The Educational Arms Race
Aggressive campaigns by colleges to boost their number of applicants gives the impression of exclusivity, but is this statistical allure harmful to education? Many say, ‘Yes’.
Although the tension between mission and marketing has long defined admissions, many believe the balance has tilted too far toward the latter. Many colleges have made applying as simple as updating a Facebook page. Some deans and guidance counselors complain that it’s too easy. They question the ethics of intense recruitment by colleges that reject the overwhelming majority of applicants. ‘It’s like needing a new stereo and buying the whole Radio Shack,’ says Mark Speyer, director of college counseling at the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York.
