Harvard Graduate School of Education Proposed Changes to Admissions Process Unlikely

      The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s January 2016 proposal to overhaul the college admissions process addresses what many of us already know: the college application process favors applicants with resources to create compelling applications.  The proposal calls for a revamp of the college application process to make it more favorable to applicants from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.  The proposal calls for:

1. Promoting more meaningful contributions to others, community service, and engagement with the public good.
2. Assessing students' ethical engagement and contributions to others in ways that reflect varying types of family and community contributions across race, culture, and class.
3. Redefining achievement in ways that level the playing field for economically diverse students and reduce excessive achievement pressure.

     While this may sound like a good idea, remember, the Graduate School of Education, NOT the Admissions Office, offered this proposal.  The proposal is not binding, and while it raises valid concerns about advantages for some applicants, it does not replace the SAT (or the need to score well on it) or diminish the attractiveness of a targeted application with a strong theme supported by extracurricular activities, essays, and coursework that makes an applicant valuable to a college.
     This proposal is making national news, but do not let it distract you.  Applicants must still demonstrate value to college admissions officers to earn admission in a hyper competitive environment.  Admissions officers will continue to assess an applicant’s SAT scores, high school transcript, extracurricular activities and personal statements to measure the value they will bring to their college.  The more value an applicant can bring to a college, the more likely she will earn admission to that college.