Survey Reveals Applicants’ Emotions About Varsity Blues Scandal
When you have been after the ongoing saga regarding the so-called “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal, you’ll understand that more sentencings of charged violators is taking place this week. The first to be sentenced had been celebrity television star Felicity Huffman, who’ll spend 14 days in prison start October 25.
As you without doubt already fully know, the scandal involves parents having to pay college officials bribes to have their kiddies admitted to colleges, USC in specific, many times through the “side door” of activities coaches. The so-called ringleader for organizing these bribed admissions is Rick Singer, who is thought to have obfuscated the bribes as contributions to universities through his foundation, that was intended to facilitate the potency of parental efforts.
This story was raging into the news for most weeks and shows no indication of abating. Consequently, the consequence on potential college applicants has, in a true number of instances, gone to discourage them. Some candidates (and parents) have started to see the college admissions process as innately corrupt and, based on the evidence that is scandal has emerged, found themselves thinking, ” just how can I compete with candidates coming from families who is able to afford to buy their way into college?”
It is an regrettable and attitude that is perhaps irrational but one that’s understandable in light associated with circumstances. However, there was reason behind optimism, according to a brand new survey that just arrived on the scene yesterday. Russell Schaffer of Kaplan Test Prep penned to me saying:
“… The fallout from Varsity Blues, the scandal that included wealthy and celebrity parents college that is bribing, coaches, and test proctors to aid their kids get admitted with a of this country’s most competitive colleges, is causing concern [among] students and admissions officers, based on two brand new Kaplan Test Prep studies. Associated with the more than 300 aspiring college students polled, 57 % state they are worried that their spot at their top university option might be given up to a less qualified applicant as a result of who that applicant is connected to. And 23 % say they myself understand an university applicant who they believe ended up being less qualified, but received treatment that is preferential admissions because 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. Significantly less than one fourth (24 per cent) describe the activities that are illegal typical. Simply 11 percent state they certainly were ever pressured to simply accept a job candidate who didn’t satisfy their college’s admissions requirement because of whom that applicant was or even to who this applicant was linked. This represents a drop that is significant the 25 % who said these people were forced to take action whenever Kaplan first asked this concern of admissions officers in 2014 …”
That trend must certanly be motivating if you are anxious about their opportunities for admission. Clearly, university admissions will never be 100 percent fair across the board, due primarily to the so-called “institutional priorities” that seek specific forms of applicants to satisfy specific demands that vary from year to year. Those demands include diversity balances, athletic recruiting, development situations, and also the always controversial legacy prospects, among other considerations.
As an general portion of admission decisions made each year, however, the amount of Varsity Blues cases is miniscule. The intense news coverage, which could charitably be deemed a madness, has magnified their effect and spawned unneeded angst.
Students Express Concern About Admissions
In the news release about any of it brand new study, Kaplan offers an encouraging headline: College candidates Are worried About Unfairness in Admissions, But the majority Admissions Officers Say Widespread “Varsity Blues” Behavior is Uncommon. Here’s a portion of that release:
… stated one school that is high who planned to only top colleges, “I understand numerous people that have connections to my top college, whereas I actually do maybe not. I will be especially concerned than them, but they will have an upper hand and be admitted because I have a greater SAT score. It has been seen by me previously with buddies now i’m concerned for myself.” Another pupil showed less concern and indicated some optimism, saying, “In light of the admissions scandals, colleges could be more attentive and aware of these types of schemes. Also, considering several of the moms and dads who were caught and punished, I don’t believe this will be a problem that is large the future.”…
… But despite admissions officers’ sense that this is uncommon, 49 % say the scandal may have done term that is long to your general public image associated with college admissions process; 37 % don’t believe it offers, while 14 % are not yes. When expected about how precisely universities can persuade families that the admissions process isn’t “rigged” against them, admissions officers were mainly unable to offer any policy that is specific, nevertheless the theme of transparency ended up being mentioned often. One admissions officers called the scandal a call that is”wake-up for universities become more “ethical with all of their processes.”
“similar to people, we were appalled at what was exposed as an element of process Varsity Blues. We know firsthand from dealing with thousands and thousands of pupils each year exactly how much work students placed into their academics, and additionally they should feel confident they are being examined by university admissions officers centered on their particular merit and overall quality of their application,” stated Sam custom essays Pritchard, Kaplan’s manager of university prep programs. “While our study discovers that a lot of pupils think they are often vulnerable to being held from their top college picks to the advantage of their well-connected peers, it really is somewhat encouraging to know that the vast majority of colleges think these activities are uncommon and fewer report being pressured to just accept unqualified applicants than in years past. Still, lot more needs to be achieved to guard the procedure and restore integrity and trust. Applicants deserve better…”
Any particular one phrase bears saying: “… it is somewhat encouraging to learn that the vast majority of universities think these activities are uncommon and fewer report being pressured to just accept unqualified applicants than in years past.”
Filter out the Noise
As I stated earlier, despite having the much talked about of process Varsity Blues and the associated convictions and sentencings, there is always some amount of unfairness (some would phone it “corruption”) inside the college admissions process. However, my advice to potential collegians is to disregard the exaggerated media focus on the scandal.
Why do I say that? It is easy. All of this, or what remains from it, is totally beyond your control. There’s nothing you can do, one way or one other, to change the span of how a university makes its admission choices. What is entirely within your control, though, is the manner in which you manage your scholastic, extracurricular and profiles that are personal. Do your best in the class room, outside of school and in your general life. These actions count, plus in most cases they will be duly noted by the admission staffers who’ll read your applications and letters of suggestion.
Therefore, I encourage one to focus on these areas that are foundational. The very good news is that procedure Varsity Blues has aimed a bright limelight in to a previously dark destination and things are changing. For anyone who can be applying to college this fall and wintertime, you will be the beneficiaries of just what must certanly be the most objective and impartial admission processes ever — at the mercy of those institutional priorities I talked about.
Finished . to do now’s to get focusing on the job essays, if you haven’t already done this, and have a tendency the remaining details of your applications, all if you are doing all of your most useful academically and EC-wise. You will end up going through this process just once that you experienced at the undergraduate level so do not let the noise associated with the VB scandal to restrict your university procedure. Stay concentrated and good stuff will take place!