College admissions, the New York Times, and some faux outrage

July 20, 9:22 AMCollege Admissions ExaminerLauren Starkey

Previous Next

5 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the College Admissions Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

 

No fewer than three Examiners covered the “shocking” New York Times story on college admissions counselors that ran Saturday. Are you outraged to find out that college admissions is big business? Check out the test prep section at your local Barnes and Noble, or call Kaplan and ask how much their SAT class costs.  [Disclaimer: it’s much more than I charge for SAT Bootcamp] Did you know the New York Times article ran in the paper’s own college admissions section, “The Choice,” which it began in March of this year? Is the new section a public service or is it positioned to help the paper garner more advertising dollars?

The Times story has some fun at counselor Shannon Duff’s expense, but then goes on to quote insiders like Michele Hernandez, who defended her counseling fees. Funny…when the Times is looking for expert advice on admissions topics, it often turns to Hernandez. In this article, it appears she’s being penalized for making a living with that expertise.

Who’s surprised that in an industry experiencing astounding levels of growth, there are some less-than scrupulous players getting in the game? With the competition for admission getting steeper each year, and the need for a degree growing in many fields, the scenario reads as expected.

Finding a counselor who knows what she’s talking about, relates well with your student, and imparts useful information that makes the application process easier and more successful (and by successful I mean admittance to a school that’s the right match on a number of levels) isn’t a yellow-pages job. When you’re looking for a plastic surgeon, investment advisor, or driving school, you check credentials and ask for references. The New York Times doesn’t seem to think any of us are clever enough to do that when it comes to college counselors.

The real issue, it seems to me, isn’t whether there are some people out to get my money who don’t have much to give in return. To tell you the truth, I didn’t need to read the paper to find that out (did you?). Expand the discussion to explore whether admissions is fair—whether the playing field is truly level for every student. That’s the issue. It’s not whether someone who makes it their business to know how to navigate the admissions process should be able to earn a salary from that knowledge.

We’ve had our laugh over Ms. Duff’s college fashion show. Now let’s talk.