“You Can’t Make
a Silk Purse Out of a Sow’s Ear.” What you can do is tan the ear and make a leather
pouch. No, it’s not silk but it is useful, functional and much more attractive
than the ear you started with. By now you are probably asking yourself what
this has to do with college admissions. Well, the sow’s ear represents the
continuous efforts of parents and students to game the admission system. The silk
purse/leather pouch is an attempt to find something, anything to help decrease
the annual insanity that is college application season.
There are
examples throughout history of wealthy people getting what they want regardless
of popular opinion against their efforts. Instead of attempting to address each
new scheme with laws and regulations, why not find gauge how badly the
perpetrators want the thing that is just out of their grasp? Here is my idea…
Any college that cannot accommodate the majority of their applicants be allowed
to designate a small percentage of the seats in their freshman class as “Bid
Positions”. Any desperate parents could try this option instead of seeking a
side or back door into the college. This option would work just as its name implies.
The parents would submit a sealed bid that adhered to the following parameters:
Tuition and fees paid in full without
any form of financial aid supplied by the college.
The number of additional students
demonstrating financial need that they are willing to fund at the same level as
their child
One additional funded position
dedicated to the state for support of underrepresented populations in college.
*Students not meeting the minimum
admissions standards for the school in question would not be considered.
Before you drag
out the tar, feathers and rail, this is just an idea that surfaced after
hearing about, reading about and talking about the latest scandal and considering
all the scandals that came to light in previous years. With all the money
passing under the table for the opportunity to spend more money paying for an
education; wouldn’t you prefer it benefit underprivileged youth instead of
lining the pockets of the best conman? I know this is not “the” answer but it
is “an” answer to help cast a light into the dark corners of the college
admissions process. Your thoughts and opinions are welcome. Maybe one of them will
stick and begin to help repair our broken admissions system.