Let’s face it, the college admission process exists to serve one primary purpose: for colleges and universities to fill seats with those students who will be the best match for what the institution offers. Despite the public good and lofty mission statements, at its core higher education is a business, and admission offices are subjugated by the bottom line. The policies and practices they employ are dictated by external demands. The professional educators who run these operations may be limited in what they can criticize, but not the rest of us. We can freely share our discontent.
Today is December 23, and that can only mean one thing. It is time to break out your aluminum pole and celebrate the wonders of Festivus, a holiday for the “rest of us”. If you are unfamiliar with this faux holiday, it was popularized by the hit 90’s sitcom Seinfeld. What I did not know (until Wikipedia informed me) was that it has its origins in the 1960s with the father of Seinfeld writer Dan O'Keefe. It is intended as an antidote to the commercialization that comes with traditional holidays and is celebrated partly with an airing of grievances.
My friend and co-author Rick Clark, the assistant vice provost of enrollment management and executive director of undergraduate admission at Georgia Tech, and I have enjoyed celebrating this Festivus tradition over the years. From our unique perspectives at different ends of the admission process, we have had spirited exchanges about everything from Early Decision policies and data transparency to automated missing materials emails and unchecked marketing campaigns. Rarely is one of us right—it is a flawed and nuanced system—but it sure feels good to express our frustrations at least once a year.
As we look ahead to 2023, I asked my counseling colleagues to air their grievances with the admission process and suggest changes. These will likely resonate for any student or parent who is applying to college:
“I would love for us (admissions officers and school counselors) to ask ourselves what we are doing collectively to make the process better for all students. I worry that the advances in technology in the applications, content management systems, and data collection has added layers, steps, and consequences that are making the process more complicated (and therefore keeping kids from completing).”—Matthew DeGreeff, Dean of College Counseling and Student Enrichment, Middlesex School
“We have a series of changes we'd like to see from our joint Lumina-supported report with NASFAA. In terms of concrete steps, here are a few: (1) greater student involvement in admission policy and practice decision-making; (2) improvements to the application process to minimize the burden on students; and (3) further expanding the foundation upon which we will craft future equity efforts in response to opponents of equity, who are fixated on admission decisions.”—David Hawkins, Chief Education and Policy Officer, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
“I would hope for admissions officers to talk about how character is a big part of the process, and how character is evaluated.” –Joe Latimer, Director of College Counseling, Northfield Mount Hermon School
“I wish schools would publish admission data for ‘unhooked’ applicants rather than lumping everyone together.” –Sonia Bell, Director of College Counseling, St. Luke's School
“I'd like to see more schools follow Whitman, College of Wooster and let students and parents know what they will actually have to pay before they apply. Net price calculators are nice but they are estimates and they are often inaccurate, especially for business owners, property owners and divorced parents.” —Mark Stucker, Founder of School Match 4U and the Your College-Bound Kid podcast
“Please don't have admission deadlines on January 1st” –Sharon Bikoundou, Associate Director of College Counseling, Carrollwood Day School
“I'd love for more colleges to not require letters of recommendation, but instead complete a form that allows us to check boxes and share insight about a students character.”—Diane Campbell, Director of College Counseling, Liberty Common High School
“I would love for test-optional to transition to test-free. The number of decision points in test-optional is overwhelming. Working at a small public school, managing the different testing policies for each grade cohort, and helping students to navigate test-or-not and the submit-or-not dynamics is a lot (never mind trying to add the digital SAT into the mix!). All application platforms could be streamlined. I think it should be a requirement for all admissions officers to apply not only to their own campus but also to the state systems where their applicants often apply. From that vantage point, I hope that some of the inconsistencies and confusion can be avoided.” –Lara Sandora, Lead Counselor, TIDE Academy
“Change the increasingly early application deadlines. Even at a school where classes start in the middle of August, the pressure to get applications in is intense. Colleges benefit and students (and their families) suffer. Also, either take a transcript or centralize the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) system. I have students in Florida filling out a variety of different self-reported grade forms. Amidst all the other elements of the application that students have to worry about, this seems like the most redundant and self-serving to colleges of all.” –Joel A. Siepierski, Dean of College Counseling, Community School of Naples
“Either be test-free or test-required. No in-between.” –Dave Frick, Counselor, Christian Brothers Academy
“Colleges talk so much about their care for students in the application process. One way they could give weight to those words would be to ‘sync’ their (1) application due dates, (2) ways they want scores submitted, (3) when/how they will let students know admission decisions (4) every other part of the admissions process! Can they please ask kids (and their high school counselors) to do less and not more?” –Molly Prince, Director of College Counseling, Louisville Collegiate School
“Get rid of the words "optional" and "recommended"! They cause so much stress for students and parents. If those words are going to be included on applications, I wish colleges would be clear about what they mean. For example, test scores are optional and can only help a student's application, not hurt it.” –Christopher Chiakulas, Postsecondary Counselor, John Hersey High School
“Give students more time and understanding of the Student-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). It can be very confusing to students and it comes ‘after’ they have submitted their application, thinking that they are done with that–or those–particular colleges.” –Brian Doherty, School Counselor, Westford Academy
“I wish colleges would not defer kids who don't have at least a 25% chance of admission in the Regular Decision round. Don't defer 65% of applicants and then admit only 3% of those.” –Bruce Epstein, Founder, First Choice College Counseling
“Don’t send admission decisions in batches. It’s confusing and causes major stress for those who didn’t hear but their friends did. Don’t send admission decisions during school hours, it wastes the rest of the day whether you were accepted or not. Be clear that test-optional still means you can get merit money. There is a lot of confusion around this. All financial aid letters should follow a standard format. Each one reads a bit differently and it’s confusing to families who need the money the most but can’t interpret the lingo. What needs to be repaid? What is grant money? What is the true cost of attendance? Do books really cost that much? Etc.” –Laura Burrell Baxter, Director of College Advising, Key School
“Offer more resources for parents and students in home languages BEYOND rankings” –Dr. Kierstan Connors, Head of University & Careers Counseling Worldwide, GEMS Education
“Be clear that there are real admission number benchmarks to be eligible for admission. Say the middle 50% in GPA and test scores of admitted students OUT LOUD at the info session.” –Corie McDermott-Fazzino, Director of College Counseling, Portsmouth Abbey School
“Be more transparent about over enrollment.” –Dan Raffety, Director of College Counseling, Elgin Academy
“Total removal or substantial reduction of Early Decision and Early Action plans” –Cigus Vanni, College Fairy
“I wish that all colleges would see high school as high school, not as a place to determine what major and career students hope to pursue.” –Anonymous
“I wish portals could be standardized so that students don't have so many passwords, requirements to be submitted in different places, and confusing instructions.” –Anonymous
“I know it is wishful thinking, but I want the intense stress and anxiety created by the college process to wane. I'm worried about our children's mental health.”—Alison Abrams, Senior Associate Director of College Counseling at Germantown Friends School
As we discussed at the outset, the admission process was designed to serve the needs of colleges. It is imperfect—there are many factors and decisions that are outside the control of the admission leaders who have been positioned at the proverbial gates. Policies are impacted by college presidents, trustees, alumni, rankings, finances, and more. All the rest of us can do is celebrate another Festivus tradition—“feats of strength” —and continue to push back against the negative consequences of the commercialization of college. Meanwhile, students and those who support them can control the many aspects of this experience where they do have agency and proudly hang their hopes from the Festivus pole. Happy holiday!
