Some college applicants are reconsidering certain institutions or changing their application strategies as President Trump wages war against higher education.

Consultants hired to help students gain admission to elite institutions say they have seen some shifts in interest, stemming from concerns about funding, peer pressure and a waning belief in the need for a degree from specific prestige universities. Applicants have also cited visa pauses and the rise in tension on campuses.

“In my experience, it has had a huge effect,” said Kanishka Elupula, a college admissions consultant at The Ivy Institute, who works with U.S. students, along with applicants from India, Japan and countries in the Middle East.

Students “asked me if it's a good idea to apply, and later they told me they're worried about it, they're scared about it, and I know that several people have chosen not to apply to the U.S. this year. In fact, even some American students are considering applying to European universities. So there's definitely been an effect,” Elupula added.

Harvard, Columbia, the University of California, the University of Pennsylvania and others have, collectively, had the federal government pause

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