Dive Brief:
- The National Association for College Admission Counseling has approved new ethical guidelines that will prevent members from asking prospective students to rank the institutions they’ve applied to.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports the change will be in effect during the recruitment period for those entering in the fall of 2017.
- Now colleges will not be able to ask students to rank their top choices — a relief for some students, but a loss for certain admissions leaders.
Dive Insight:
Critics have opposed these types of questions for the position they put students in. Applicants worry over whether to lie or exaggerate to increase their chances of getting accepted to a school. Admissions officers who found those questions useful to better understand prospective students will have to find another way to gain insights. With admissions officers already under intense pressure to fill classes, even a weak tool may be a helpful one.