Application not for sale
Yesterday, the Harvard Crimson published an editorial about the latest college admissions gimmick. WeGotIn.net sells copies of actual accepted students’ applications, allowing current students and prospies alike the opportunity to sell out for only $19.99. Somehow the Crimson believes these actions “commendable” for “leveling the proverbial playing field.” Really?
I’m all for more transparency in the college admissions process, and yes there are disturbing disparities between the information and opportunities available to students from different backgrounds. Last year at this time I was fretting away my nights wondering how I could possibly compete with students from prep school and affluent neighborhoods, students who were well traveled, who were able to take real AP classes, and who had friends with “inside knowledge.” While We Got In markets itself as a solution to some of these problems, selling applications to worried high schoolers isn’t a quick fix.
The Crimson acknowledges, then brushes aside, criticism concerning potential plagiarism, but fails to comment upon how this “resource” would actually be received by the students it’s supposedly helping. Many students, seeing all the opportunities and advantages they lack displayed on a “successful” application, could lose hope that their own would ever match up. If this experience is really desired, students can always feel inadequate by browsing sites like College Confidential. “Chance me?” anyone?
We Got In advertises its products as a way to “show you what the colleges in fact want” so you won’t be stuck “listening to someone else’s opinion…of what they think the committee is looking for.” Offers like this only feed the ridiculous culture we’ve created around the college admissions process. There’s no way to know what the colleges “in fact want.” They want different things at different times from different people. College applications are far more personal than the literal list of questions and answers on the page. We Got In and the many other similar services that cater to anxious high school students attempt to create a list of “approved” characteristics that in no way reflect the individuality of every student and every situation.
College applications are only one part of the holistic college admissions process, and the truth is no one knows “what the committee is looking for” or why we were selected to come here. So please, don’t sell your old application to empower those who “lack affluence and college savvy.” Instead of helping, you’ll only be ensuring the meltdowns of thousands of students for years to come as they, and everyone else, obsess over a process that will always defy understanding.
harvard students probably already found a way to do this
grace were you rejected by harvard? i think so
but in high school, we looked at actual college applications from students who got accepted to certain schools (stats, essays, and everything), and it was really helpful. My school wasn’t the only one that did this. We even had college admissions officers from top schools come and give out copies of actual applications and tell us why or why not certain applicants were accepted or rejected or waitlisted. We were taught to be realistic and aware of what admissions officers must do. Looking at applications isn’t that crazy of an idea…
I agree with “I see your point”…. kids who go to fancy prep schools already get to see accepted applications – their schools keep them on file from their alums. They’re pretty informative in giving you a sense of how to answer questions. And the service is cheap enough that anyone can afford this. If we’re going to complain, I have much more of a problem with SAT prep classes that cost thousands of dollars, which lower income kids could never access.
As long as those from privileged backgrounds have access to advisors charging thousands of dollars, SAT prep courses and a network of people who can give them advice and counsel, they will have an advantage. WeGotIn.net is definitely not a “quick fix” for these inequities. It is merely my attempt to try to mitigate some of them. Maybe you should use your time and talent to come up with something more effective rather than criticize my effort as inadequate.
Howard Yaruss, founder of WeGotIn.net
wow, getting a little bit personal here, are we?
“There’s no way to know what the colleges “in fact want.” They want different things at different times from different people.”
what! the easiest way to see what colleges in fact want to have their preferences revealed through showing successful applications, I’m pretty surprised this isn’t done already. wegotinis not showing you “the application” that was accepted, it’s showing you many applications. the stress of college doesn’t go away because you see who actually got in, that adds some perspective and perhaps helps people see threads that certain universities look for. Rich students at prep schools already have access to this info, they have databases of essays and score profiles with counselors to interpret the data. Rich students can thus strategize better where they will apply and tailor their application to match what a university is looking for.
perhaps you should re-evaluate your emotional reaction, and see the logic behind why it does actually help level the playing field, while not being a panacea.
Finally if some students see that their credentials really are sub-par, then perhaps they should save the money and apply to schools they have a better shot at or perhaps apply and manage their own expectations better. you might save a suicide/depression or two come decision time. Students should be focused on schools where they have some shot at getting in order to get into the most number of top schools and then decide between options based on fit and financial aid offers.
But you should definitely know if you’re outclassed when applying to a school. If your test scores don’t stack up to the middle 50%, they just don’t. I feel like essays are the wildcard between schools. As previous posters have mentioned, services like this have been available for a while and making them more accessible can’t hurt. I do however, lament the arms race that college admissions has become. It’s ultimately not that important. Many students could probably be happy and have their academic needs met at many different schools.
Before he got a little schoolyard at the end, I think the weGotIn founder has some interesting points. However, he’s playing the inequity card a little too fervently. You can actually get score profiles and accepted student essays both at Barnes and Noble in the millions of college books they sell or even online for free. If your looking to freak out over scores, weGotIn isn’t evil so much as it’s not that great a deal (but hey, I guess the market has spoken, right?).
But I think and a lot of commenters are missing a larger issue. I can only speak to columbia, but the kids here so far are really different, as were their essays (of the few who I’ve talked to). The idea that there are “approved characteristics”, as Grace said, is crazy. Kids are going to spend months molding a fake, borderline plagiarized, identity. That in itself is bad, and it will make rejection all the worse because now the implication is that even their fake self isn’t good enough.
If colleges don’t want you for you, it’s not your problem, it’s their problem. Making a new identity to fit someone else’s criteria is a bad life decision in general, and also seems like it would make sure you would fit in less if you got accepted.