the Sam Jackson College Experience

all the exciting parts, none of the heavy debt burden

Nov 30, 2007 1

Colleges demands for disciplinary records creates dilemma for students, counselors

How can we untangle good intentions from invasive tendencies when it comes to college admissions? This is a question that can be asked on many fronts, but has added relevance this year with the addition of a question on the common application about disciplinary and criminal records.

The Boston Globe ran a piece two weeks ago about this tricky issue.

“I want to help the colleges, but I want to make sure we help our students in any way we can . . . Our first allegiance is to the students,” said Jim Montague, director of guidance counseling at Boston Latin School, which leaves disciplinary questions blank on the application but will answer them if college officials inquire directly. [...]

Colleges primarily want openness, said Kevin Kelly, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, which like BU pushes students, but not high schools, to answer the questions if they are left unanswered. “I wish everybody would share everything,” Kelly said.

I’m not sure what it means that colleges “want openness.” Is this meant to imply that it’s some kind of trust game, and suggest that in addition to hopes and dreams we students load up our college applications with dirty secrets so that the admissions offices would take this to be an investment in our trust with the school, like some weird Skull and Bones initiation rite? Still, UMass at least is open to different methodologies from high schools.

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Who is Sam Jackson?

photo headshot sam jacksonI'm currently a junior at Yale University and I've been blogging about college admissions and higher education marketing trends since I began my college application process in 2005. I now also write about my experience here at Yale. I just got back from studying abroad at Peking University this past Fall 2009 in Beijing, China! Click here to read my 'about' page.

Kind words about my blog:

Andrew Careaga calls it “a service to all of us in the higher ed marketing business.”

Christian Long says it has “dramatically inspired college admissions folks to take notice”

Bob Johnson says “I like [it] because I agree with so much of what he says.” and that “Paying attention what Sam writes will let you focus more closely on students who will actually attend your school.”

Karine Joly says my witty and fresh style “offers a rare glimpse at the mind of our elusive prospective students”

and TargetX calls my blog “good reading” and me “wise-beyond-my-years.”