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College admissions barriers to entry: There is always somewhere for you
Having worked as a former Campus President at a for-profit institution, I have come across many students who have considered for-profit colleges as a last resort. Whether it’s a last resort to complete their degree or last resort as a college that they can easily get into. Much of my career has been spent heading various admissions offices and unfortunately, I have been the one to say yes or no deciding upon who gets in. From this experience, I have seen many started applications but a strong percentage that are never completed. Back then it would make me wonder why someone would start something but never finish. Then I learned that the admissions process contains many barriers to entry which can frustrate a student and put a halt to them completing the admissions process. Being that colleges each college has its own requirements, or should I say qualifications that an applicant must have, it is nearly impossible for admissions offices to obtain students that are outside of those qualifications or standards. Therefore, it is necessary for students to know which college they can get into despite the many barriers to entry.
The admissions process typically requires an application, an essay, test scores (SAT or ACT) transcripts from all schools attended, deadlines, and letters of recommendation. These components typically make up a complete application. These may sound easy enough to obtain however, if you are a struggling student who does not have strong relationships with your teachers or the administrators within your school and did not do so well on your SAT, this process can be extremely daunting. Instead of an exciting time of applying to colleges this in turn becomes an admissions gauntlet (Klasik, 2012). Klasik (2012) found that students from lower socioeconomic status show less progress in college application completion. Essentially, as the application process progressed or required additional items the process stopped.
It is my goal to assist those students who stop the process due to the barriers to admissions as I mentioned. I want students to understand that there are other individuals they can turn to if they cannot find a teacher to provide a letter of recommendation. Additionally, students need to understand that all colleges do not have the same levels of selectivity and that many colleges have rolling admissions in which you can apply at any time. Furthermore, students must recognize that they can get assistance outside of their high school guidance counselors as oftentimes these individuals are working with 300 students. That’s a ratio of 300 to 1 person.
The College Inclusion Ladder assists those students who may stop or never even start the admissions process due to not knowing where to go or what steps to take. We assist you in completing the admissions process so that you can attend an institution that meets their needs and one to be proud of. As mentioned, I have spent many years working in college admissions and know that there is an institution for everyone and that some barriers are easier to overcome than others. We will be sure to get you to the next level and assist you in having the strongest college application package possible. Know that you do not have to settle and can go where you want to go.
Reference
Klasik, D. (2012). The college application gauntlet: A systematic analysis of the steps to four-year college enrollment. Research in Higher Education, 53 (5), 506-549.