February 12, 2009 (Arlington, VA) – Unfocused ambitions, in part, help fuel the intense college application process in some high schools, according to a research paper released today by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Combined with the inequitable distribution of college counseling resources, such ambitions may unnecessarily complicate the college admission process for many students across the country, the report notes.
The paper, “
College Choice and Adolescent Development: Psychological and Social Implications of Early Admission,” was written for NACAC by Barbara Schneider, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at Michigan State University. Key findings include:
• Students’ college aspirations, when unaligned with career interests, may contribute to “college fever,” or the perception that getting into a highly selective college is the primary goal of the transition from high school to college. Unfocused adolescent postsecondary aspirations could be channeled into more well-crafted expectations. The task is not simply “cooling out” adolescents to apply to less competitive institutions, but to try to align their interests with institutions that offer the types of programs and majors that compliment their future goals.
• The prospect of paying for college, the complexity of financial aid applications, and varied requirements for admission applications continue to constrain the college decision process. Between the technical nature of information requested and the procedures students are required to follow, the college decision process has become profoundly complicated, with most adolescents depending on parents and counselors to help make post-high school plans for them.
• The increasing responsibilities required of high school counselors, unmanageable student-to-counselor caseloads, and the expansive period of adolescence has resulted in one of the greatest challenges facing high school counselors today—the inability to fully assist students for whom guidance is especially valuable at this stage of development.
• Existing literature suggests that Early Decision admission practices seem inconsistent with adolescent development. While the case has yet to be made empirically, this research paper suggests that discussions about Early Decision policies should address the challenges such policies create for students, and the inequities they may produce among those who could, but do not, apply.
“As college admission counseling professionals, we have an obligation to fully understand the processes at work with the students we serve,” noted William McClintick, NACAC President. “As this research suggests, helping students manage the increasingly complex admission process is a key policy priority for sustaining college access.”
While the views expressed in the paper are solely the views of the author, the association believes that consideration of the issues raised is important for those involved in college admission counseling. NACAC will serve as a forum for the continued discussion of this topic, and offers professional development resources through the NACAC National Conference and the NACAC Knowledge Center.
About NACAC: NACAC is an Arlington, VA-based education association of more than 11,000 primary and secondary school counselors, independent counselors, college admission and financial aid officers, enrollment managers, and organizations that work with students as they make the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The association is committed to maintaining high standards that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice.