In this first of two piece for Forbes, Making Caring Common’s Brennan Barnard brings a voice of reason to college admissions.
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Rick Weissbourd spoke with Jennifer Graham about the college admissions scandal and our new report:
“The scandal is mind-bogglingly immoral and dumb from my perspective. And it’s not really the problem. It’s a problem in the sense that it’s an awful thing, but (what the indicted parents did) is not common. What we’re writing about (in the report) is very common forms of behaviors, things that parents do that cross a line.”
Read more in Deseret News.
Read MoreJenny Anderson spoke with Making Caring Common’s Rick Weissbourd about the recent college admissions scandal: “‘I fear that parents won’t see themselves in this,’” he says. Of course, the alleged bribery ring was both illegal and ‘mind-bogglingly unethical and dumb.’ But the lack of consciousness about equity? He argues that’s way more common. Helping kids write their college essays, allowing them to fudge their extracurriculars or volunteering, hiring high-priced tutors to help with the applications? ‘It gives their kids unfair advantages.’” Read the full piece in Quartz.
Read More“Is there is a way to get through the college admissions process in a sane and healthy way?
It's possible, says psychologist Richard Weissbourd, a Harvard University Graduate School of Education professor and the faculty director for its Making Caring Common Project. But here's the catch: Parents must be willing to do some work of their own — and he doesn't mean researching colleges for their children or emailing admissions officers on their behalf.
Instead, in Making Caring Common's recently-released ‘Turning the Tide II’ report, Weissbourd and his colleagues recommend prioritizing concern for others instead of amassing personal accolades for the purpose of gaining entrance to an elite university.”
Read the full piece in TODAY.
Read MoreRick Weissbourd joined the discussion of college admissions and ethical engagement on WSHU.
Read MoreRead the March update from Making Caring Common and don't forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter to get updates straight to your inbox.
Read MoreCatherine Gewertz writes in Education Week about the newly-released Deans Commitment Letter in which more than 140 colleges and universities committed to reducing excessive achievement pressure in admissions and promoting ethical character among parents and students.
Read MoreLindsay Ellis asked admissions deans about the bribery scandal. MIT’s Stuart Schmill, a Turning the Tide endorser, highlighted Making Caring Common’s work on college admissions. Read the full piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Read MoreOur new report on ethical engagement in college admissions is discussed on NHPR’s The Exchange.
Read MoreGood Morning America interviewed Rick Weissbourd about our new report on ethical engagement and college admissions and also spoke with members of the Evac Movement, the 2017 KIND Schools Challenge winners. Watch the full segment on GMA.
Read MoreWBUR featured our new report on ethical engagement and college admissions. Read or listen on the WBUR website.
Read MoreRick Weissbourd discusses the college admissions scandal and our new report on Start Here from ABC News.
Read MoreScott Jaschik writes about our new report on ethical engagement and college admissions in Inside Higher Ed.
Read More“The test isn’t to see if you can get your kid into a high-status college. It’s a test of ethical character — and a lot of parents are failing that test.” Making Caring Common’s Rick Weissbourd spoke with Jennifer Breheny Wallace about our new report on putting ethics and meaningful engagement at the center of the college admissions process. Read the full piece in The Washington Post.
Read MoreNew Report Calls on Parents and High Schools to Put Ethical Character at the Center of College Admissions
“Turning the Tide II” explores the critical role of parents and high schools in supporting teens’ ethical development and dialing down achievement pressure. The report, published by the Making Caring Common project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, 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.
Read More“Parents are trying to give their kids ‘everything’ but they’re not giving them what counts.” Making Caring Common’s Rick Weissbourd spoke with Frank Bruni about our new report on putting ethics and meaningful engagement at the center of the college admissions process. Read the full piece in The New York Times.
Read MoreABC’s Nightline interviewed Rick Weissbourd about the college admissions scandal.
Read MoreJenny Anderson spoke with Making Caring Common’s Rick Weissbourd about equity and the college admissions scandal: “The deck is so stacked against low-income kids and working class and middle class kids, and it’s getting more stacked. [Some wealthy] parents don’t seem to have any consciousness about equity.” Read the full piece in Quartz.
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Times Editorial Board cites our work on college admissions in their editorial on the college admissions scandal. Read the full piece in the Los Angeles Times.
Read MoreAmy Joyce spoke with Making Caring Common’s Rick Weissbourd and Brennan Barnard about the college admissions scandal. Read the full piece in The Washington Post.
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