To Report or Not to Report, That Is the Question

Last summer I had the privilege of teaching a course in London on the college admission process as part of the PTC/CTC program. The course was attended by some of the most dedicated and talented counselors I have ever worked with, and I would like to extend my thanks to all of the participants.

Re-takes, late drops, and academic policies

As the week was coming to a close, the issue of “re-takes” was brought up. Specifically, one of the counselors wondered how university admission officers viewed applicants who were allowed to re-take or drop a course due to sub-par performance. The question is an excellent one, and the dilemma is very real.

On the one hand, once a grade dips below the C level, admission to a highly competitive university becomes problematic. On the other hand, allowing for re-takes may impact the reputation of your school. Upon returning to my office from England I immediately presented this issue to my colleagues at some of the most selective universities in the United States.

From Georgetown to Stanford, it was not all that difficult for the team to reach a consensus. Everyone agrees that high schools must develop their own academic policies, and that admission to a top-tier institution should not always be the driving force. Still, all of the admissions officers I spoke with stressed that the issue of re-takes and late drops is one that goes to the heart of a high school’s academic reputation. One [admissions officer] even stressed that “... the integrity of the entire transcript could be called into question by a university if students get multiple attempts to take the same class.”

Despite this rather dire warning, many international high schools may still allow re-takes or late drops. Certainly there is no denying the logic behind such a decision; Doug Hartog at the University of Virginia (UVA) best summed it up when he wrote that “anything looks better than a D or an F on a transcript.”

If your high school allows for re-takes, admissions officers stress that the following information must be included in the application. First, the transcript must include all grades earned while in high school. Meaning, if a student re-takes a course, then both attempts are required to be on the transcript.

Moreover, high school counselors and students should understand that all grades will be factored in to the numeric evaluation of the applicant. The same holds true for late drops. In short, the transcript must include information that provides the reader with honest guidance.

Next, the counselor should take the time to provide a “full and detailed” explanation of the applicant’s academic trials and tribulations in the counselor letter of recommendation. Finally, the high school profile should clearly outline the school’s policy regarding re-takes.

In effect, no matter what policy you choose to follow, transparency is the constant. As Debra von Bargen at Stanford University stressed, “there are only two honest options here: either no re-takes are allowed, or if re-takes are allowed, all results should appear on the transcript with the policy clearly outlined in the profile.”

I should also add that all of the admissions officers I spoke with stressed that re-taking a course at the high school level would not lead to an automatic denial. Let’s face it—blanket policies in the world of undergraduate admissions can come back to haunt an office. And Doug Hartog at UVA stressed that a student who decides to re-take a class may be showing the type of “initiative and vitality” that is actually coveted by top undergraduate programs.

The key of course is that the counselor provide the requisite facts and contextual information to guide the admissions staff.

Reporting disciplinary action

It should come as no surprise that the CTC conversation about re-takes, transcript integrity, and transparency bled into an impassioned discussion about the need to report disciplinary issues.

First, I must stress that colleges understand that students are still teens, capable of making mistakes or exhibiting bad judgment. Moreover, no one on the other side of the desk is interested in re-punishing a student. Colleges are, however, in the business of building a community. Most importantly a community of scholars, but also a community that engages and interacts in a way that is respectful and honorable.

Accordingly, students and counselors should not fear providing an admissions office with honest information regarding disciplinary infractions that occurred from Grades 9 to 12. It is paramount, in fact, that they do so.

If there is a disciplinary problem to report, I must stress that the nature of the incident is taken into consideration by admissions officers; some infractions are more serious than others. A student who was caught smoking a cigarette in the bathroom is not the same as a student who plagiarized. A student who participated in a silly prank will be viewed differently from one who intentionally destroyed property. Put simply, if the nature of the incident represents a potential threat to the community a university is trying to build, the infraction is more likely to play a role in the decision.

If a student answers “Yes” to the disciplinary question, he or she will also be asked for an explanation. This is the opportunity not only to explain the nature of the infraction and any disciplinary action taken, but also to detail what was learned from the experience. This is a key piece of information for admissions officers.

And, I must emphasize, admissions officers do not want to read a bland apology. Rather, they are looking for real evidence that something has been learned from the mistake. While working as an admissions officer at Santa Clara University I always appreciated it when students stressed that they understood an error of judgment had been made and that they had learned from the experience.

Finally, please encourage your applicants to address the situation with honesty, maturity, and—perhaps—a bit of humor. In the end, most disciplinary violations are minor. Through the explanation the admissions officers often get to know a student better, and in fact, many times they can be impressed by the student’s handling of the experience.

There you have it; two rather tricky admission issues best solved by developing a transparent communication plan with the college admissions community. Moreover, high school counselors, administrators, and parents must be on the same page regarding the policy on re-takes and reporting disciplinary actions. Accordingly, I encourage counselors to cover these topics at their parent nights each fall.

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