Turning the Tide College Admissions Campaign
Join college admissions leaders and Making Caring Common in thinking through innovative approaches to the college admissions process.
College admissions plays a powerful role in shaping young people’s attitudes and behaviors. Our Turning the Tide initiative, like all of our college admissions work, is rooted in core principles from our groundbreaking Turning the Tide report:
Developing greater concern for others and the common good among high school students;
Increasing equity and access for underrepresented students;
Reducing excessive achievement pressure.
More than 200 admission leaders across the country have endorsed our original Turning the Tide report.
We have also generated an additional statement with admission leaders that aims to ease student anxiety and reinforce what admissions leaders value in applicants: The Deans Commitment Letter (2019).
We engage regularly in additional projects to advance our shared goals. Currently, we are concluding research with colleges and high schools about character assessment in admission; as part of this work, we have developed practical resources, guidance, and tools for high schools and college admission leaders interested in character assessment. We have also developed working groups to explore innovative practices in character assessment and how we might better democratize information for all students in the college admission process.
Contact
Trisha Ross Anderson
collegeadmissions@makingcaringcommon.org
“Escalating achievement pressure is not healthy for our youth. Young people are suffering from higher rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse as they juggle the demands of their lives. Many students, especially those from low-income families, are often discouraged due to limited access to the resources perceived as necessary for selective college admissions. It’s a double-edged sword. Turing the Tide offers recommendations to tackle both of these issues simultaneously by promoting the quality of academic engagement over the quantity of achievements in college admissions.”
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a college admission leader. How can I get involved?
Sign the The Deans Commitment Letter (2019). If you haven’t already, you may also endorse Turning the Tide (one signatory per statement per institution, please).
You can also join us to develop and pilot ideas about character assessment in admissions, or by participating in small group work to think through and solve current assessment and information-sharing challenges. Contact us at collegeadmissions@makincaringcommon.org to learn more.
I am a student, parent/caregiver, or high school counselor. How can I get involved?
Please read and share Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process. Please also check out our Resources by Topic: College Admissions.
What if I still have questions?
Email Trisha Ross Anderson at collegeadmissions@makingcaringcommon.org.
“This report communicates our expectations much more clearly to applicants. We don’t want students who do things just because they think they have to in order to get into college. To the contrary: we want students who lead balanced lives, who pursue their interests with energy and enthusiasm, and who work cooperatively with others, all of which will help them be successful in and after college.”