Just a thought

Posted on October 23, 2005 by Will Dix

When kids are applying to college and colleges look over their transcripts, why are they penalized for freshman year if they’ve gotten better over time? Michigan discounts it, giving students a leg up and a “reward” for doing better. If we really value improvement, should bad grades in the past have to be carried around like Marley’s chains? I just wonder what that actually means in the long run.

I also wonder how colleges could play a more active part in looking at minority kids. Rich white kids ahve gotten a pass for so long; why shouldn’t disadvantaged non-whites who have all the energy and commitment needed to succeed?

Just some random thoughts. I recommend the books Everything Bad is Good For You and Branded Nation: Inside Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld. They say some interesting things about our culture and how we see the institutions that surround us.

About Will Dix

I am currently writing a book about college admission. I'm interested in the intersection of the college process and American culture. I attended Amherst College in the 1970s, taught high school English and theater at The Hill School in the '80s, returned to Amherst in the '90s as an admission dean, and began the '00s as a college counselor at the University of Chicago Laboratory School. I then joined Chicago Scholars as Program Director. Currently, I blog about college admission for Forbes.com. I also help community organizations serving low income students understand the college admission process so more students can consider gaining access to higher education. I have a few private college counseling clients that I take by referral only. The views expressed in this blog are mine alone.
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