Should My Kid Avoid Colleges Trump Is Targeting? (No. And Here’s Why.)

If you’ve been doomscrolling the news lately, you might be asking:
“Wait… should my kid avoid applying to places like Columbia or Penn? Are these schools going broke? Is all this chaos going to mess up their college experience?”

Let me stop you right there.

No, your kid does not need to drop Columbia from their list. And no, UPenn is not about to shutter its doors. Even if it feels like elite universities are under siege, they are not going under anytime soon.

Let me explain.

These Schools Have Endowments Bigger Than Small Countries

Let’s talk money. Because yes—research funding is being threatened. But before you imagine your kid eating ramen in a candlelit dorm while the biology lab sells Bunsen burners on Craigslist, here’s what you need to know:

• Columbia University: $14.8 billion endowment

• University of Pennsylvania: $22.3 billion

• Harvard: $53.2 billion

• Yale: $41.4 billion

• Stanford: $36.5 billion

These schools are not just wealthy. They are institutionally loaded. Even with paused or revoked federal research funding, they have the kind of financial infrastructure that makes Wall Street blush.

So no, they’re not “about to go broke.” They’ve planned for this. And honestly? They expected this.

The Real Question Isn’t “Are They Safe?”—It’s “Is This Still the Right Fit?”

Now, if you’re asking, “Will my child feel comfortable on that campus?”—that’s a totally fair question. Campus culture is shifting. Schools are grappling with protests, political pressure, and yes, donor demands. That’s real.

But guess what else is real?

• Every college is navigating this in some way.

• Your child will live through political and social upheaval no matter where they go.

• These cultural storms are not reasons to avoid applying—they’re reasons to ask better questions.

The real task is helping your student find schools where they’ll be challenged but not stifled, stimulated, but not stressed out of their minds. Schools where they can grow—regardless of what the headlines say.

But What About the Research Cuts?

Yes, Columbia just had $400 million in research funding revoked. Yes, Penn had $175 million paused. That sounds scary—until you realize:

• Columbia’s total annual operating budget is over $5 billion

• Penn’s endowment funds $1.1 billion in their annual budget alone

• Most of that research money doesn’t touch undergrads at all

Translation? Your child’s English class, mental health counselor, or dining hall isn’t going anywhere. These funding shifts might reshape a postdoc’s lab, but they’re not going to burn the whole place down.

And even those cuts? Experts say many are illegal. But Trump’s people are testing how far they can go. Schools are negotiating—not collapsing.

So What Should You Actually Do?

Here’s my advice:

• Don’t panic. These universities are not going anywhere.

• Focus on fit. If your kid loves Columbia or Penn, let them apply. Look into campus culture, sure—but don’t let headlines make decisions for you.

• Zoom out. We’re living through a very strange moment. Political pressure is hitting everything from TikTok to AP classes. It’s not about avoiding the storm—it’s about helping your kid choose a boat they want to be in.

And one more thing: your student’s application isn’t going to be judged based on the day’s political drama. Admissions offices are still looking for the same thing—students who are clear-eyed, curious, and have something real to say.

The Truth Is, We're In a Volatile World

Things are shifting fast. But elite universities? They’ve been around for centuries. They’ve survived wars, recessions, even the invention of TikTok. They will survive this, too.

So don’t take Columbia off the list just because it’s trending on X. If your kid loves the school—and has something thoughtful to bring to the table—apply.

Let’s keep our eyes on what really matters:
Your student’s growth. Their voice. Their future.
The headlines will change. But the value of a great education—and a well-told story—won’t.

Want help figuring out which schools make sense for your kid’s personality and priorities? That’s literally what I do. Reach out any time.