Character Counts

It was during a presentation at a local library. I had just explained the Early Decision process, where a student applies to a college, usually in November, is notified in December, and promises to attend that school if accepted.

A father in the audience asked how a college would know if a student who applied Early Decision also applied to other schools. I explained the student was signing a contract and was obligated to attend.

He responded, "But how would they know?" Not only did he want to find out how his child could break a contract without being caught, he clearly had no shame about requesting this information in front of more than 50 people.

At a luncheon several months ago, I was sitting next to an admissions officer from Occidental College. She told me about a student who "double deposited," meaning he had sent the enrollment deposit required by May 1 to two schools, so he could have the summer to decide which one he preferred.

His family must have believed it was worth losing a few hundred dollars to have the extra time to make a decision. He ended up with even more time for contemplation, since both schools revoked his admission.

These are just two examples of the kind of unethical behavior that is troubling to people who work in college admissions. Then there is the epidemic of cheating in high school.

A high school counselor recently told me about a group of high-scoring students who had started a moneymaking scheme where they would take the SAT for other students. While college admissions officers do like to see students demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit, they are not recruiting future Enron executives.

Students are under a lot of pressure, and it can be very tough to resist the temptation to cheat. With competition for college admission at an all-time high, if everyone else is doing it, students can fear being at a disadvantage if they don't cheat. Even strong students who don't need to cheat might fear being labeled selfish if they don't share the answers to a biology test.

We need to be careful about the messages we send to our youth. That father who wanted to know how to get around the Early Decision rules is letting his children know that cheating is okay.

It's not just about college admission. Do we need more generations of business leaders who will take shortcuts when it comes to financial responsibilities or product safety?

While unethical behavior may bring rewards in the short term, students who cheat can't feel genuine pride in their accomplishment. Once they start, it's tough to stop cheating, and they may be afraid they can't manage in college without it.

They also can end up sabotaging themselves on the way to college. Integrity is one of the less discussed but very important parts of the college admissions process. If an application essay looks like it wasn't written by a student, admissions officers can download the student's SAT essay and compare the writing. When they review school reports, admissions officers may forgive a student who got in trouble for having a beer at the prom, but disciplinary action for cheating is a major red flag.

Of course, there are many students who do not cheat. They have earned their grades and scores, and can feel confident about their ability to succeed in college. They have integrity, and that's good news for them and for the rest of us.

Audrey Kahane, MS, is an independent college admissions counselor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or audreykahane@earthlink.net.