The College Admission Scandal: Voices Of Reason Part One 大学招生丑闻：理性之声第一部分
布伦南巴纳德
Unless you have been under a self-imposed media blackout for the past two weeks, you are aware that the world of college admission has been riddled by another scandal—this one with all the makings of a Hollywood movie. The sensationalism of the news trifecta of sports, celebrities, and money in selective college admission has begun to soften and we are processing the initial “shock.” Now, can we please have a discussion about one of the elephants on the quad? Elitism. In the coming days and weeks, we will learn more and more about the unethical actions that brought on the investigation and subsequent charges. We will shake our heads and our fingers at the large sums of money involved, and the blatant dishonesty demonstrated by all parties. But, what is the real story here?
除非你在过去两周内一直处于自我强加的媒体封锁之下，否则你会意识到，大学招生界已经被另一桩丑闻所困扰——这桩丑闻具有好莱坞电影的所有特质。在名校招生中，体育、名人和金钱这三方面新闻的轰动效应已经开始减弱，我们正在处理最初的“震惊”。现在，我们可以讨论一下显而易见的问题所在了吗? 精英主义。在未来的几天或几周内，我们将越来越多地了解导致调查和随后指控的不道德行为。涉及的巨额款项以及各方所表现出来的明目张胆的欺诈行为，将使我们摇头叹息。但是，真正的故事究竟是怎样的呢?
Should we be appalled at coaches, consultants and parents for conspiring to get students admitted based on falsified athletic ability and cheating on standardized tests? Certainly. But we should also consider our own societal fixation on the “elite” colleges in the country, the thwarted cultural capital, and presumed guarantee of success that we attach to a degree from “high status” institutions. The behavior is despicable, but the context in which it is occurring is the real tragedy. This reality is discussed in depth in the recent report from the Making Caring Common Project at Harvard Graduate School of Education (where I serve as the college admission program manager), Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process.
我们是否应该对教练、顾问和家长们感到震惊，因为他们密谋伪造运动能力和标化考试作弊来帮助学生入学? 当然。但我们也应该考虑我们自己对国内“精英”大学的社会定位、受挫的文化资本，以及我们从“高地位”院校获得的学位所假定的成功保证。这种行为是卑鄙的，但它发生的背景才是真正的悲剧。在哈佛大学教育研究生院(我作为大学招生项目经理)的“推广关爱”项目最近的一份报告中，对这一现实进行了深入的讨论, 扭转潮流II：家长和学校如何培养道德品质，减少大学招生过程中的痛苦。
We have lost our way in defining what it means to be a well-adjusted young adult, striving for a meaningful future. Meanwhile, we are quick to vilify the whole experience of applying to college based on these extreme cases of individuals who sully the transformative potential of this important rite of passage. In this first of a two-part series, let us listen to the voices of the counselors, admission officers and other constituents who choose to approach admission with a strong moral compass, and healthy perspective on the pervasive (and perverse) elitism that this recent news embodies. Part two will share the voices of high school and college students and their parents, as they reflect on the hyperfocus on a small subset of colleges.
我们迷失了方向，无法定义作为一个适应良好的年轻人，为一个有意义的未来而奋斗意味着什么。与此同时，我们很快就会对申请大学的整个经历进行诋毁，因为这些极端的个人案例玷污了这一重要仪式的变革潜力。在这个由两部分组成的系列文章的第一部分中，让我们听听顾问、招生官和其他选民的声音，他们选择用强烈的道德准则和健康的视角来看待最近这则新闻所体现的无处不在的(和反常的)精英主义。第二部分将分享高中生、大学生和他们父母的声音，因为他们对一小部分大学过度关注。
Consultants咨询顾问
There are undeniably private educational consultants who prey on the fear and anxiety that families can feel as they navigate admission to college. They market their services with names like Ivy Wise, Ivy Coach and Top Tier Admission that, regardless of how reputable their approach is, immediately hint at what should be valued or aspired to. It is incumbent upon these individuals and companies to consider the messages they send. Meanwhile, their fees can be exorbitant, sometimes nearing the cost of a year of college tuition. Are they primarily counselors or entrepreneurs? If it is the former, then they have the responsibility to rebrand. As long as they are fanning the flames of elitism, students and parents will respond. There are, however, a host of counselors who work in this space who are eager to combat this culture and serve a valuable role for students who might not have support in their college search. In addition to fee-based services for families with resources, they do pro-bono work with those who are underserved and without means. Lora Block is one such counselor who is a certified educational planner and works as an independent educational consultant in southern Vermont. In reflecting on the recent scandal, Block says, “I find it very sad that these parents thought so little of their child’s character and legitimate accomplishments that they didn’t encourage her or him to use the application process as the helpful learning opportunity it can be. That means encouraging the student to be introspective and to honestly assess who they are, what they’ve learned, what they are excited about, what they hope to contribute to the world and the college they attend. That’s what ethical parents and college advisors do.”
不可否认的是，有一些私人教育顾问利用了家庭在进入大学时可能感受到的恐惧和焦虑。他们用常春藤盟校、常春藤教练和顶级学府录取等品牌来推销自己的服务，不管他们的方法有多出名，都会立即暗示出应该重视或渴望什么。这些个人和公司有责任考虑他们发出的信息。与此同时，他们可能高额收费，有时接近一年的大学学费。他们主要是顾问还是企业家呢？如果是前者，那么他们有责任重塑品牌。只要他们在煽动精英主义的火焰，学生和家长就会做出回应。然而，在这个领域工作的许多咨询顾问都渴望与这种文化作斗争，为那些可能在找大学的过程中得不到支持的学生提供有价值的服务。除了为有资源的家庭提供收费服务外，他们还为那些服务不足和没有经济来源的家庭提供无偿服务。Lora Block就是这样一位顾问，她是一名注册教育规划师，在佛蒙特州南部担任独立教育顾问。在反思最近的丑闻时，Block说:“我感到非常悲哀的是，这些父母对孩子的性格和合法成就考虑得如此之少，以至于他们没有鼓励孩子利用申请过程作为有益的学习机会。这意味着鼓励学生进行内省，诚实地评估他们是谁，他们学到了什么，他们对什么感到兴奋，他们希望为这个世界和他们就读的大学做出什么贡献。这就是有道德的父母和大学顾问所做的。”
Test Preparation Companies 考试准备公司
As long as standardized tests remain a significant factor in selective college admission, there will be companies seeking to profit from helping students to increase their scores. Yes, there are some bad actors who make unrealistic promises and push their clients to undue limits to maintain the company’s image of excellence. As we now know, there are even some outfits that will enable cheating and fraud. There are many more that are perfectly reputable, and while they do want to make money, they are at their heart educators who want to use preparation as a larger classroom for skill and confidence building. Plenty of these companies also offer scholarships for those who do not have resources or do pro-bono work in addition to their paying clientele. Summit Education Group has offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York and has partnered with a number of local organizations that support underserved students.
只要标化考试仍然是名校录取的一个重要因素，就会有公司寻求从帮助学生提高分数中获利。是的，有一些坏人为了保持公司的优秀形象，做出不切实际的承诺，把客户逼到不合理的限度。正如我们现在所知道的，有一些机构会欺骗甚至欺诈。还有很多学校声誉很好，虽然他们确实想赚钱，但他们本质上是教育者，他们想把准备工作作为一个更大的课堂，用来培养技能和信心。许多这样的公司还为那些除了付费客户之外没有资源或从事公益工作的人提供奖学金。顶峰教育集团在马萨诸塞州、康涅狄格州和纽约设有办事处，并与一些支持服务不足学生的当地组织合作。
Drew Heilpern is a leader at Summit and their chief ambassador. In his post-college experience, he says, “whether it was for a job or to apply to graduate school, the people I interviewed with or connected with cared about three major questions (1) Why was I applying for that particular position (2) What experience could I speak to which I feel prepared me for that position and (3) If I received the position, what would I hope to do with it, what were the opportunities provided to me that I hoped to maximize, and what might that position lead to in the future.” Heilpern adds, “In some ways, thinking about the college search in terms of fit and where students can maximize their skills and take the most advantage of the opportunities that they will encounter, is the first step in helping students graduate with the ability to answer the above three questions.” He argues that students are headed down the wrong path if they approach the college search asking what is “the most elite school that I can get into?” It is these students who usually end up making decisions based on other’s expectations and struggle to find thoughtful and personal responses to those questions. Heilpern says that, "the student who chooses the ‘less prestigious’ school but chooses it because it provides an environment where that student is going to thrive academically, socially and extracurricularly, chances are very strong that the student will have fantastic answers to the above three questions and will be in much better shape for the next step.”
Drew Heilpern是顶峰的领导人和首席大使。在他大学毕业后的经历中,他说, “无论是找工作还是申请研究生院,我面试的人或与我有联系的人关心三个主要问题：(1)为什么我申请那个职位 (2)我为那个职位可以准备哪些经验 (3) 如果我得到了这个职位，我希望用它做什么，我希望最大限度地提供给我的机会是什么，以及这个职位将来会带来什么。”Heilpern补充说, “从某些方面来说，从适合的角度考虑大学搜索，学生们可以最大限度地利用自己的技能，最大限度地利用他们将遇到的机会，这是帮助学生毕业后有能力回答上述三个问题的第一步。” 他认为，如果学生们走近大学，问“我能进入的最优秀的学校”是什么，他们就走错了路。通常是这些学生根据别人的期望做出决定，并且很难找到对这些问题的深思熟虑和个人的回答。 Heilpern说：“选择‘不那么有名’的学校的学生 ，因为他们认为这些学校提供了一个学生在学业、社交和课外上都能茁壮成长的环境，学生很有可能对上述三个问题有很好的答案，而且下一步的情况会好得多。”
Child Psychologist儿童心理学家
Any family therapist or child psychologist will likely be quick to condemn the atrocious behavior we have seen by those involved in the recent scandal. And while the dishonesty is shameful, the messages it sends to children is the most alarming aspect of this revelation. Dr. David Gleason is a clinical psychologist with nearly three decades of working with young people in schools and is the founder of Developmental Empathy, LLC. He works with schools to develop policies and practices that address “competitive excellence” that can cause “intense pressures on students to succeed, pressures that overwhelm their still-developing minds and bodies, and that result in their experiences of chronic anxiety and depression, and to a host of debilitating behavioral outcomes.” He is also the author of “At What Cost?: Defending Adolescent Development in Fiercely Competitive Schools”. Like many people, Gleason’s initial reaction to the admission scandal was that it was a spoof. When it became clear it was real, this was his response:
任何家庭治疗师或儿童心理学家都可能很快谴责我们在最近的丑闻中看到的那些暴行。虽然不诚实是可耻的，但它传递给孩子们的信息是这一启示中最令人震惊的方面。David Gleason博士是一位临床心理学家，他在学校里与年轻人一起工作了近30年，也是发展移情有限责任公司的创始人。他与学校合作，制定政策和实践，以解决“竞争卓越”的问题，这些政策和做法可能会导致“学生获得成功的巨大压力，压力会压倒他们仍在发育中的身心，并导致他们长期焦虑和抑郁的经历，以及一系列令人衰弱的行为结果。”他也是“在竞争激烈的学校中捍卫青少年发展”一书的作者。和许多人一样，Gleason对招生丑闻的最初反应是，这是一场骗局。当真相大白时，他是这样回答的:
The extent to which these wealthy—and in some cases—famous parents were willing to risk not only their reputations but also, their very integrity for admission to an elite college for their children is truly alarming. I find their apparent level of comfort with deceit to be so disturbing, especially considering what their deliberately deceptive behavior has modeled for their own kids! That said, what does this whole scandal say about the current 'college admission state of affairs' such that some people think the only way to manage this situation—or to cope with the fierce and intensifying competition—is to lie and cheat their way out of it? Clearly, these affluent and famous individuals are in the wrong. However, as absolutely skewed as this may seem, as the saying goes, 'desperate times call for desperate measures.' Sadly, some people have been willing to use anything they have—such as their wealth and fame—to cope with the anxiety that these 'desperate times' have created. Again I ask, At What Cost do we continue to perpetuate this ultra-competitive college admissions climate?"
这些富有的——在某些情况下——著名的父母们为了自己的孩子考上一所精英大学, 不仅愿意拿自己的名誉冒险，还愿意拿自己的诚信冒险，这确实令人担忧。我发现他们明显对欺骗感到不安，尤其是考虑到他们故意欺骗自己孩子的行为！话虽如此，这整个丑闻对当前的“大学招生状况”说明了什么，以至于有些人认为管理这种局面的唯一办法——或者应对激烈而激烈的竞争——就是撒谎和欺骗。显然，这些富人和名人错了。然而，正如俗话说的那样，“绝望的时候需要采取绝望的措施”，这似乎是绝对不正确的。可悲的是，有些人愿意利用他们所拥有的一切——比如他们的财富和名望——来应对这些“绝望时期”所带来的焦虑。我再次问，我们要付出什么代价才能继续维持这种竞争异常激烈的大学招生环境?”
And just where does this visceral feeling of desperation have its origins? In his book, Gleason addresses the perception that competitive schools are a “passport to a better life.” From sleep deprivation, depression and anxiety to substance abuse, eating disorders and suicide, the burden of expectation weighs heavy on young people. He argues that the adults—schools and parents—must embrace adaptive changes to confront “hyper-schooling” and overachievement.
这种发自内心的绝望感到底从何而来？Gleason在他的书中指出，竞争激烈的学校是“通往更美好生活的通行证”。从睡眠不足、抑郁和焦虑到药物滥用、饮食失调和自杀，期望的负担沉重地压在年轻人身上。他认为，成年人——学校和家长——必须适应变化，以应对“过度教育”和过度成就。
Community-Based Organizations社区组织
Tori Berube is the vice president for college planning and community engagement at the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF). Her organization provides free information about college planning and financial aid for families of all backgrounds. Berube explains that the message they try to reinforce is that there is a path to postsecondary education for everyone, and a program for everyone. She says “'elite' admission and that prestigious school is not for everyone—it’s what you do with any degree you receive, once you have that degree, that sets a student up for success.” She recalls the story of a young man who served as a panelist for one of their community programs on college a few years ago. He came from one of the poorer school districts in the state and went on to a community college to pursue higher education. After receiving his associate’s degree, he went on to a state public university to receive his bachelor’s degree and then went on to medical school. Berube says, “he was an amazing young man whose work ethic got him where he is, not the fact that he was educated at an 'elite' institution,” adding, “there is no shortcut to success. Hard work is required.”
Tori Berube是新罕布什尔州高等教育援助基金会负责大学规划和社区参与的副主席。她的组织为各种背景的家庭提供免费的大学规划和经济援助信息。Berube解释说，他们想要强调的信息是，每个人都有接受高等教育的途径，每个人都有自己的计划。她说:“‘精英’招生和名牌大学并不是适合每个人的，这是你获得任何学位的方式，一旦你获得了这个学位，就能让一个学生获得成功。”她回忆起几年前一个年轻人在大学社区项目中担任小组成员的故事。他来自该州较贫穷的学区之一，后来去了一所社区学院接受高等教育。获得副学士学位后，他进入州立公立大学接受学士学位，然后进入医学院。Berube说:“他是一个了不起的年轻人，他的职业道德让他取得了现在的成就，而不是因为他在‘精英’院校接受教育。”她补充说，“成功没有捷径可走。我们需要努力工作。”
Colleges 大学
Typically colleges are the first to be thrown under the bus when a story like this breaks, and to be certain, they are not without fault. But before we condemn the entire institution of higher education, let’s think bigger picture and acknowledge that the vast majority of admission officers are in this profession as thoughtful, ethical educators who would rather accept students than deny them. And then college rankings, market realities, and the bottom line come into play and they are forced to respond to the inherent pressures. They are witness to the selective admission arms race and what the elitist mindset can bring about.
一般来说，当这样的故事发生时，大学是第一个被推翻的，而且可以肯定的是，大学也不是没有过错的。但在我们谴责整个高等教育机构之前，让我们从更大的角度来考虑，并承认绝大多数招生人员在这个职业中都是有思想、有道德的教育者，他们宁愿接受学生，也不愿拒绝他们。然后大学排名、市场现实和底线开始发挥作用，他们被迫对内在的压力做出反应。他们见证了择优录取的军备竞赛，以及精英主义的心态能带来什么。
In reflecting on the scandal, Andy Strickler, dean of admission and financial aid at Connecticut College says, “the real question is why did this happen? Is it all about status, or is there a level of economic anxiety involved (I HAVE to go to a highly selective place or I will never get a 'good' job)?” He asks, “in the end, does it really matter what the reason is?” adding, “we, as a society, have gotten so wrapped up in a very small definition of success. It is sad. And all it serves to do is limit the ways in which our young people can find, identify, and own a sense of happiness and accomplishment.” When Strickler speaks at high schools, a standard question he asks is "who has heard of Earlham College?" (his alma mater). He explains, “rarely do I see more than 4-5 hands raised.” He says, “the funny thing is, I went to a college that no one has heard of, I had a great experience, I have had multiple jobs, and graduated with a whole bunch of bright, talented, well adjusted, professionally successful people.”
康涅狄格学院招生和经济援助系主任Andy Strickler在反思这起丑闻时表示:“真正的问题是，为什么会发生这种事? 是地位的问题，还是有一定程度的经济焦虑(我必须去一个竞争力非常强的地方，否则我将永远找不到一份“好”工作)?” 他问道，“最终，什么原因真的重要吗?” 他还说，“作为一个社会，我们对成功的定义非常狭隘。”这很可悲。它所能做的就是限制我们的年轻人找到、认同和拥有幸福和成就感的方式。当Strickler在高中演讲时，他会问一个标准的问题:“谁听说过厄尔汉姆学院?”(他的母校)。他解释说:“我很少看到超过4-5人举手。他说，“有趣的是，我上了一所没人听说过的大学，我有很好的经历，我做过很多工作，毕业时身边都是一群聪明、有才华、适应能力强、事业有成的人。”
Carey Thompson, vice president of enrollment and communications and dean of admission at Rhodes College agrees, saying “we need to resist the message that this is at all normal or acceptable. As imperfect as it is, professional college admission practice remains based on integrity and fairness. This case represents awful behavior, bordering on child abuse, on the part of a very small percentage, and has nothing to do with the professional ethics and practice of college admission.” He adds, “without exact numbers, I would suggest that the vast, vast majority of all high school seniors each year, even most of the wealthy privileged ones, are admitted to hundreds of fine colleges nationwide without undue or undeserved influence. We should not let the actions of a few call into question the essential fairness of the whole system.” Thompson asks, “is there an overemphasis, in part driven by media obsession, on institutions that are extraordinarily selective?” Responding, “absolutely, this is an ugly part of our culture largely, in my opinion, driven by rankings, parental loss of perspective and fear, and the sense of entitlement some among us seem to have.” However, Thompson explains, “I don’t know a single admission officer, school counselor, or college counseling organization, that doesn’t work against this unattractive streak of our national character.” He also points to the unjust disparity between the educational experience of those who go to “good high schools” versus those who go to the “other high schools.” He argues that “it ought to be illegal, and probably is, to provide the kind of educational experience we are providing to many of those students who go to the high schools that you wouldn’t send your kid to. There are so many people and organizations responsible for this it is hard to know where to start.” He concludes by saying “ultimately, these are cultural, economic and political issues more than college admission issues. The fact that most of America seems to be appalled by this behavior is a good sign. Let’s not let parents and students think it is normal, though. There is nothing better for any student to do (or parent to encourage) than take challenging courses, study, make good grades, read books, learn to write well, and engage in community. All of that is hard, and it’s even harder in some areas than others. Until we fix the other stuff, it is the best solution I know.”
罗德学院负责招生和沟通的副校长、招生主任Carey Thompson对此表示赞同。我们需要抵制说这是正常的或可以接受的这种信息。尽管不完善，专业的大学招生实践仍然建立在诚信和公平的基础上。这起案件代表了极少数人近乎虐待儿童的恶劣行为，与大学招生的职业道德和实践毫无关系。他补充说，“如果没有确切的数字，我想说，每年绝大多数高中毕业生，甚至是大多数富裕的特权阶层，都能被全国数百所优秀的大学录取，而不会受到不应有的影响。”我们不应该让少数人的行动导致大家对整个体系的基本公平产生质疑。Thompson问道，“在媒体痴迷的部分驱动下，是否过分强调了那些格外挑剔的机构?” “当然，在我看来，这是我们文化中丑陋的一部分，主要是由排名、父母视角的丧失和恐惧，以及我们当中一些人似乎拥有的优越感所驱动的。”然而，汤普森解释说:“我所认识的招生官员、学校顾问或大学咨询机构中，没有一个不符合我们国民性格中这一缺乏吸引力的特点的。”他还指出，上“好高中”和上“其他高中”的人在教育经历上存在不公平的差异。他认为，“这应该是非法的，而且很可能是，为那些你不会送你孩子上的高中的学生提供我们提供的那种教育体验。”有太多的人和组织对此负有责任，很难知道从哪里开始。他的结论是，“最终，这些是文化、经济和政治问题，而不是大学录取问题。”大多数美国人似乎对这种行为感到震惊，这是一个好迹象。但是，不要让父母和学生认为这是正常的。对于任何学生(或家长)来说，没有什么比上有挑战性的课程、学习、取得好成绩、读书、学习写作和参与社区活动更好的了。所有这些都是困难的，在某些领域甚至比其他领域更困难。在我们解决其他问题之前，这是我所知道的最好的解决方案。”
High Schools高中
Counselors in high schools also have a front row seat to this perverse obsession with the most selective colleges in the nation and are often frustrated by the impact this has on young people and their families. Diane Campbell is the director of college counseling at Liberty Common High School in Fort Collins, Colorado. She says, “the majority of resources that parents and students use continually lead them to believe that the 'elite' colleges are the mark they need to reach for. Social Media, the news, search sites (which sadly are not regulated in the information they provide families), and books lead many families to believe that the elite colleges are the only choices for their student to have the best education and to ‘make it’ in life and in their chosen career path.” She adds, “each year I have a handful of seniors who apply to the elite schools, and they tell me, ‘I just want to know if I can get it in.’ Many of them apply to not one, but 4-5 or sometimes more of the elite colleges hoping they will be chosen. Many of them do not fit the profile and stress themselves out with the numerous essays and other supplemental materials needed for these applications. It is an exhausting, labor-intensive process...all for the sake of hopefully making it! I guess we can say that innately, we as a society have many of these pressures. What does it really mean to make it? How do we define success? The more likes you have on your social media the more popular you are. Can you imagine the drive in popularity that would exist if I could post I was admitted to Harvard?!”
高中顾问对美国竞争最激烈的大学也有这种偏见，他们常常对这种偏见给年轻人及其家庭带来的影响感到沮丧。Diane Campbell是科罗拉多州柯林斯堡自由普通高中的大学咨询主任。她说:“家长和学生使用的大部分资源不断让他们相信，‘精英’大学是他们需要达到的目标。社交媒体,新闻,搜索网站(遗憾的是提供给家庭的是不规范的信息),和书籍使许多家庭认为,精英学校是给学生最好的教育的唯一选择,是能够让他们在生活及他们选择的职业道路上成功的唯一选择。她补充说，“每年我都有少数高三学生申请精英学校，他们告诉我，‘我只是想知道我是否能考上。’他们中的许多人申请的不是一所大学，而是4-5所，有时甚至更多的精英大学，希望自己能被选中。他们中的许多人都不符合要求，并且因为这些申请所需要的大量文书和其他补充材料而倍感压力。这是一个繁重的、劳动密集型的过程……所有的一切都是为了有希望成功！ 我想我们可以说，作为一个社会，我们天生就有很多这样的压力。成功到底意味着什么? 我们如何定义成功? 社交媒体上的“赞”越多，你就越受欢迎。你能想象如果我把我被哈佛录取的消息贴出来，会有多受欢迎吗?”
Campbell also talks about the stress placed on educators, saying, “in some high schools there are many pressures as a college counselor to ‘get kids in.’ The elite colleges that will be listed on our school profile will give us accountability and help us look better than other high schools. ‘If we have Stanford admits’ then we have proven our high school is top and that will sustain our enrollment." She adds, "a few years ago, I had a parent who came into my office and threatened to file a complaint against me because his daughter was not admitted to her elite school. I am not alone. Every year, many counselors are not only threatened, but also have the expectation to carefully document everything we do in the process so that we can show how, and what, we did to support our student in the college application process. Our job is to inform our families about the right colleges to apply to, scholarships, financial aid, essays, letters of recommendation, college tours, majors, and the list goes on. We advocate for all students and do the best we can to inform and educate them about preparing the best application they can. It should never be our job to feel the pressure to get kids into elite schools.”
Campbell还谈到了教育工作者所承受的压力。他说，“在一些高中，大学顾问在让学生进入精英大学方面面临着许多压力，上榜的精英大学将赋予我们责任感，让我们看起来比其他高中更好。” 如果我们有斯坦福大学的录取通知书，那么我们已经证明我们的高中是顶尖的，这将维持我们的招生规模。”她补充道:“几年前，有一位家长来到我的办公室，威胁要对我提起诉讼，因为他的女儿没有被她的精英学校录取。这并不是个例。每年，许多顾问不仅受到威胁，而且希望仔细记录我们在申请大学过程中所做的一切，这样我们就可以展示我们是如何以及做了什么来支持我们的学生申请大学。我们的工作是通知家庭们申请合适的大学，奖学金，经济援助，文书，推荐信，大学游，专业等等。我们提倡所有的学生，并尽我们所能来通知和教育他们准备最好的申请书。我们的工作绝不应该是感受让孩子进入精英学校的压力。”
Jeff Ream is a school counselor in northern California. He says, “it saddens me that so many students (and parents) will ignore the multiple factors of a good fit to pursue what they perceive to be a 'good' school. I hear the word ‘good’ or ‘great’ used to describe the type of school they would like to attend, but when they try to define those terms for themselves, many students have a hard time even starting. That is because good or great is not a recipe for the masses—it is an individual's needs and wants. When we let the masses and society determine what is good for students, it is no wonder we have students unable to develop their own identity or struggling with anxiety and depression because they do not (or do not perceive to) fit the ‘good’ college mold.” He adds, “one simple way to start working on addressing it is to advocate for states, districts and schools to allocate funding to hire school counselors with appropriate duties and caseloads. Nationally, the average student to counselor ratio is over 400 to 1 while in California, it is over 700 to 1. These numbers do not allow us to advise, support and counsel students—and what matters even more—get to know all of the students on our caseload to really help foster the conversation of fit for individuals. Many schools do not have a school counselor even on staff, so kids are left to fend for themselves. It has many additional impacts, but this problem is pervasive at high schools (especially public high schools) around the country.”
Jeff Ream是北加州的一名学校顾问。他说:“让我感到悲哀的是，这么多的学生(和家长)会忽视一个好学校的多重因素，去追求他们眼中的‘好’学校。我听到他们用“好”或“很棒”来描述他们想要就读的学校类型，但当他们试图为自己定义这些术语时，许多学生甚至连开始都很难。这是因为“好”或“很棒”不是大众的良方，而是个人的需要和欲望。当我们让大众和社会来决定什么对学生是好的时候，难怪我们的学生不能发展他们自己的身份，或与焦虑和抑郁作斗争，因为他们不(或不认为)符合“好的”大学模式。他补充道:“着手解决这一问题的一个简单方法是，倡导各州、各地区和各学校拨出资金，聘请具有适当职责和工作量的学校顾问。”在全国范围内，学生和顾问的平均比例超过了400比1，而在加州，这一比例超过了700比1。这些数字不允许我们为学生提供建议、支持和咨询——更重要的是——了解我们案件中所有的学生，以真正帮助培养适合个人的对话。许多学校甚至没有顾问，所以孩子们只能自己想办法。它有许多额外的影响，但这个问题在全国各地的高中(尤其是公立高中)很普遍。”
Moira McKinnon is the director of college counseling at Berwick Academy in Maine. She argues that depicting this scam as a sign of the cutthroat nature of college admissions overlooks the heart of the problem. McKinnon says, “college admission would never be so competitive if our ranking-obsessed culture stopped focusing on a tiny slice of colleges with ridiculously low admit rates. College admission procedures are not perfect, and certainly, some of the actions of admission offices feed the frenzy. But the blame in this current scandal rests with parents who, rather than loving and supporting the wonderful, but apparently academically average child they have, instead try to shoehorn them into a more prestigious college to assuage their own egos. For the sake of the name on the car sticker, they would cheat their child's way into a college where they don't belong and are unlikely to thrive, an experience that will further lend credence to the child's sense of mediocrity.”
Moira McKinnon是缅因州伯威克学院的大学咨询主任。她认为，将这种骗局描述为大学招生残酷本质的一个迹象，忽视了问题的核心。McKinnon说:“如果我们痴迷于排名的文化不再专注于少数录取率低得离谱的大学，大学录取就不会那么有竞争力。大学招生程序并不完美，当然，招生办公室的一些行为助长了这种狂热。但是，当前这起丑闻的责任在于家长们，他们没有去爱护和支持他们的孩子，而是试图把他们硬塞进一所更有声望的大学，以缓和他们的自尊心。为了汽车贴纸上的名字，他们会欺骗孩子进入一所他们不属于、也不太可能茁壮成长的大学，这种经历将进一步让孩子的平庸感得到证实。”
Keeping it in Perspective 从长远角度看待问题
The current admission scandal reveals the most extreme dysfunction of college admission. It is too easy to make generalizations about applying to college and to suggest that the entire system is broken when this kind of situation can occur. Let us not, however, throw out the baby with the bathwater. What these parents, coaches, and consultants did was dirty, yes, but there is so much good also taking place as students imagine where higher education could take them. Whether it is the first-generation college student who was just offered a full scholarship to attend college or the student-athlete who is eager to pursue a degree while continuing the sport they love, there is much to be hopeful about. The majority of students and parents in this country are approaching admission in an ethical and balanced manner. If we can tone down the ranking and fear-fueled focus on elite institutions, we can better concentrate on the engagement and fulfillment that matter most. Stay tuned for part two, with the voices of students and parents who will reinforce this meaningful approach.
当前的招生丑闻暴露了高校招生最极端的障碍。我们很容易对申请大学做出概括，并认为当这种情况发生时，整个体系就会崩溃。但是，我们不要良莠不分一起抛。是的，这些家长、教练和顾问所做的是肮脏的，但也有很多好事发生，正如学生们想象的那样，高等教育可以带给他们什么。 无论是第一代大学生刚刚获得全额奖学金进入大学，还是学生运动员渴望在继续他们热爱的运动的同时获得学位，都有很多值得期待的地方。这个国家的大多数学生和家长都在以一种道德和平衡的方式接近入学。如果我们能降低对排名和精英机构的过份关注度，我们就能更好地专注于最重要的参与度和成就感。请继续关注第二部分，听听学生和家长们的声音，他们将对该现象进行更加深入的有意义的讨论。