:: The Bitch Girls ::

:: Thursday, December 26, 2002 ::

Not Really News This shouldn't be news to anybody, but here's an op/ed on the disturbing trends of the college admissions process.

Cornell University has long asked students applying to the Ivy League college in central New York to submit essays so it could gauge their writing and thinking skills. In recent years, though, so many college-bound students have received professional writing and editing advice -- or bought essays off the Internet -- that Cornell has changed course. It now wants a student's high school paper, complete with markings by the teacher, as part of its application.

They are just now moving to this procedure? I had to submit a graded high school paper to at least three colleges.

Colleges have rushed to embrace early decision admissions, where a student applies to just one school by Nov. 1 of his or her senior year. If accepted in early December, that student must attend. About 225 colleges offer the option, locking in as much as 60% of their freshman class that way. But the system helps the colleges more than the students.
Early applicants tend to be wealthier, thus better able to pay the full tuition. And early decision gives colleges another way to boost their rankings because the binding offers increase their acceptance rates. Students, however, often feel pressured to choose a college in their junior year instead of taking more time to weigh such an important decision. They also are limited in their ability to negotiate financial aid and lose the chance to compare various acceptance offers.

Now maybe someone can help me out on this one, but what power does the college really have to make sure you attend? I work for various deans on our campus, and I know that women call as late as the beginning of the orientation week to say they aren't coming. We never ask why, we just say okay and transfer them to the financial services stuff to get as much as a refund as they possibly can. So, if I were have applied to my school early decision, gotten in, then went ahead and sent an application in to, say, Vanderbilt, and opted to attend there, what could the school have done? All I would do is call them up to say that circumstances no longer allow me to attend the institution. I just don't see how early decision is terribly binding.

Speaking of this whole college admissions thing, when I was out buying Bitchy Mom's presents, I saw this book that I intend to read when I get back to campus. I kind of enjoy a huge library with lots of free books to read. If I were a bit smarter, then I probably would have checked out some new ones to read while on break.

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:: Bitter 12:29 PM [+] ::
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