Our Mission
Few things cause as much confusion, stress, and anger in America today as the college admissions process. This process is all too often:
It doesn’t have to be this way. The mission of The Ethical Applicant is to work with students and parents to make it a process that is instead:
Misinformed – Common misconceptions among applicants add unnecessary stress to an already stressful process. For example, applicants often take an overly narrow view of what colleges count as “good colleges” and misunderstand what colleges are looking for in applicants.
Unhealthy – Stress over college admissions has been identified as one of the major causes behind the current epidemic of anxiety and depression among American teens, contributing greatly to anxiety attacks, eating disorders, and teen suicide.
Unethical – Many students respond to the intense competition for college admissions by cheating. Cheating among high school students has become much more prevalent in recent decades, especially among high achieving students. One survey showed that 80% of high achieving college students admitted to having cheating at some point on their path to college.
Counter-Productive – Many of these misinformed, unhealthy or unethical efforts are counter-productive. For example, cheating to get ahead often leaves students without the knowledge or dedication needed to stay ahead, and if it's discovered it could jeopardize their chances of admission. Likewise, attempts to impress selective colleges by overloading on extracurricular activities often backfire. As college admissions directors have warned, this can weaken an applicant’s competitiveness if admissions staff cannot discern the applicant’s genuine interests and passions.
Misguided – The college admissions process requires professional, one-on-one guidance. In recognition of this need, high schools provide their students with college counseling. Unfortunately, many high school counselors work with so many students at once that they don’t have time to provide each student with the attention or guidance they need. A U.S. Department of Education study found that, on average, public high school students receive only 38 minutes of college counseling throughout their time in high school. One in five high school students delay going to college due to inadequate college counseling.
Disorienting – Understandably, many students going through the college admissions process find it dehumanizing and disorienting. As an unfortunate result, they often enter college without being oriented toward themselves or toward college in a way that will allow them to thrive and get the most out of their college years.
Well Informed – Gaining a broader, more accurate understanding of colleges and the application process can result in wiser choices about how to prepare for college, what colleges to apply for, how to position oneself in applying, and which offer of admission to accept.
Healthy – Becoming aware of the health risks of college stress is one important step to reducing them. Rethinking the admissions process can boost confidence, reduce unnecessary stress, and allow for a more healthy, productive level of competitiveness and concern.
Ethical – Being an ethical applicant is not just a matter of refraining from cheating. More positively, the process of preparing for college can be a valuable prompt for self-development and service to others. It can push you to be the best person you can be, both for yourself and in your interactions with others. It is a good occasion to reflect on what values and goals are most important to you.
Productive – An approach to college admissions that emphasizes the applicant's genuine strengths and virtues is the key to cutting through the dread, procrastination, and self-doubt that often accompany this process and that often hurt an applicant's chances of admission. Being an ethical applicant is essential to being a successful applicant, where success means finding a college that is a good match for you, approaching the application process with confidence and character, and submitting a winning application that expresses your true self.
Well-guided – Studies have shown that personalized, expert guidance can have a significant impact on an applicant’s level of success. Working in person or online, we offer professional, one-on-one guidance through every step of the college admissions process. We will help you make good decisions about how to prepare for college, what colleges to visit and apply to, how to present yourself in crafting your essays, how to navigate college interviews, and how to get the most financial aid. Good college counseling is not just about finding a good match, it's also about orienting you toward college so you can make the most of it.
Self-orienting – Good college guidance strengthens your ability to think and decide for yourself about who you are, your goals and values, and what college will serve you best. Becoming a more self-aware, grounded, and ethically engaged person will make you a more competitive applicant to college, a better informed and self-directed college student, and a better person in life.