Survey Reveals Applicants’ Emotions 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 be sentenced ended up being celebrity TV celebrity Felicity Huffman, that will spend week or two in jail start October 25.
While you without doubt already know just, the scandal involves moms and dads college that is paying bribes to have their children admitted to colleges, USC in specific, many times through the “side door” of recreations coaches. The ringleader that is alleged organizing these bribed admissions is Rick Singer, who’s thought to have obfuscated the bribes as donations to colleges through his foundation, that was designed to facilitate the effectiveness of parental contributions.
This story happens to be raging in the media for several months and shows no sign of abating. Consequently, the consequence on potential university applicants has, in a true number of instances, gone to discourage them. Some applicants (and moms and dads) have actually begun to understand college admissions plan as innately corrupt and, based on the scandal evidence that has emerged, found themselves reasoning, ” just how can we compete with applicants originating from families who are able to afford to purchase their way into college?”
This is an regrettable and maybe irrational mindset, but one that is understandable in light of the circumstances. But, there was reason behind optimism, centered on a brand new survey that just arrived on the scene yesterday. Russell Schaffer of Kaplan Test Prep wrote if you ask me saying:
“… The fallout from Varsity Blues, the scandal that included rich and celebrity moms and dads bribing college officials, coaches, and test proctors to simply help their young ones get admitted for some regarding the country’s most acceptable colleges, is causing concern [among] pupils and admissions officers, according to two new Kaplan Test Prep surveys. For the significantly more than 300 aspiring university students polled, 57 per cent state these are typically concerned that their spot at their college that is top choice be provided with up to a less qualified applicant as a result of who that applicant is connected to. And 23 percent state they really understand a college applicant who they think had been less qualified, but received treatment that is preferential admissions as a result of family members wide range or connections.
The company has done annually for 15 years — admissions officers suggest that the corrupt practices exposed in Operation Varsity Blues are rare in a separate Kaplan survey of over 300 top colleges and universities across the United States — something. Lower than 25 % (24 per cent) describe the activities that are illegal typical. Simply 11 % state they certainly were ever forced to just accept a job candidate who did not meet their school’s admissions requirement because of who that applicant had been or to who this applicant was connected. This represents a significant drop from the 25 % who said they certainly were forced to take action when Kaplan first asked this question of admissions officers in 2014 …”
That trend should be encouraging for those who are anxious about their opportunities for admission. Demonstrably, college admissions will never be 100 per cent fair over the board, mainly due to the alleged “institutional priorities” that seek certain kinds of applicants to meet particular needs that vary from 12 months to year. Those demands consist of diversity balances, athletic recruiting, development cases, additionally the always controversial legacy prospects, among other considerations.
Being an general percentage of admission choices made each year, however, the number of Varsity Blues cases is miniscule. The intense news coverage, that could charitably be deemed a frenzy, has magnified their impact and spawned unnecessary angst.
Students Express Concern About Admissions
Into the news release about that new study, Kaplan has an encouraging headline: College Applicants Are Concerned About Unfairness in Admissions, But Most Admissions Officers Say Widespread “Varsity Blues” Behavior is Uncommon. Here is a portion of that launch:
… stated one school that is high whom planned to only top colleges, “we understand many people which have connections to my top college, whereas I actually do perhaps not. I am particularly concerned because i’ve a greater SAT rating than them, however they need an top hand and be admitted. It has been seen by me previously with friends and now i’m concerned for myself.” Another student showed less concern and indicated some optimism, saying, “In light of this admissions scandals, universities may well be more attentive and mindful of these kinds of schemes. Also, considering many of the parents have been caught and punished, I do not genuinely believe that this will be a problem that is large the near future.”…
… But despite admissions officers’ sense that this is certainly unusual, 49 percent say the scandal could have done term that is long to the public image of this college admissions procedure; 37 percent don’t believe it has, while 14 per cent are not certain. When asked about how exactly universities can persuade families that the admissions process isn’t “rigged” against them, admissions officers had been mostly not able to offer any policy that is specific, however the theme of transparency had been mentioned usually. One admissions officers called the scandal a call that is”wake-up for colleges become more “ethical with all of these procedures.”
“Like most individuals, we had been appalled at what was exposed included in process Varsity Blues. We realize firsthand from dealing with thousands and thousands of students each year how much effort students placed into their academics, in addition they should feel confident they are being evaluated by college admissions officers according to their very own merit and overall quality of their application,” stated Sam Pritchard, online essay services Kaplan’s manager of college prep programs. “While our study discovers that most students think they may be at risk of being held from their top college picks towards the advantageous asset of their well-connected peers, it’s somewhat encouraging to learn that the the greater part of universities think these tasks are unusual and fewer report being pressured to accept unqualified candidates compared to years previous. Still, many more needs to be achieved to shield the procedure and restore integrity and trust. Candidates deserve better…”
This one expression bears saying: “… it’s notably encouraging to know that the vast majority of universities think these activities are unusual and fewer report being pressured to accept unqualified applicants than in years previous.”
Filter the Noise
It”corruption”) within the college admissions process as I mentioned above, even with the high profile of Operation Varsity Blues and the associated convictions and sentencings, there will always be some level of unfairness (some would call. Nevertheless, my advice to prospective collegians is to disregard the exaggerated news focus on the scandal.
Why do I say that? It’s easy. All of this, or exactly what remains of it, is totally away from control. You’ll find nothing you can do, a proven way or the other, to change the length of what sort of college makes its admission choices. What’s totally within your control, though, is how you handle your academic, extracurricular and profiles that are personal. Make your best effort in the class room, outside of school plus in your general life. These actions count, plus in most cases they will be duly noted by the admission staffers who can read your applications and letters of recommendation.
Thus, we encourage you to pay attention to these areas that are foundational. The great news is that procedure Varsity Blues has aimed a bright limelight right into a formerly dark place 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 doing now could be getting taking care of your application essays, if you haven’t already done so, and have a tendency the remaining information on your applications, all as long as you’re doing your most useful academically and EC-wise. You will end up going right through this method one time in your life at the undergraduate level therefore do not let the noise regarding the VB scandal to restrict your university process. Stay focused and things that are good take place!