Colleges want students with character, not just brains

Did you notice something different in this year’s Common Application form? They added these questions for applicants and their school counselors:

For Student:

Have you ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation at an educational institution you have attended from 9th grade (or the international equivalent) forward, whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct that resulted in your probation, suspension, removal, dismissal, or expulsion from the institution?

Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor, felony, or other crime?

For Secondary School Report:

Has the applicant ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation at your school from 9th grade (or the international equivalent) forward, whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct, that resulted in the applicant’s probation, suspension, removal, dismissal, or expulsion from your institution?

To your knowledge, has the applicant ever been convicted of a misdemeanor, felony, or other crime?

Now, read the following excerpts from San Jose Mercury News for their report on how some college would use the collected information. For the entire report, visit here: http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_8032120?nclick_check=1

The questions are designed to help colleges select students with character, not just brains. But high school counselors worry that one adolescent slip-up - sneaking beers into the junior prom or posting a parody of the principal on MySpace - could slam the door to a student's educational future.

“Admission should be based entirely on the applicant's academic achievement and individual talent. ~”Susan Wilbur, UC's admission dean.

"Colleges are building living and learning communities - and they want to admit students who will contribute positively to those communities. While this is a reasonable expectation, this is more complicated than it seems." ~Nicole Burrell of The Harker School in San Jose

"We evaluate and consider a particular infraction in the context of the entire pplication." ~Richard Shaw, Stanford's dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid.

"Sometimes a counselor will tell us about something that didn't show up on the application because it didn't result in expulsion or suspension - but which the counselor feels is relevant and troubling…If there are flashing red signs, the college needs to have the opportunity to know that." ~Sandra Hayes, Santa Clara University’s dean of admissions