<p>Pizzagirl, I thought it was newsworthy because I had never heard of a student actively sabotaging another student’s college application efforts. It could have taken place in any school public or private and still be as newsworthy. The story would be just as big if it took place at Stuyvesant or TJ in Northern Virginia or Signature School in Indiana.</p>
<p>I didn’t get the sense that the story was all that dependent on the fact it took place at Horace Mann (other than maybe to point out that HM has been having more than its share of scandals). I’m pretty sure HM is not happy with the publicity.</p>
<p>Must be a slow news day. Anonymous letter containing unknown claims which may or may not be true. Could someone please explain why this mishmash of conjecture warrants discussion?</p>
<p>My impression is that most colleges will not depend upon anonymous allegations against an applicant. However, they may ask the high school guidance counselor if there is any truth to the allegation. There are some guidance counselors who may cover up things for students and not reveal serious problems. </p>
<p>If someone is thinking about making a false accusation, they should realize that their complaint may come right back to their guidance counselor, who may be able to figure out who sent it.</p>
<p>What I thought was newsworthy and disturbing was that any college admissions office would pay any attention to a letter like this. Not because it’s anonymous–I completely understand why someone would feel that is the only way to safely report something serious, especially if school staff are complicit. Therefore I don’t think anonymity tells us anything one way or the other about the trustworthiness of the information. However, I don’t see how the college can successfully verify this kind of thing. For example, calling the school to ask the GC is there is any truth to the contents of the letter seems silly. If the GC knew something about the applicant that was bad enough to have serious implications, then he should have given an indication of that knowledge on the GC form, eg. on that checklist where he’s supposed to rate personal qualities like character. If he didn’t do so, but rather covered up for something, do you think he is now going to admit to the college he withheld something big, like knowledge of cheating?</p>
<p>This is all conjecture anyway. The letter could have said “Joe Applicant is an ugly poopyhead” and be obviously malicious stupidity, or it could have provided carefully researched and authenticated evidence to show that Joe was indeed involved in something rescind-worthy. Who knows which it is?</p>
<p>“My impression is that most colleges will not depend upon anonymous allegations against an applicant. However, they may ask the high school guidance counselor if there is any truth to the allegation.”</p>
<p>This is my impression as well, and I think it’s right that they do typically investigate. That would start, but not always end, with a call to the guidance counselor. They might call teachers, the principal, and the student/family in question. A credible letter like this is fairly rare and catches the eye.</p>
<p>I don’t agree that a guidance counselor who didn’t disclose a problem initially would necessarily fudge if s/he got a call from a college. Lying in response to a direct question is a different thing from not disclosing when it comes to typical human behavior. The average person is far more comfortable with the latter than the former.</p>
<p>My kids applied to college a number of years ago, but I recall that the GC form I looked at asked the GC to rate the student on qualities like integrity and social skills vis a vis other students he has known. Thus, there is no way that student should have gotten a check mark in the “superior” or “excellent” column if the GC knew of a cheating or bullying incident, for instance. That is a direct question, and not being truthful on it is different from just not mentioning what you know about a kid in your statement.</p>
<p>PG, the letter clearly contained a basically verifiable statement, and not a silly and/or subjective insult, or the adcoms wouldn’t have bothered calling the school and the school couldn’t have been so firm in stating the allegations were false.</p>
<p>Some years ago, a young woman had her acceptance to Harvard rescinded when an anonymous letter informed the school that she had been convicted of murder. The story was true. According to Harvard, the reversal of the admissions decision was because she lied on the application, which she had–there was and is a question about criminal records, not because of the conviction or the crime itself. So, yes, schools will check up on some information, and yes, if found true, and is info that affects admissions, it could affect the applicant. </p>
<p>That the schools contacted Horace Mann pretty much substantiates that. That the accusations were false and something that HM could deny and felt that what happened should be shared with the school community, shows that the system is working the way it should. I agree that if the accusations were spurious or unverifiable, the colleges would have trashed the letter and the info. </p>
<p>A lot of GCs, teachers are not filling out the ratings these days, by the way. They just send a blanket narrative statement attached to the form. None of my kids high schools rated the students.</p>
<p>I guess nobody thinks a school would reject somebody based on an anonymous allegation without checking it out? Certainly, they shouldn’t do this.</p>
<p>I don’t see how it would be in the school’s own best interests to do that. They want the students they want, absent reliable info to the contrary. Furthermore, word might get out that they were vulnerable to manipulation.</p>
<p>^^if these were big unis receiving tens of thousands of applications and an intent to reject most then yes any type of negativity could tip the scales into the defer or reject pile as equally as this type of incident could be simply dismissed from the mind, but I’m presuming that smaller colleges that may “relish” having students from a super selective high school would take the time to look into an allegation. I do hope the person defamed has reported it to the police and I hope they find the person(s).</p>
<p>Have there been any publicized cases of such sabotage in grad, med or law school apps? Job apps? Seems like those areas might be ripe for sabotage!</p>
<p>Never heard of Scattergood! I’ll send you a PM of the name of the school (no it is not exactly the kind of prep school the North East folks go to - you’re right there!)</p>
<p>iadorking, WHICH “North East folks”? Do you think that everyone in the northeastern part of the country is exactly the same? You make a lot of generalizations about people.</p>