Survey Reveals Applicants’ Feelings About Varsity Blues Scandal
This week if you have been following the ongoing saga of the so-called “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal, you’ll know that more sentencings of charged violators will be taking place. The first to ever be sentenced had been celebrity television celebrity Felicity Huffman, who can invest 14 days in jail start 25 october.
As you no doubt already know, the scandal involves moms and dads college that is paying bribes to have their kiddies admitted to colleges, USC in specific, often times through the “side door” of recreations coaches. The ringleader that is alleged arranging these bribed admissions is Rick Singer, who’s thought to have obfuscated the bribes as contributions to colleges through his foundation, which was created to facilitate the potency of parental efforts.
This tale has been raging into the media for several weeks and shows no indication of abating. Consequently, the effect on potential college applicants has, in a true number of cases, been to discourage them. Some candidates (and parents) have actually started to begin to see the college admissions process as innately corrupt and, based on the scandal evidence that has emerged, found themselves thinking, ” just how can we contend with candidates coming from families who is able to manage to purchase their method into university?”
This is an regrettable and maybe irrational attitude, but one that is understandable in light of this circumstances. Nevertheless, there is certainly cause for optimism, based on a survey that is new just arrived yesterday. Russell Schaffer of Kaplan Test Prep had written to me saying:
“… The fallout from Varsity Blues, the scandal that included rich and celebrity moms and dads college that is bribing, coaches, and test proctors to aid their young ones get admitted for some of the country’s most competitive universities, is causing concern [among] students and admissions officers, based on two brand new Kaplan Test Prep surveys. Of the significantly more than 300 aspiring college students polled, 57 % say they have been worried that their spot at their top college choice might be given up to a less qualified applicant because of who that applicant is connected to. And 23 percent state they myself understand a college applicant who they think was less qualified, but received treatment that is preferential admissions because of household wide range or connections.
In a different Kaplan study of over 300 top universities and colleges over the United States — something the organization has done yearly for 15 years — admissions officers suggest that the corrupt techniques exposed in procedure Varsity Blues are rare. Lower than a quarter (24 %) describe the activities that are illegal common. Simply 11 % state these people were ever pressured to simply accept an applicant who don’t meet their college’s admissions requirement as a result of who that applicant had been or even to who this applicant ended up being connected. This represents a significant fall from the 25 percent who stated these were forced to take action whenever Kaplan first asked this question of admissions officers in 2014 …”
That trend must certanly be motivating for those who are anxious about their chances for admission. Demonstrably, college admissions won’t ever be 100 percent fair across the board, due primarily to the so-called “institutional priorities” that seek certain forms of applicants to fulfill particular requirements that vary from 12 months to year. Those needs consist of variety balances, athletic recruiting, development situations, as well as the regularly controversial legacy applicants, among other considerations.
Being an percentage that is overall of decisions made every year, though, the number of Varsity Blues cases is miniscule. The intense media protection, which could charitably be considered a madness, has magnified their effect and spawned angst that is unnecessary.
Pupils Express Concern About Admissions
In the news release relating to this brand new survey, Kaplan has an encouraging headline: College candidates Are Concerned About Unfairness in Admissions, But Most Admissions Officers Say Widespread “Varsity Blues” Behavior is Uncommon. Here is a part of that launch:
… stated one highschool student whom planned to just top colleges, “I know numerous people which have connections to my top college, whereas I really do not. I will be particularly concerned because I have a better SAT score than them, however they need an upper hand and start to become admitted. I’ve seen it previously with friends now i will be worried for myself.” Another pupil showed less concern and expressed some optimism, saying, “In light for the admissions scandals, colleges will be more attentive and aware among these kinds of schemes. Also, considering several of the moms and dads who had been caught and punished, I don’t think that this will be a large issue in the future.”…
… But despite admissions officers’ feeling that this really is uncommon, 49 percent state the scandal could have done long haul harm to the public image associated with university admissions process; 37 percent don’t believe it offers, while 14 % are not yes. When asked about how precisely universities can persuade families that the admissions procedure isn’t “rigged” against them, admissions officers were mainly not able to provide any particular policy prescriptions, nevertheless the theme of transparency was mentioned usually. One admissions officers called the scandal a call that is”wake-up for colleges become more “ethical along with of their procedures.”
“Like most people, we were appalled at the thing that was exposed as an element of procedure Varsity Blues. We understand firsthand from working with thousands and thousands of pupils every year how effort that is much put into their academics, and additionally they should feel confident that they are being examined by college admissions officers predicated on their particular merit and general quality of their application,” stated Sam Pritchard, Kaplan’s manager of college prep programs. “While our survey discovers that most students think they are often at risk of being kept out of their top university picks to your advantageous asset of their well-connected peers, it is somewhat encouraging to know that the vast majority of universities think these activities are unusual and fewer report being pressured to simply accept unqualified applicants compared to years past. Still, much more needs to be achieved to safeguard the procedure and restore integrity and trust. Candidates deserve better…”
That certain expression bears saying: “… its somewhat encouraging to learn that the the greater part of colleges think these tasks are unusual and fewer report being forced to just accept unqualified candidates compared to years past.”
Filter the Sound
When I mentioned previously, despite having the visible of procedure Varsity Blues as well as the associated convictions and sentencings, there is always some level of unfairness (some would call it “corruption”) within the university admissions procedure. Nevertheless, my advice to collegians that are prospective to ignore the exaggerated media focus on the scandal.
Why do we say that? It’s easy. All of this, or just what continues to be from it, is completely away from control. There is nothing you can do, a good way or the other, to improve the span of how a college makes its admission decisions. What’s completely within your control, though, is the method that you manage your educational, extracurricular and individual pages. Do your best into the class room, outside of school and in your current life. These actions count, and in many cases they shall be duly noted by the admission staffers that will read your applications and letters of suggestion.
Therefore, we encourage you to concentrate on these areas that are foundational. The good news is that procedure Varsity Blues has aimed a bright spotlight right into a formerly dark destination and things are changing. This fall and winter, you will be the beneficiaries of what should be one of the most objective and unbiased admission processes ever — subject to those institutional priorities I mentioned for those of you who will be applying to college.
The fact to complete now’s getting taking care of your application essays, when you yourself haven’t currently done this, and have a tendency the remaining details of your applications, all as long as you’re doing your most readily useful academically and EC-wise. You’re going to be going right on through this procedure just once in your lifetime during the level that is undergraduate don’t allow the noise for the VB scandal to interfere with your university process. Stay focused and good stuff will happen!