Admission scandals, it's time for a change

Last month’s high profile admissions scandal was so extreme that it crossed obvious legal boundaries. One of the reasons it has received so much attention, beyond the brazen gall and entitlement of the parties involved, is that it has at long last placed a spotlight on the perfectly legal practices that enable money and influence to corrupt college admissions

This series of scandals is just the illegal tip of a questionable admissions iceberg, one that has been floating for years (darkened by subtle racism, gender bias, class warfare, and more) taking opportunities away from those less fortunate and far more deserving.

How can we make school admissions be based on merit, not wealth? Unfortunately, a lot would need to change.

Standardized Testing

Every year hundreds of thousands of teenagers are put under immense pressure to perform well on the SATs and ACTs. The better they score the better their chances of admission to competitive schools. Their performance on this test can influence the rest of their lives. That is a lot of pressure to put on anyone, let alone a child.

According to a 2014 study from the American Psychological Association, “For teens, the most commonly reported sources of stress are: school (83 percent), getting into a good college or deciding what to do after high school (69 percent), and financial concerns for their family (65 percent).” And with stress comes consequences. The study goes on to highlight some of these consequences:

• “Having a lack of interest, motivation or energy (44 percent of women vs. 33 percent of men).
• Feeling overwhelmed (44 percent of women vs. 28 percent of men).
• Experiencing fatigue (41 percent of women vs. 32 percent of men).

Financial barriers

Studies show that students from wealthy backgrounds tend to outperform students from poorer homes. Why? Because wealthy parents can afford private tutoring to help their students earn top grades. They can also afford to have their children take the exams multiple times so that they have multiple chances to score well on these tests. And they can enroll their children in activities like music, sports, robotics and debate to help their children stand out from the pack.

Finally, some parents can afford to spend tens of thousands of dollars on private college counselors to coach the students through the entire application process and put in a good word to their contacts at elite schools. But isn’t that what parents should do if they can? We all want to do everything we can for our children.

And it’s this very desire that allows unscrupulous actors to take advantage of parents.

But how can students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds compete in a system so heavily stacked against them? By focusing on motivation and raw talent to be as fair as possible.

Thankfully, the system is slowly, but steadily beginning to change as more and more schools are dropping SAT requirements in order to attract lower income and minority groups who otherwise might not have had the option to better their situations and pursue the life they want.

But even with that, there are yet other financial barriers to college. A High School senior is reportedly spending $1,700 on college applications and once admitted, will need to finance tuition, fees, room, and board. The NCES estimates those to be $16,757 at public institutions and $43,065 at private nonprofit institutions.

Another Way

What if there were another way? What if schools didn’t have to use past grades or standardized test scores to determine whether students are qualified? What if there was an application process that was completely automated and unbiased so that money had zero influence over whether or not their child is accepted?

Well, there is.

Blind ones like at Juilliard school and automated ones like at school 42 take admission to the next level. SAT scores aren’t needed to apply, but they also both remove any sort of human bias related to age, gender, race, socioeconomic background, or any other factor. We take a very similar approach here at Holberton where the application process focuses on motivation and innate talent, rather than a person’s background.

This type of application process allows for a more inclusive and diverse environment that gives students who can’t afford to buy their way into school the ability to receive a first-rate education and to gain access to the future they have always wanted, but didn’t think they could achieve.

This admissions process, combined with deferred tuition, allows students from all walks of life access to a first-rate education and high paying jobs. Holberton graduates make six-figure salaries and work as engineers at companies like Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Since the application process is needs-blind, students are 40 percent female and 53 percent minority, and the majority come from low socioeconomic backgrounds since the ability to pay isn’t taken into consideration. And for those who do come from wealthy backgrounds, they are accepted on pure merit: talent and hard work.

No one wants to take away opportunities for students; everyone who wants the best education possible should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.