to adapt to modern admissions. Here’s how:
Develop true differentiators. Move beyond the “me too” offerings (“We do software development” or “We have CMMI certification”) and into the “only we” territory (“Only we’ve built an AI-based platform that does XYZ”).
Drive cost efficiency. With budget pressures mounting, customers are paying close attention to price. Find ways to deliver value more efficiently.
Grow and diversify your pipeline. Expand your opportunity base strategically - don’t rely too heavily on one agency or contract type.
Build surge capacity. Don’t let limited proposal resources hold you back from bidding on qualified opportunities. Outsourcing proposal support can help you scale efficiently.
Final Thoughts
The federal contracting landscape, much like college admissions, has fundamentally shifted. The bar is higher, the competition tougher, and the process faster. Success now depends on standing out, not just showing up.