<p>What do colleges think of anonymous letters to the admissions office that basically slander and insult applicants... (probably out of jealously or something by some parents or students) what if the letters give a specific example? (basically saying "X applicant shouldn't be admitted")</p>
<p>Would they even read it? Trash can i would think..</p>
<p>If they did read it (obviously a big if), they would call the high school counselor for confirmation before reading anything into it.</p>
<p>Poison pen letters have always ranked pretty low on the credibility scale. I can't believe that schools would give any weight to them lest they promote a new arms race among applicants of sinking your competitors' chances by libeling them.</p>
<p>The idea is to promote yourself, not trash the others. I think that politicians running for office are the only ones who sometimes actually get ahead by trashing the other applicants.</p>
<p>We know of a young fencer whose facebook profile picture is of this person holding a water pipe (bong? I don't know the drug terminology). When coach got wind of it through an unsigned note, he looked it up. Coach has not rescinded this fencer's scholarship and team spot, but I know it is currently in jeapardy, and of course, a complete shock to the parents. </p>
<p>Now, that's not admissions, but the coach is rethinking whether he wants this particular fencer on his team, and the note was apparently anonymous (said fencer in question). I think adcoms might be willing to take a look at some facebook or myspace stuff if there's a hint of wrongdoing or scandal.</p>
<p>Good idea not to tell friends where you are applying. Some kids will do anything to get a leg up.</p>
<p>^What kind of "friends" do you have??</p>
<p>Here is a quote from CC:</p>
<p>“Suspensions and Discipline:
Comments from Nanette H. Tarbouni
by Nanette H. Tarbouni
Director of Admissions
Washington University in St. Louis
And here's another important point- if you don't tell us-I promise someone else will. There is always an eager student who wasn't admitted to same college or a parent of a student who will write to us anonymously and let us know of the infraction. Hiding these things is never the right choice.
Sometimes these things have happened well before the application is ever filled out; sometimes they occur after the paperwork is into the college admissions office. Always, always, always make sure you come clean with these issues-immediately after they have happened. Hiding it makes things much worse and college admissions officials are much less likely to be forgiving when there is an effort at covering up these mistakes”</p>
<p>So I guess the adcoms really do read the anonymous tips, and then check on the ones which seem credible to see if they are true.</p>
<p>We are becoming a society of weasels and tattle tails. It used to be that if a little boy was cruel to another on the playground, he'd get a double knuckle sandwich. Now the little boy who does what little boys might naturally do, which is to take a swing at an adversary, will end up suspended for it. It is nothing less than the feminization of our nation's male offspring. No wonder more girls than boys are college-bound these days! Years into the future, another little weasel can get this same guy in trouble by writing an anonymous note to the colleges of his choice (in case he didn't report the suspension from 6th grade).</p>
<p>I don't think it is OK to break rules, and I am all for consequences. However, letters from weasels should NEVER be read - even if the contents are true - as a matter of principle. People who do something like that rarely have good intentions, and that kind of negativity should not be encouraged.</p>
<p>I can understand your attitude spideygal, but look at some of the scandals that have come out recently: a student convicted of manslaughter -- hid the fact, admitted to a big name univ. </p>
<p>It's headlines like that that almost drive adcoms to dbl check. Frankly, the more salacious, the more likely they HAVE to click onto that Facebook album.</p>
<p>For example. You get sent an anonymous letter saying:" Check out Suzy Qs webpage -- she's selling crack pipes online -- here's the evidence" If you're responsible to your university, are you going to ignore that?</p>
<p>Uh what are you going to put as a return address?....</p>
<p>And don't do this. This is a totally move. You'd have to have evidence... and you can't really maintain anonymity if they're gonna solicit you for evidence can you? And besides.. really, do you think colleges care?</p>
<p>For example, in HS I thought Pot was a big deal. Yes I am naive. I'm here, at one of the most "prestigious" Universities in the world -_-;, and you know what people do here friday nights? A lot of Pot. </p>
<p>If you're gonna report someone, it better be along the lines of <em>THIS GUY CHEATED FOR FOUR YEARS</em>* and the university MIGHT ask the guidance counselor but given that the school has to report it anyway, the university will already know. And if the school chose not to report it, they're just going to deny it, rendering the anonymous letter a big waste of time.</p>
<p>If it weren't for anonymous sources, a lot of traitors, corrupt politicians, etc. would never be caught. Typically anonymous sources have an axe to grind, but that doesn't mean that what they claim is untrue.</p>
<p>Consequently, it would make sense for colleges to pay attention to anonymous letters, and to follow-up with credible sources when it seems a letter might be true.</p>
<p>An anonymous claim that student X "cheated their way through high school" is not likely to cause a college to follow-up since there are no verifiable facts in that letter.</p>
<p>An anonymous claim that student X "was suspended 3 times for cheating" does contain the kind of specifics that a college could follow up with the GC. And, if the GC denies the claim (even if the GC happens to be lying), probably the claim would be ignored by the college.</p>
<p>Similarly, an anonymous claim that student X "claims to be SGA president, but someone else actually holds that office," could be easily verified or shown to be a a fabrication.</p>
<p>this is just hypothetical, but say if someone says "X is not a nice person, he is very selfish, etc and does not deserve to go to your college"... what would colleges think of that?</p>
<p>I think, bob, colleges would ignore that type of anonymous letter as it just seems like sour grapes.</p>
<p>Now, if the student's teacher or GC made that statement or if an interviewer wrote that on an interview form, the colleges would pay attention, and that could end a student's chance for admission to highly competitive colleges. At the very least, the competitive colleges would probably follow-up to get more details about the student, including having a second interview if the statement was made by an interviewer.</p>
<p>We used to be a nation where honor was valued and it wasn't necessary to tattle tale because people owned up to their own faults and deficiencies. We were told by tone admissions office last summer that anonymous tips were considered if the information could be easily verified but that otherwise they were ignored. The admissions office also warned applicants to be careful about what they post on the internet about themselves and others.</p>
<p>T26E4: "I can understand your attitude spideygal, but look at some of the scandals that have come out recently: a student convicted of manslaughter -- hid the fact, admitted to a big name univ. It's headlines like that that almost drive adcoms to dbl check. Frankly, the more salacious, the more likely they HAVE to click onto that Facebook album. For example. You get sent an anonymous letter saying:" Check out Suzy Qs webpage -- she's selling crack pipes online -- here's the evidence" If you're responsible to your university, are you going to ignore that?"</p>
<p>Certainly those extreme situations - both of which could involve serious danger to a campus - are examples of exceptions to the "rule" (my opinion that anonymous letters should not be taken into consideration). Most anonymous letters might not involve notification of ongoing problems of a dangerous nature. The adcom quote I provided involved a past suspension, for example.</p>
<p>We are often an unforgiving society when it comes to giving those who have "paid their dues" a true fresh start. If a person has served their time in prison, or in punishment situations in school (suspensions or expulsions), AND if they have turned over a new leaf (proven by records, recommendations and referrals), when does the new start begin? </p>
<p>The school thing is nothing, really. Suspensions, expulsions - no big deal in the big picture. But youthful (or even adult) mistakes which earn prison time can seriously hinder a person's chance of developing a decent reputation and income FOR A LIFETIME. And guess who this happens to, statistically, more than any other group? Low income African American males. When you are of a certain race, you are WAY more likely to go to jail for a mistake. When you get out, companies don't want to hire you (in most sitations, their insurance companies don't allow it). Banks don't want to lend to you. Landlords don't want to rent to you. If you are a felon, you can't vote. Just imagine all of the problems in our society caused by the inability to forgive and allow people to have a fresh start. Eventually, it comes back to us all.</p>
<p>
[quote]
We are often an unforgiving society when it comes to giving those who have "paid their dues" a true fresh start.
[/quote]
That's a pretty narrow view. In fact, if you look at other Western societies, we are one of the most forgiving on the planet when it comes to education. </p>
<p>In France, almost all the leading scientists and engineers are the graduates of the Grandes Ecoles. There is a tough exam to get in, and to succeed you really need to spend 2 years cramming at the specialized prep schools after HS (and the funds to support yourself). Don't get into a Grades Ecoles, you're not going to apply as a transfer :( You are locked out of the better positions in French society.</p>
<p>In Germany at age 10 (ten!!) they decide what type of secondary school you're going to. There are 4 types, and only 2 of them even prepare you for a university education.</p>
<p>In Switzerland, at the end of elementary school they decide which of 3 tracks you go in, and only one will lead to a university education.</p>
<p>And so on. In the US, by contrast, there are many tracks to college. Even someone who is not ready for a strong college (or ill prepared by their HS) has the chance to go to a CC and then complete a degree at a 4-year school. They can go to a 4-year school with easier entrance requirements and then try to transfer to a more highly regarded school. You can be in the workforce for a few years and then decide that a college education is what you want to get ahead. Even if you flunked out, you can still get back in and get a degree.</p>
<p>Is it a perfect system? No. Could it be improved? Of course. And yet unlike most Western societies where there is one track that leads to higher education, and when once you're off (even at age 10) you're off for life, we give second and third chances to everyone.</p>
<p>i wasnt even aware of what a problem this was</p>
<p>mikemac - I totally agree with your point, but mine wasn't about education.</p>