US Colleges Ask for More Writing after Affirmative Action Ban
2023-08-06
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1August 1 is the start of the new college admissions season in the United States.
2It is the day students can start to complete the Common Application for college admission in 2024.
3The Common Application is accepted by over 1,000 colleges and universities.
4The service permits students to apply to many schools by submitting their information only one time.
5However, some colleges and universities that accept the Common Application are asking students to send in an extra piece of writing.
6They are using the extra "prompt" to give students a chance to discuss their background.
7The reason for this new writing prompt is the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to end affirmative action in college decisions.
8The court said selective colleges and universities, such as Harvard University or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, can no longer use race as a way to decide between two qualified students.
9But the court did say schools can consider "an applicant's discussion of how race affected his or her life..."
10That is why some schools are re-writing their prompts.
11At Yale University, students who apply with the Common Application must also answer one of three questions.
12The first question permits students to write about a time they discussed an important issue with someone holding an opposing view.
13Another question asks students to discuss a meaningful community to which they are connected.
14But a third question is new, compared to past years.
15It asks students to talk about part of their "personal experience that you feel will enrich your college."
16That question permits a student to state their race and discuss how they would add something special to the group of students at Yale.
17At Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, a new prompt asks students to "tell about a community that you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better."
18Timothy Fields is a top admissions official at Emory.
19He said the new questions "are going to be much more targeted."
20At Sarah Lawrence College outside of New York City, a new question asks students how the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action might affect their lives.
21Kevin McKenna is a vice president at the college.
22He said the new question gives students a chance to discuss the decision "that could impact the student bodies of the colleges to which they are applying."
23In addition to the new questions, many colleges and universities are thinking about how to connect with Black and Latino students.
24The school leaders worry that those students may think they are no longer welcome at selective universities after the Supreme Court decision.
25Amin Abdul-Malik Gonzalez is the top admissions official at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
26He and his team are planning extra time at high schools and more meetings at college information events to tell minority students they are still welcome.
27He also will offer more training to his admissions officers so they can work to build a diverse group of students without going against the Supreme Court's decision.
28Visits such as those by the Wesleyan team are important, said Angel Perez.
29He is head of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
30Perez said some college counselors for high school students are uncertain how their students should address their race in applications.
31"The general feeling with school counselors right now is mostly anxiety," he said.
32But those who work with students, like private admissions counselor Shereem Herndon-Brown, say students should not overstate how race affects their lives.
33Herndon-Brown wrote a book with Fields, the admissions leader at Emory.
34He said students need to write "authentically" about how they think and have developed as a result of their background.
35He gave an example of a Black student from New York who recently visited relatives in the southern part of the U.S.
36Herndon-Brown encouraged the student to write about that experience although it was not in the student's original plan.
37That he said, is a better idea than declaring their race or overstating their disadvantage.
38"There is no way to trick an admissions officer or a school into believing you're something that you're not," he says.
39I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm Dan Friedell.
1August 1 is the start of the new college admissions season in the United States. It is the day students can start to complete the Common Application for college admission in 2024. 2The Common Application is accepted by over 1,000 colleges and universities. The service permits students to apply to many schools by submitting their information only one time. 3However, some colleges and universities that accept the Common Application are asking students to send in an extra piece of writing. They are using the extra "prompt" to give students a chance to discuss their background. 4The reason for this new writing prompt is the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to end affirmative action in college decisions. 5The court said selective colleges and universities, such as Harvard University or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, can no longer use race as a way to decide between two qualified students. 6But the court did say schools can consider "an applicant's discussion of how race affected his or her life..." 7That is why some schools are re-writing their prompts. 8At Yale University, students who apply with the Common Application must also answer one of three questions. 9The first question permits students to write about a time they discussed an important issue with someone holding an opposing view. 10Another question asks students to discuss a meaningful community to which they are connected. 11But a third question is new, compared to past years. It asks students to talk about part of their "personal experience that you feel will enrich your college." 12That question permits a student to state their race and discuss how they would add something special to the group of students at Yale. 13At Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, a new prompt asks students to "tell about a community that you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better." 14Timothy Fields is a top admissions official at Emory. He said the new questions "are going to be much more targeted." 15At Sarah Lawrence College outside of New York City, a new question asks students how the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action might affect their lives. 16Kevin McKenna is a vice president at the college. He said the new question gives students a chance to discuss the decision "that could impact the student bodies of the colleges to which they are applying." 17An acceptance campaign 18In addition to the new questions, many colleges and universities are thinking about how to connect with Black and Latino students. The school leaders worry that those students may think they are no longer welcome at selective universities after the Supreme Court decision. 19Amin Abdul-Malik Gonzalez is the top admissions official at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He and his team are planning extra time at high schools and more meetings at college information events to tell minority students they are still welcome. 20He also will offer more training to his admissions officers so they can work to build a diverse group of students without going against the Supreme Court's decision. 21Visits such as those by the Wesleyan team are important, said Angel Perez. He is head of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Perez said some college counselors for high school students are uncertain how their students should address their race in applications. 22"The general feeling with school counselors right now is mostly anxiety," he said. 23But those who work with students, like private admissions counselor Shereem Herndon-Brown, say students should not overstate how race affects their lives. 24Herndon-Brown wrote a book with Fields, the admissions leader at Emory. He said students need to write "authentically" about how they think and have developed as a result of their background. 25He gave an example of a Black student from New York who recently visited relatives in the southern part of the U.S. Herndon-Brown encouraged the student to write about that experience although it was not in the student's original plan. 26That he said, is a better idea than declaring their race or overstating their disadvantage. 27"There is no way to trick an admissions officer or a school into believing you're something that you're not," he says. 28I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm Dan Friedell. 29Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by Reuters. 30____________________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32admissions -n. the act or process of accepting a student into a college or university study program 33apply -v. to submit information to an organization such as a college for the right to be admitted as a student 34prompt -n. a suggestion for a conversation or piece of writing 35selective -adj. choosy; interested in picking something of higher quality 36enrich -v. to add something memorable to an experience 37participation -n. the act of being involved in something 38impact -v. to make an impression or have an effect on something 39diverse -adj. used to describe a group made of people or things that are different from each other 40anxiety -n. an emotional state of being worried or very concerned 41authentic -adj. something true or real 42_____________________________________________________ 43We want to hear from you. 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