Admissions in the 21st Century
Building consensus on enrollment practices for the social good
Beginning in the spring of 2006, the College Board hosted a series of vibrant discussions on the changing face of college admissions. Guidance and enrollment professionals discussed the increasing lack of transparency and predictability among colleges, coupled with increased anxiety among students and families. They argued that for first-generation, underrepresented, and low-income students, the increased complexity of admissions exacerbates an already unequal playing field. Educators expressed concern over the intense competition and pursuit of prestige at the expense of good educational practice, advice, and results for students.
These member discussions, which took place at national and regional forums and at a 2006 meeting of guidance and enrollment professionals, resulted in a call for leadership on behalf of the profession to form consensus on enrollment practices for the social good.
In response, College Board Advocacy formed the Task Force on Admissions in the 21st Century. Led by Jerome Lucido, vice provost for enrollment policy and management at the University of Southern California, the task force is made up of school counselors, admissions officers, and financial aid officers from every College Board region, with representation from all sectors of high schools and two- and four- year colleges. In its report entitled "Preserving the Dream of America: An Open Letter to Professionals in Admissions, Financial Aid and Counseling," the task force offers a ten-part statement of values to guide the admissions community and seven action commitments to support those values.
To learn more about the activities of the Task Force on Admissions in the 21st Century and access its full report, visit www.collegeboard.com/admissionsinthe21stcentury.
“We must respond to the new realities of the school-to-college transition in the 21st century.”
- From "Preserving the Dream of America: An Open Letter to Professionals in Admissions, Financial Aid and Counseling"
Related initiatives
The Task Force will work in partnership with the National Commission on Access, Admissions & Success in Higher Education and draw from the efforts of other College Board Advocacy projects, including: