Why College Admissions Need An Overhaul By Jonathan R Cole Analysis

Superior Essays
In “Why Elite-College Admissions Need an Overhaul”, Jonathan R. Cole, the author of the essay, made a very strong argument on why the college admissions process is not right or fair. Within his argument, Cole states what elite colleges look for now, why what they look for is wrong, and what colleges should do instead of their current process to prove his point. I agree with Cole in his statement that the college admissions process needs an overhaul because there are some phenomenal students who are being looked over by colleges. Although I agree with his statements, I do not necessarily agree with the way Cole thinks the process should be. The first few paragraphs of the essay introduce to the reader how elite colleges currently chose who …show more content…
But who is to say that you are not gifted and talented just because of a lower grade in a class which will never be relevant to your future goals and plans. For example, my last two years of high school, I completed thirty college credits based on my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I quickly discovered that, though the class load was relatively easy, the nursing program was not for me so I dropped the classes which in turn, made my transcript appear lousy to college admissions. While discovering I was not gifted in the nursing field, I realized I am gifted in the teaching field. Though I uncovered my future plans and goals, I cost my attendance at a very well established school which, should not have been the case. Students should not be penalized for attempting to discover their futures and …show more content…
However, the “final selection” as Cole calls it, is an idea in which I do not agree with. As aspiring students of an institution, we should not have to “audition” to be able to receive a top notch education. As students, we should not be forced to “try out” to follow our dreams. Although I do understand why top colleges like Columbia would want students who are going to be the very best and look the best on their national scores, I do not believe students should be tested and scored by a panel of judges, competing against each other to see who is the most talented. Instead, colleges should be looking at ways to better each student as an individual and make each student Allen Ginsberg worthy. “Blue collar brilliance” by Jonathan R. Cole has many valid points that lead to a great argument put up by Cole himself that include the current admissions process most elite colleges use, why said process is wrong, and how the admissions offices should work to improve the process. With Cole, I agree that the admissions process does require an overhaul and should be fixed if colleges want to see more students strive in their

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Is Standardized Testing Still Effective In College Admissions? Michelle Obama once said, “If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn 't be here. I guarantee you that”. A standardized test is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, is on a time limit, or is scored in a “standard” manner.…

    • 1625 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ivy League Vs Hbcus

    • 1412 Words
    • 6 Pages

    College is an important part of a person's life. At college, one discovers who they truly are and develops themselves into adults that are ready for the real world. A person should always attend a school that fosters self-growth, a spirit of friendship and family, as well as a love for learning. College is a big step that comes with many questions such as public or private? large or small?…

    • 1412 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Literature Review After the economic recession in 2008, life has only gained more and higher expenses. Studies have highly increased, while wages have increased but not an equitable value to meet a college students’ expenses. In the article, The Reality of Free Community College Tuition, by Fran Cubberley, she presents both pro and con arguments in why it would be beneficial for our current and ongoing high school graduates to receive a free two-year education. The arguments made are: As a pro, students could avoid such costs as well as reduce the likelihood of requesting a loan. As for a con, “the cost of educating and serving students, and senior management and the board of trustees will need to adopt creative financial strategies to maintain…

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    As time periods have changed, so have the college admissions procedure and criteria. As of today, many believe that the education system is completely flawed, with this comes along the use of standardized testing and whether it is used for the right purposes. Like those who believe the education system is flawed, educational psychologist, Joseph A. Soares at Wake Forest University believes that “we seem in danger of loosing sight of education as more than just cramming a student’s brain for an exam” (Soares 7). In his online journal entry, “The Future of College Admissions:Discussion” he argues that “our visions of admissions have been too often blinkered by numbers with dubious diagnostic value” (10). To better clarify that, Soares is describing that we have lost the true meaning and purpose behind college admissions and determining true education.…

    • 1644 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even though their parents’ income plays the main role in determining where they attend college. Chapter six discusses possible solutions, Delbanco focuses his attention on a slow process of fixing the problems with our education system. He realizes that we won’t be able to just change the system in one fatal swoop and instead believes that solutions will come from those who are well informed on the weaknesses of the colleges and those that know the history of the education system. Adams…

    • 1211 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Is College Doomed?

    • 1561 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Traditional colleges, these days have raised their standards immensely in order to bring in smart and successful students. These colleges prioritize increasing their reputation with high grade averages, high test scores, and successful outgoing students. Colleges use this as a way to bring in more students and more profit instead of aiming to educate poor students into getting good grades. Students who may make it in and struggle may…

    • 1561 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    We all have heard colleges telling applicants that they approach each and every application holistically because they want to get to know each potential incoming student as a whole. It is easy to find comfort in that but we all know it is only true for certain colleges and certain groups of people. Groups of people such as really rich white’s who have the wealth to donate great amount of fortune to a college and bribe them into acceptances. In my Satire Skit, I am mocking the wealthy white’s that do not deserve to be accepted to any higher education Institution but because the world runs on money, they are perfect in the eyes of many.…

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    College Overhaul

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout the article he describes everything wrong with the college admission system from the admission officers to standardized testing, but fails to express the ideas of the other side. His ideas are biased, his research is limited, and his word choice is often dismissive. Because of his one-sided view, he fails to persuade me and possibly his other readers. Instead of listing reason after reason on why elite college admissions need a renovation, Cole could have offered a solution. In “Top Colleges Should Select Randomly From a Pool of ‘Good Enough’,” Barry Schwartz, a professor of psychology at the University of Swarthmore College proposes a rather interesting solution.…

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American goal is to make college affordable, while graduating the students at a low cost. In the article, "Grading Colleges on Access to the American Dream," Leo W. Gerard builds an argument to persuade the audience about the importance of colleges and why it should affordable to students. It is necessary for future students to have this opportunity in order for society to succeed and flourish. In order to persuade the audience to support his claim, Gerard institutes logical elements, emotional aspects, and nationalistic beliefs to sway the audience to believe his claim. Gerard expresses the importance of college because it gives individuals opportunities to pursue careers that will benefit society as a whole.…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Could Harvard become an easy college to get into? In the Article Profile of Perfect College Applicant Gets Remake the author, Kansas City Star, believes it, as well as many other colleges can. The author believes that colleges should start focusing on a student's attributes such as, passion and character. This is in contrast to looking at grades, test scores, and previous classes a student may have taken, which is many college’s primary way of selecting students. The purpose of the article is to persuade the reader that this is the best form of the application process because it opens up greater opportunities for all students.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hacker And Dreifus

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the essay Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus discuss whether college is worth the price students pay. Throughout the essay Hacker and Dreifus discuss if colleges are giving good value for the investments, what individuals gain from their investment and show what it looks like for an institute to being doing their job well (Hacker and Dreifus, 179). In the essay, Hacker and Dreifus talk about how colleges take on too many roles and none of those roles are executed.…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    An editorial article, “5 Myths About Who Gets Into College”, published in the Washington Post on May 23, 2010, is an informative and detailed overview of the admission process for selective colleges and universities in America written by Richard Kahlenberg. The author makes a credible argument which he strongly builds up throughout the article by effectively incorporating logos and ethos in the effort to address sensitive topics such as legacy admissions, class-based preferences, and the existing gap in the socioeconomic diversity in selective universities. Kahlenberg makes a persuasive argument backing up the analytical assessment with evidence-based research from credible sources, primarily building his argument on logos and ethos, and effectively…

    • 232 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Price Of Admission

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Indeed, the article puts forth numerous examples of colleges that take different and, some would argue, illogical approaches to funding, and students with varying degrees of success. For example, one college that the article analyzes is The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, which uses the normal standard testing procedures, and also throws in a home test that consists of a number of open-ended questions. On top of this, the college is dedicated to tuition-free education. Examples like this show that education does not have to adhere to the formalized structure that students have become adapted to. Indeed, what might be ticket is, in fact, a restructuring of college as it is known today.…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Equality With Top Colleges Stepping into the final years of high school and applying to college is one of the most stressful times of persons life. Deciding which college to apply for, and later enroll in, is a huge turning point in ones life. It is commonly believe that students should attend the best college they are capable of, but it is as easy as choosing which one will be best. When looking at colleges, students must determine not only which one will give them the best education, but also which one they are financially stable enough to attend. Tina Rosenberg states in her article, “How Colleges Can Again Be Levelers of Society,” “The top colleges are the only ones where students of all income levels graduate at the same rates” (1).…

    • 1022 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    "The SAT is not perfect. We all know smart, knowledgeable people who do badly on standardized tests” (Postrel 1). Even some of the wisest people have agreed that the SAT and other standardized tests are not valid indicators of a student's potential for success in college. In fact, they have said that standardized exams can be counterproductive for students trying to study to become better students in high school and improve their appeal to colleges. Colleges should not be allowed to use standardized exams as a main indicator of college readiness.…

    • 1619 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays