1. Social media profile management best left to the pros?
Many schools have confirmed they check social media profiles prior to offering admission to students. What’s a student with no experience censoring herself to do? Hire a company like Admit.me, which was founded to help students manage their “narrative.”
2. Bad press is…
UC Irvine has been in the news lately for rescinding the admissions offers they made to almost 300 students. There was speculation that the school accepted too many students and used late transcripts and other verification document issues as an excuse to address their mistake. EdSource reports the task force, established by the UC president, stands by the importance of verifying such documents but also states the verification should not be used as a class management tool.
3. Hurricanes mean starting over for some applicants
This year’s hurricanes affected a lot of those who were in the affected regions, including high school seniors — the ones who were in the middle of applying for colleges when disaster struck. NPR reports these students are having to start again, trying to figure out basic application components like what address to use. This won’t be the only time this issue arises, though, as the displaced students from Hurricanes Harvey and Maria will be facing this next year as well.
4. Gender discrimination — yes, it’s still a thing
Title IX, which was amended to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, did not prohibit against gender discrimination in public education. Why? According to the Huffington Post, “elite private colleges and universities argued that most women were just seeking their ‘Mrs.’ Degree and requiring admission of equal numbers of male and female students would degrade student body quality.” So what does this mean now, decades later? There’s still legalized gender discrimination in college admissions.
Recommended Reading
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
This classic book on persuasion explains the psychology behind why people say “yes.” Learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader — and how to defend yourself against them.