Don Hunter
Founder, Acceptd
If you’re prepping for a college arts program, or have had the joy of receiving that acceptance letter, the recent scandal about bribery in college admissions probably struck a chord. How could something as manipulative and deceitful as this be so widespread? How can I be sure that when I’m applying to colleges I have a fair shot? Who can I trust in all of this?
We at Acceptd work directly in the college admissions industry, and we want to make our stance clear: we believe that every student--and every artist in particular--should have equal opportunity to follow their dreams. And an important part of that is having access to resources and support throughout their journey. That’s where we come in.
Every artist belongs somewhere, and we want to make sure they are able to discover their perfect fit. If they have to use cheating, bribery, and high-stakes manipulation to be considered for acceptance into a school or program, it probably isn’t the right fit. That’s another aspect of this whole scandal that’s really devastating: students ended up in an institution their parent had to bribe their way in to, when they might’ve been able to thrive and flourish in a different program naturally.
We understand that college admissions is high-stakes. Every day we come to work and help tens of thousands of students search, find, and apply to arts programs so they can achieve their dreams. Some have been preparing for years to showcase their talent to schools, others are just learning what it takes to follow their passion. That’s exactly why we remain committed to partnering with arts programs and coaches in the higher education space that uphold fair and ethical admissions practices.
To solidify our commitment, we’ve turned to two of our dedicated partners for their response. The first, from Chelsea Diehl at My College Audition, provides commentary from the angle of a college coach in the arts. She helps aspiring artists prepare for the competitive college audition process. The next, from Patrick Zylka, Assistant Dean for Admission, Financial Aid and Graduate Services at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, provides perspective from someone deeply entrenched in the college admissions process who is passionate about higher education.
Our ultimate hope is that if you’re preparing for your next step in applying and auditioning for college, you aren’t discouraged by the recent scandal. We at Acceptd still have a lot of faith in the college admissions process, but even more faith that each student and artist who wants to pursue higher education has a place to do so.
