The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success made the case for its forthcoming college-application platform here on Wednesday. During a packed session at the College Board’s annual forum, representatives of participating colleges described the controversial online system as a big, bold work in progress.
Although the speakers sought to clarify several prevalent questions, the coalition’s plans for improving the admissions process are so far longer on grand vision than concrete details. More than a month after the group announced itself to the world, the audience had to use its imagination when considering how the new system, scheduled to go live next year, might function.
That said, the panelists confronted some widespread concerns — and misconceptions — about their intentions. The session felt more like a reintroduction, a chance to clear the air after weeks of intense debate over the coalition.
Zina L. Evans, vice president for enrollment management at the University of Florida, described the platform as a tool that would encourage “reflection and self-discovery,” engaging students, especially those from underserved high schools, early on.
Ms. Evans also responded to a major criticism: that the group of more than 80 selective institutions, which do not serve the bulk of the nation’s low-income and first-generation students, is trying to monopolize the college-access conversation. “The coalition does not believe we have a corner on access,” she said. But the high visibility of its member colleges, she said, obligated them to promote innovation in admissions that could help underserved applicants.
Confusion Over a ‘Virtual Locker’
The coalition’s plan to create a “virtual locker” — where applicants could store various content throughout their high-school years — has caused a lot of confusion.
Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale University, said the locker would be “fully owned and controlled by a student,” who would be free to decide whether or not to share it with anyone else. So a student might fill the virtual locker with stuff nobody else ever sees and no college ever asks for.
Yet member colleges, Mr. Quinlan said, could choose to allow applicants to upload specific content to their applications. So in lieu of writing a 500-word personal statement, he said, a student applying to Yale might one day upload an abstract of an essay or graded writing assignment, a video of a slam-poetry performance, or schematics from a robotics competition.
Would that usher in an era of curated virtual lockers, chock full of content meant to impress admissions officials? Even if it did, Mr. Quinlan suggested, most colleges wouldn’t have the time to look at everything. If he asked his busy staff to consider too many new variables, he said, “I wouldn’t survive my 11 a.m. Wednesday staff meeting.”
Although that line prompted knowing laughter among the audience, some spectators in the back row shook their heads skeptically throughout the 75-minute session.
One counselor urged the coalition to consider the ‘relational and developmental needs’ of underserved students: ‘This can’t happen only with a computer.’
Seth Allen, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at Pomona College, described the application’s “collaboration platform” as a means of prompting students to engage with mentors (college counselors, teachers, community-based organizations), to learn how to ask for help, and to “practice networking skills.”
The problem, as one counselor from New York said, is that many students lack anyone to help them plan for college — or have no idea whom to even ask. She urged the coalition to consider the “relational and developmental needs” of low-income and first-generation college students: “This can’t happen only with a computer.”
When the applause subsided, Vern Granger, director of enrollment services at Ohio State University, acknowledged the counselor’s concern. “You can have this wonderful vehicle,” he said, “but if you don’t know how to drive it, it’s no good.”
Perhaps that’s a perfect image for the coalition’s application — a brand-new car, high-tech and snazzy. It’s full of potential, but it brings the potential for peril, too. After all, many of the specs aren’t yet known, and many important questions are likely to linger.
Will a tool designed to simplify the process end up complicating it further for the very students the coalition hopes to help the most? Will participating colleges commit to accepting — and financially supporting — more low-income students who could come their way through one application platform or another?
“This isn’t an “If you build it, they will come,’” Ms. Evans said. “This is going to take a lot of work on our part.”
On that point, at least, everyone surely could agree.
Eric Hoover writes about admissions trends, enrollment-management challenges, and the meaning of Animal House, among other issues. He’s on Twitter @erichoov, and his email address is eric.hoover@chronicle.com.
Correction (11/5/2015, 7:36 a.m.): This article originally misreported that slides were not shown at Wednesday’s presentation. There were slides, although some attendees couldn’t see them. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.
