November PCACAC Case Study: The Questionable College Essay

As part of the PCACAC AP Committee’s desire to proactively discuss ethics, we will be sending out monthly “case studies.” In these cases, we will offer a situation and discuss whether the issue is in compliance with NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practices (SPGP). This month’s case was submitted by Julia Ross, a member of the PCACAC AP Committee as well as owner and counselor for Professional Tutoring, LLC in VA. If you have a question about a situation or SPGP, please contact a member of the AP Committee.

November Case: Sheila, an independent counselor has worked with a high achieving student (4.1 weighted GPA and 34 ACT), Alexandra, since the end of the student’s junior year.  Alexandra is a busy young woman (potential NCAA I athlete, congressional intern, volunteer, coach) and has very, very high aspirations.  She will not accept anything less and will do whatever it takes for her to meet her goals.

As fall approaches, Alexandra focuses on her many essays.  Because of her intense schedule, Alexandra requests lots of hand-holding to organize and outline her ten plus essays. Sheila supports Alexandra by advising, but realizes that the essays need to be the student’s work and encourages Alexandra to do her best.

Soon Alexandra receives the devastating news that she has been deferred from PERFECT Ivy.  Alexandra is devastated; “no” is not a word in her lexicon.  She meets with Sheila to discuss the way forward.  At the end of the meeting, Alexandra mentions that an English teacher who once worked in the PERFECT Ivy admissions office helped her to put more oomph in her essay.  Sheila asks to read the essay and sees that it bears absolutely NO resemblance to any of Alexandra’s earlier drafts.  In fact, the essay seems to have been written by a flamboyant and dramatic nineteenth century novelist. 

Is there a NACAC SPGP issue here?

Discussion: There are two questions here. First, is an independent counselor addressed by NACAC SPGP? Secondly, what advice does SPGP give us concerning help on an essay/application?

Concerning the first issue: According to the  Introduction to NACAC’s Statement of Principles and Good Practices (SPGP), “Since its founding in 1937, when a select number of college and university professionals and high school counselors came together to create a Code of Ethics within the admission-counseling profession, NACAC has striven to ensure principled conduct among professionals in the recruitment of students and the transition to postsecondary education.” At the time, many of the professionals were admission officers and school-based counselors.

Since then, the landscape has evolved, at times quickly, to include related professionals including independent counselors, consultants, counselors at Community Based Organizations and others.  This is recognized in the SPGP Introduction which continues,  “Member schools, colleges and universities, as well as other institutions, organizations and individuals dedicated to the pursuit of higher education, believe in the dignity, worth and potential of each and every student.”

This fact is relevant because some people might believe those other entities are not beholden to the SPGP. But, if the individual or organization is a member of NACAC, then (s)he/it agrees to meet the ethical guidelines (SPGP) of NACAC. Not doing so would be terms for NACAC sanctions.

As to the second question, can a counselor help on an essay? According to NACAC’s SPGP Best Practice III. A. 6, “Counseling Members will encourage students to be the sole authors of their applications and essays and counsel against inappropriate assistance on the parts of others.” Many students approach counselors, peers, teachers, parents and others to brainstorm, discuss, proofread and provide insight concerning essays. While there is no distinct “line in the sand” that delineates too much help,  those acting ethically work hard to balance advising a student with making sure students maintain their voice and ownership. In addition, it is important to note that this is a Best Practice and not a Mandatory Practice.

Conclusion: A growing number of non-school (college and high school) based professionals are becoming involved in the college admission process. While they may not work at a school, the SPGP does still affect them. In this case, Sheila is working to try to help a student while following the ethical principals stated in the SPGP Best Practices. Unfortunately, there is a chance that the teacher involved with advising this student may not have followed SPGP. Perhaps, the teacher is even unfamiliar with NACAC and/or the SPGP. Even so, there would be no true violation as the practice is not Mandatory.

Moving forward could be politically sensitive, but could also provide an important educational opportunity for the teacher who has chosen to become involved in the process . If Sheila wished to help educate the teacher, there are several possible approaches. For example, she could check to see if the school is a NACAC member and reach out to the a counselor at the school in order to let the counselor know about the issue. Then, the counselor could work to educate the teacher. Or, if she knew the teacher, Sheila could reach out to the teacher directly to provide information about NACAC, SPGP and the issues. Another option would be to contact the local AP Committee for them to reach out to the school to provide education materials (such as a copy of the SPGP). If it came though the AP Committee, the student, independent counselor and possibly even teacher name would be kept confidential.

If you wish to file a complaint, please complete a NACAC Confidential Complaint form. All personal information will be kept confidential, but the information will be forwarded to the appropriate affiliate AP Committee. This committee will follow up on the issue. 

Want to review previous case studies? 

View all of the Admissions Practices Case Studies on The Anchor here.

Want to submit a case for consideration? Please e-mail the PCACAC AP Committee Chair at jtalmage@stpaulsschool.org