Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process

March 2019

Our new report calls on parents and high schools to put young people’s character and well-being at the center of a healthier, more sane college admissions process.

Three years in the making, Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process, offers guidelines for high schools and parents in promoting ethical character. It also describes how some high schools and colleges are working to promote greater ethical engagement among high school students, level the playing field for economically disadvantaged students, and reduce excessive achievement pressure. The report also includes a pioneering statement from admissions deans seeking to advance Turning the Tide’s goals.

Turning the Tide II makes the case that an intense focus on academic achievement has squeezed out serious attention to ethical character in many high schools and families, especially in middle- and upper-income communities. With a narrow focus on high achievement and admission to selective colleges, parents in these communities often fail to help their teens develop the critical cognitive, social, and ethical capacities that are at the heart of both doing good and doing well in college and beyond. Many parents also fail to be ethical role models to their children by allowing a range of transgressions—from exaggerating achievements to outright cheating—in the admissions process.

Often following parents’ lead, many high schools in middle- and upper-income communities tend to focus too rigidly on highly selective colleges, don’t adequately nurture students’ interests and curiosity, and do little to challenge parents engaging in ethically troubling behavior.

Read the report now →

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Media contact
Alison Cashin
617.495.1959
media@makingcaringcommon.org

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Report Highlights

1. Actionable guideposts for parents and high schools for shaping an admissions process that puts young people’s ethical character and well-being at the center of a healthier, more sane college admissions process

2. New, pioneering statement endorsed by almost 140 college admissions deans that seeks to give high schools greater freedom in advancing Turning the Tide’s goals and to allay parents’ fears of short-changing their child if they don’t amass impressive achievements

3. Examples of positive changes made by many colleges endorsing Turning the Tide, as well as Making Caring Common’s collaboration with the Common Application and Coalition for College to advance Turning the Tide’s goals

4. Description of a new campaign that has engaged 189 high schools and middle schools nationwide in promoting Turning the Tide

Read more in the Executive Summary (PDF) or the full report (PDF).

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“Many parents fail to focus on what really matters in the college admissions process. In an effort to give their kids everything, these parents often end up robbing them of what really counts.”

— Turning the Tide II

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Ethical Parenting in the College Admissions Process

1. Keep the focus on your teen

2. Follow your ethical GPS

3. Use the admissions process as an opportunity for ethical education

4. Be authentic

5. Help your teen contribute to others in meaningful ways

6. Advocate for elevating ethical character and reducing achievement-related distress

7. Model and encourage gratitude

Read more in the Executive Summary (PDF) or our Resources for Parents.

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“...we as parents ought to be willing to ask ourselves the hard, fundamental questions about who we want to be and what we want to model for our children.”

— Turning the Tide II

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A High School Guide To Ethical College Admissions

1. Set ethical expectations with families

2. Create opportunities for authentic student service and contributions to others

3. Use the admissions process as an opportunity for ethical education

4. Focus students on daily acts of character and provide evidence of character in applications

5. Guide students in reporting their substantial family contributions and challenges

6. Focus students on a wide range of colleges

7. Create limits on advanced courses and discourage students from overloading on extracurricular activities

Read more in the Executive Summary (PDF) or our Resources for Educators.

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RELATED Resources for EDUCATORS AND FAMILIES

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Dean’s Commitment Letter

The Dean’s Commitment Letter, a pioneering statement endorsed by more than 140 college admissions deans, seeks to give high schools greater freedom in advancing the goals of Turning the Tide and to allay parents’ fears of short-changing their child if they don’t amass impressive achievements. Signatories include:

1. Tamara Long, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions, Abilene Christian University

2. Kristen E. Capezza, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Adelphi University

3. Cornell B. LeSane, II, Vice President for Enrollment & Dean of Admissions, Allegheny College

4. Courtney Minden, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing, Babson College

5. Robert Mirabile, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Beloit College

6. Tony Cabasco, Vice President for Enrollment, Bennington College

7. Sara H. Newhouse, Vice President for Admission & Financial Planning, Birmingham-Southern College

8. John Mahoney, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Boston College

9. Kelly Walter, Associate Vice President for Enrollment & Dean of Admissions, Boston University

10. Whitney Soule, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Bowdoin College

11. Logan Powell, Dean, Brown University

12. Michelle L. Cloutier, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Bryant University

13. William Conley, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Bucknell University

14. Paul Thiboutot, VP and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Carleton College

15. Mary Alice Ozechoski, Vice President of Student Affairs & Traditional Enrollment, Cedar Crest College

16. Rob Lange, Dean of Admission, Christopher Newport University

17. Dr. Meredith Twombly, Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid, Clark University

18. Matthew Proto, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Colby College

19. Gary L. Ross, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Colgate University

20. Curt Dircks, Director for Admission, College of Mount Saint Vincent

21. Heather Albert-Knopp, Dean of Admission, College of the Atlantic

22. Ann Bowe McDermott, Director of Admissions, College of the Holy Cross

23. Tim Wolfe, Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admission, College of William and Mary

24. Scott Friedhoff, Vice President for Enrollment and College Relations, College of Wooster

25. Mark Hatch, Vice President for Enrollment, Colorado College

26. .Jessica Marinaccio, Director, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Columbia University

27. Andrew K. Strickler, Dean of Admission & Financial Aid, Connecticut College

28. Jason C. Locke, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment, Cornell University

29. Sarah Richardson, Director of Admissions and Scholarships, Creighton University

30. Iris P. Godes, Associate Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admissions, Dean College

31. Gregory Sneed, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Denison University

32. Robert Andrews, Vice President for Enrollment Management, DePauw University

33. Anne E. Kremer, Dean of Admission, Drake University

34. Robert Massa, Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Institutional Planning, Drew University

35. Evelyn Thimba, VP and Dean of Admissions, Drexel University

36. John Sullivan, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Eckerd College

37. John F. Latting, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Enrollment, Dean of Admission, Emory University

38. Alison Hildenbrand, Director of Undergraduate Admission, Fairfield University

39. Hege K. Ferguson, Director of Admissions, Florida State University

40. Patricia Peek, Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Fordham University

41. John Chenier, Assistant Dean of Admissions, Framingham State University

42. Kathryn Coffman, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Franklin College

43. Rick Clark, Director of Undergraduate Admission, Georgia Institute of Technology

44. Gail Sweezey, Director of Admissions, Gettysburg College

45. Julie McCulloh, Dean of Admission, Gonzaga University

46. Monica C. Inzer, Dean of Enrollment and Retention, Hamilton College

47. Dr. William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, Harvard University

48. Thyra L. Briggs, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid, Harvey Mudd College

49. Jess Lord, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Haverford College

50. D. Andrew Bills, Senior Vice President for Enrollment, High Point University

51. William Vanderbilt, Vice President for Admissions, Hope College

52. Anthony Jones, Assistant Vice-President of Enrollment Management, Howard University

53. John F. Champoli, Director of Admissions, Husson University

54. Steve Herendeen, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Indiana Institute of Technology

55. Boyd A. Bradshaw, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

56. Gerard Turbide, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Ithaca College

57. Steve P. Vitatoe, Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Admission, John Carroll University

58. David M. Phillips, Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid, Johns Hopkins University

59. Eric Staab, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Kalamazoo College

60. Diane Anci, Vice President, Enrollment Management & Dean of Admissions, Kenyon College

61. Cornelius Darcy, Vice President - Marketing, Communications and Enrollment, Kettering University

62. Jennifer Sekol, Director of Admissions, Keystone College

63. Chris Ellertson, Vice President for Enrollment, Lake Forest College

64. Ken Anselment, Vice President for Enrollment & Communication and Dean of Admission, Lawrence University

65. Edwin Wright, Vice President of Enrollment Management, Lebanon Valley College

66. Matthew X. Fissinger, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Admission, Loyola Marymount University

67. Michael Konopski, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Lycoming College

68. Kent Rinehart, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management/Dean of Admission, Marist College

69. Brian Troyer, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Marquette University

70. Theresa Bedoya, Vice President for Admission & Financial Aid, Maryland Institute College of Art

71. Leah McDermott, Assistant Director of Admissions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

72. Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

73. Shery Boyles, Director of Admissions, Meredith College

74. Michael S. Kabbaz, Vice President, Enrollment Management & Student Success, Miami University

75. Bill Sliwa, Dean of Enrollment Management, Moravian College

76. Terri Snyders Crumley, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Admissions, Mount Mercy University

77. James W. Smith, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, Mount Vernon Nazarene University

78. Robert G. Springall, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Muhlenberg College

79. MJ Knoll-Finn, Vice President for Enrollment Management, New York University

80. Jon Westover, Associate Vice Provost & Director of Admissions, NC State University

81. Martin Sauer, Vice-President for Enrollment Management & Athletics, North Central College

82. Shawn Blenker, Executive Director of Admissions, Northwest Nazarene University

83. Manuel Carballo, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Oberlin College

84. William Eilola, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Ohio Northern University

85. Candace J. Boeninger, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Ohio University

86. Emily Roper-Doten, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Olin College of Engineering

87. Kristy Paredes Collins, Dean of Enrollment Management, Pepperdine University

88. Mitch Warren, Director, Office of Admissions, Purdue University

89. J. Carey Thompson, Vice President of Enrollment and Communications/Dean of Admission, Rhodes College

90. Faye Felterman Tydlaska, Ph.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing, Rollins College

91. Lisa Norton, Dean of Admissions, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

92. Michael Sexton, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Santa Clara University

93. Kevin McKenna, Dean of Enrollment, Sarah Lawrence College

94. Mary Lou W. Bates, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Skidmore College

95. Elena Hicks, Dean of Admission and Executive Director of Enrollment Services, Southern Methodist University

96. Enga Almeida, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Southwestern Adventist University

97. Christine Bowman, Dean of Admission and Enrollment Services, Southwestern University

98. Kevin D. Brown, Senior Admissions Director, Spring Arbor University

99. Benjamin S. Baum, Vice President of Enrollment, St. John's College

100. Yvette Sobky Shaffer, Director of Admissions, St. John's College, Santa Fe

101. Jeff Rickey, VP and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, St. Lawrence University

102. Pamela Holsinger-Fuchs, Dean of Enrollment, St. Martin's University

103. Rosalind V. Alderman, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, St. Mary's University

104. Chris George, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, St. Olaf College

105. Madeleine Eagon Rhyneer, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Financial Services, Susquehanna University

106. James L. Bock, Vice President and Dean of Admissions, Swarthmore College

107. Maurice A. Harris, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Syracuse University

108. Heath Einstein, Dean of Admission, Texas Christian University

109. Dr.Carol Kim, Vice President for Research, The New School

110. Rick Longo, Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, The University of the Arts

111. James G. Nondorf, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Advancement and Dean of College Admissions and Financial Aid, The University of Chicago

112. Peter Wilson, Director of Admissions, Deputy Dean & Chief of Staff, The University of Chicago

113. Lee Ann Backlund, Vice President for Enrollment Planning and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, The University of the South/Sewanee

114. Stephen Lazowski, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Thiel College

115. Scott J. Goplin, Vice President of Enrollment Management, Trine University

116. Angel B. Perez, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Success, Trinity College

117. Eric Maloof, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Trinity University, Trinity University

118. Dale Bittinger, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation, and School Partnerships, UMBC - University of Maryland, Baltimore County

119. Matt Malatesta, Vice President for Admissions, Financial Aid and Enrollment, Union College

120. Rob Durkle, Associate Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, University of Dayton

121. Robert D. Broshous, Dean of Admission, University of Dubuque

122. Shane Davidson, Vice President for Enrollment, University of Evansville

123. Zina Evans, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Associate Provost, University of Florida

124. Jared Cash, Vice President for Enrollment, University of Maine at Farmington

125. Kedra Ishop, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, University of Michigan

126. Scott Steinberg, Dean of University Admissions, University of New England

127. Stephen M. Farmer, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

128. Don Bishop, Associate Vice President, Undergraduate Enrollment, University of Notre Dame

129. Dr. Robert J. Thompson, Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management, University of Oregon

130. Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions, University of Pennsylvania

131. Dr. Stephanie Dupaul, Vice President for Enrollment Management, University of Richmond

132. Jonathan Burdick, Dean of College Admission; Vice-Provost for Enrollment Initiatives, University of Rochester

133. Michael Beseda, Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, University of San Francisco

134. Timothy E. Brunold, Dean of Admission, University of Southern California

135. Gregory Warren Roberts, Dean of Admission, University of Virginia

136. Philip Ballinger, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions, University of Washington

137. Dr. Jeffery T. Gates, Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management, Utica College

138. Martha Blevins Allman, Dean of Admissions, Wake Forest University

139. Robert A. Adkins, Dean of Admission, Washington & Jefferson College

140. Joy St. John, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Wellesley College

141. Josh Jensen, Vice President for Enrollment and Communications, Whitman College

142. Thomas K. Malloy, Associate Vice President Enrollment Management, Widener University

143. Richard L. Nesbitt, Director of Admission, Williams College

144. Mary Ann Naso, Vice President for Enrollment, Wilson College

145. Brand Stille, Vice President for Enrollment, Wofford College

146. Andrew Palumbo, Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

147. Jeremiah Quinlan, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Yale University

Thanks also to college admissions leaders at Agnes Scott College, Alfred University, Alma College, Amherst College, Bennington College, Carroll College, Catawba College, Central Methodist University, Champlain College, Clarke University, Dickinson College, Hampshire College, Luther Seminary, North Carolina State University, Notre Dame de Namur University, Ohio Wesleyan, Rice University, Smith College, St. Edward's University, and Wheaton College of Massachusetts who have supported the Turning the Tide goals.

For the accompanying list of Turning the Tide endorsers, please visit our campaign page.

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Read the first Turning the Tide Report

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