COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL RAMIFICATIONS

The college admissions scandal and its consequences are still developing. this huge story will have ripple effects throughout the U.s. and the college admissions landscape.

What has happened so far:

1. Parents have been arrested, brought into court, and some have already plead guilty.
2. Some parents have been put on leave or terminated from their jobs or professional organizations.
3. Some students have had their acceptances reversed, and some are being removed from college.
4. Colleges have tightened up their due diligence in qualifying candidates for admission.
5. Public opinion has mostly frowned upon this uncovered criminal behavior.

The long-term effects are: 

1. Compliance reviews at every college will be fast-tracked, and procedures will likely be revised.
2. The overall college process will be re-examined.
3. There will be Increased distrust for the college admission process 
4. Even more pressure from” snowplow” parents to find ways to get their children into the top colleges, “legitimately.”
5. The College Board and ACT will tighten up their procedures for test day monitoring, especially in the smaller test room settings for accommodation (extra time) testing.

Probable Effects on the Admission Process:       

There was already a notable decline in admission rates for the top tier colleges.  This decline is primarily due to the fact that more students are applying for the same number of seats: College ready population exceeds available college spots at top tier schools.

1. Quicker Access to college applications: The evolution of the common app and the coalition app has made it easier to view individual college application requirements.
2. Easier Access to college information: College sites are more robust and can engage families and students more easily than in the past
3. College graduates are sometimes underemployed: A greater emphasis will be placed on having a robust college plan and major.

But after the scandal the following is likely to occur:A) Some families will go into a panic mode, adopting the logic of, “If high profile celebrities and high-income earners felt compelled to cheat, this must mean it is REALLY impossible to get into the top colleges” therefore:

1. We must apply to more schools than we thought.
2. We need to work even harder on the SAT and ACT test prep effort.
3. We need to be uber involved in the complete college process.

B) Advantages for the privileged (i.e. children of legacies) may disappear.

Opinion:

I have already heard of parents adding more colleges into their child’s college list.  The irony here is that this will only continue to reduce the already low admission rates and put even greater stress into the process.

The theory of adding more colleges to the list  is a volume game—knock on more doors and one will surely open. I believe it should be a quality game.  Students/Parents/Advisors should encourage:

1. More realistic choices that fit the student.
2. Assuming #1 is accurate, work harder to understand those colleges.
3. Adopt a methodology for Early Decision and Early Action choices.

In summary, students should research the best fit schools more diligently rather than just adding more schools to an already extensive and unmanageable college list.

As the College Scandal Broke, College Planning of Westchester was asked to comment:  AS SEEN ON NEWS 12 Westchester

To Do: Suggestions for the Spring/Summer:

HS Juniors –
Develop College Activities Plan, Review Colleges, Put together a project plan for College Application 

HS Sophs –
College Activities Plan, Schedule SAT-ACT Prep for the summer

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LOOKING FOR THE BEST COLLEGE “FIT” ? :

Whether it is your first time or the 3rd time through the college process, avoiding some key mistakes can help increase the chances that you stay sane and that your son/daughter get their best college fit. 

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If you have a high school student and want to get started on the right path, contact us at 914-273-2353, nschwartz@collegeplanningofwestchester.com or visit us at: www.collegeplanningofwestchester.com