Stanford Daily Asks the Right Question…But Gets the Answer All Wrong
by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA
An article in the Stanford Daily has gotten a lot of attention over the weekend. It raised a question about the authenticity of student applications to the prestigious school, after an advertisement appeared in the campus newspaper for an “admission boot camp” run by an unaffiliated educational consultant whose ethics have long been questioned. The article effectively challenges the Stanford admissions office to seek assurances from students that they “did not receive outside help” in preparing their application to the school. The problem for Stanford—and every other college in America—is that such a question is impossible to answer.
Consider a student in a suburban public school who spends an entire quarter of their 11th grade English class writing and re-writing their college essay, with four or five edits from his or her teacher. Is this outside help? Is such help fair to students who attend a school where fewer students go to college, so such a class assignment is not given?
Consider the number of students who get help on preparation for their ACTs or SATs. Would this require disclosure? In some communities the vast majority of students get such after-school help, so should these students have to “disclose” this on an application as if they are all doing something wrong? Some schools include “SAT vocabulary” as part of the curriculum. It may not be paid assistance, but is this an unfair advantage over students who don’t have such a curriculum?
Consider the difference between a student at a small private school where a college counselor works with just 30-35 students. The counselor may have time to meet with students often for lengthy conversations about college choice and the application process (is this the ultimate in paid assistance?). Counselors in private schools report tremendous pressure to get students in the most exclusive colleges, so that they can then publish “College Acceptance” lists and use these for student recruitment. How does that experience compare to a public school student in California that is one of 1,000 assigned to a counselor? The entire one-on-one counseling this student sees may be fewer than five minutes. Should that private school student have to “disclose” the additional time and assistance they received? Or might independent college advising be just what the public school student needs to balance the scales a bit; NOT to get the student in to Stanford, but to allow adequate time to discuss the kind of college where they might be successful?
The article implies that students who use educational consultants are somehow “cheating.” Yes, we know that there are some unethical consultants. We know as well that some students pay for essays. But we also know that there is a world of difference between IECA members and the others. IECA members commit to working on the ‘right match’ not on ‘getting in.’ IECA members believe in reducing family anxieties by empowering students to take control of their college search. IECA members refuse to play a heavy role in the college essay: they work with students to find a good topic that conveys who they are, and expect students to tell it in their own voice, at their own ability level. This is why many colleges who claim not to work closely with consultants make the exception for IECA members.
There is some irony that this article appeared in Stanford’s newspaper. IECA members were warmly greeted when they were invited to visit Stanford’s campus last year. The Dean of Admission has accepted several invitations to speak before IECA groups, and one high level official at the college hired an IECA member consultant to explore his own child’s educational options. Officials there know and appreciate the difference between IECA members and the help we give families. A student who indicates they worked with an IECA member should be a reassurance to the admission committee both that the application reflects the student’s own work, and that they are applying to Stanford not based on reputation alone, but after considered thought of a good match.
A recent national survey by the independent research firm, Lipman Hearne, revealed that 26% of high achieving high school students used some fee-for-service assistance in their college search and application process. It was a remarkable discovery that shocked the researchers. More incredible is the awareness that students who work with IECA members are three times more likely to attend a private college and four times more likely to attend school out of state. As schools explore the issue raised in this article, about students disclosing if they received help, private colleges should be aware that over half of their applicants will answer “yes” OR they will discover that asking the question encourages students to lie, rather than be penalized for getting the kind of advice that over-worked and under-supported school counselors cannot provide.
IECA members have every right to be proud of our reputation and the work we do to ensure students get the assistance they need, the advice required, and the support a family requires during an anxiety-prone time. Colleges should be reaching out to work with us as we seek to impose the standards and ethics to ensure a fair and impartial process for all adolescents.
Related posts:
- College Admission Directors Provide Insights, Endorse IECA Educational Consultants
- As Educational Consulting Moves from Adolescence to Adulthood, Let’s End the Apologies and Make Ourselves Heard—in the Best Interest of Our Clients
- We Must Do a Better Job Ensuring Colleges Understand WHAT Educational Consultants DO and How Many Kids We Work With
- Note to Colleges: An Unethical Practice Domestically is No Less Wrong Internationally
- New Princeton Review Offerings Underscore Need for More Information, Importance of Independent Educational Consultants
As more and more educational consulting firms seem to crop up, our IECA membership and the high ethical standards we uphold become that much more significant. As you state, we are incredibly well received by colleges across the country. I ditto your comments with regard to disclosing assistance. There are too many factors to consider and considering the students, it would further complicate an already complex process.
Mark offers an alternative viewpoint to a highly charged issue. Most educational consultants are advocates for students and abide by an ethical code of conduct. The process of applying to college requires support from many people: parents, extended family, teachers, school counselors, tutors, educational specialists, educational program leaders and teachers, community members, student employers, etc. If called upon, these individuals all offer forms of advice and support out of concern for students: the ultimate goal is to foster higher education with our high school student population. Partnerships formed between educational institutions, families, educational consultants and tutors support this goal and facilitate greater student participation in the process.
I posted the following reply to the Stanford Daily:
As a graduate of the STEP program in 1968, a parent of two Stanford grads (one a Stanford Daily Editor), and an independent counselor, I would like to weigh in on the discussion. In 1999, The Stanford Alumni Magazine published the linked article discussing the kind of service that I and Helen Britt, the former counselor at the Branson School, offered.
http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1999/novdec/articles/consulting.html
I do not charge exorbitant fees; I am careful to keep my advice and guidance to exactly that, advice and guidance. Much of the guidance I provide answers questions about course selection, addresses colleges appropriate for specific students, suggests summer options like volunteering for The First Tee or exploring an engineering program, and often mediates between student and parent dynamics. In fact my relationship with my students encourages independence and prevents helicopter parents from becoming overly involved in not only their children’s college selection but also their applications.
Like most of my colleagues, I participate in pro bono services through a variety of organizations. Adolescents navigate choppy emotional waters, and having an impartial guide can help the voyage be more successful.
Hiring a private counselor is much more affordable than paying for expensive, private day or boarding schools which usually provide extensive counseling, essay help during English class, and even test preparation. Should admissions points be subtracted from these applicants? Are these advantages exempt from your criticism? Yes, a few consultants embarrass those of us who provide a valuable and ethical service. However, to paint all counselors with the same brush does a significant disservice to most and oversimplifies the issues.
Nancy Gore Marcus, M.A.Ed., 196