Thread by @JonBoeckenstedt

Thread: People have asked me what we should do to "fix" college admissions. I don't think I know any more than others who practice this every day, but people know I'm willing to share my thoughts. So, a quick thread limited by Twitter restrictions:

First: Recognize that the "problem" we're trying to solve is really--to a large extent--a problem of wealth and privilege. College admissions was never a "problem" when the wealthy found decisions at the Ivy League far more predictable.

If you want to create a crisis, tell people who can buy anything that they can't buy this one particular thing. And then offer it to others who have less money or more melanin, and see what happens.

It will make them crazy with desire, and voila! We have a problem.

Still, there are spillovers that effect everyone involved in the process. And if you want to get me to consider something a problem, show me large numbers of low-income kids who are disadvantaged by a system still dominated by wealth and power. So...

Thing 1: Net price before application. This would require some re-thinking of FAFSA, perhaps making it automatic via the tax process. But the soaring number of applications is due to students a) hedging their bets, and b) playing the lottery.

If we still believe in "fit" (a moderately suspect objective for lots of students), we should recognize that financial fit is a critical component of that.

Let's acknowledge for a moment that the vast majority of colleges do a sort of rolling admission--or could if they wanted

Suppose a student could only have three applications active at one time, just to confirm the final price. Applying to a fourth requires the student to pull out of one.

Thing 2: A centralized clearinghouse to make Thing 1 possible. I've written about this before: A sort of Common App on steroids. Students' records and supporting materials are all in one place. All decisions and aid offers are communicated to the student via the clearinghouse

And that information is visible to colleges. Subsequently, all admissions data is available to students, and that includes net price data while the student is considering making their lists. How often are students like me admitted, and what do they pay? is powerful information

Thing 3: @ipeds_nces stops collecting SAT or ACT information. Colleges can still require it, but removing the burden of reporting it allows colleges to make better decisions without regard to minute differences in scores.

If you missed it, @James_S_Murphy did excellent summaries of the way in which Harvard (mis)uses the SAT in admission while he was covering the Students for Fair Admissions lawsuit. It was nothing short of shameful, let alone statistically inappropriate. But averages....

Thing 4: Get private companies out of the selling of student data. One of the responses test lovers make to test optional is "If no one took the test, there would be no names of students to buy and that reduces opportunity."

Of course that's the current reality. But is the current reality optimal? The states already have databases of high school students they could make available (while raising money) to "license" to colleges. Do it alone, or make a consortium of groups of states: IA, MN, WI, e.g.

Alternatively, the clearinghouse could make those names available to colleges, and the colleges could search on any student with certain characteristics, not just those who take a test.

Thing 5: Consider setting up a bid process, where colleges apply to students who don't have a place or an affordable option after a certain deadline. Yes, you're right. It's like PriceLine for College. If we don't do it, someone else will.

Thing 6: I scared some people about 20 years ago when I suggested "The NACAC National College Fair sponsored by Coca-Cola."

Corporations benefit by having a well-educated, diverse workforce. They can pay to make it happen, and use their marketing wings to get the word out.

Do I know HOW to make this all happen? No. Not yet.

But Google or Microsoft or Amazon could make it happen. Or the US Government. (Please don't call me if you're a small start up with dreams of doing this and asking for advice. Don't.)

And if this doesn't work, what does? It's not simple changes in transactions between colleges and universities. It's not every college going test optional. It's not application fee waivers. It's not edits. It's a complete re-write.

Let me know what you think. This is an important thing to think about, even if the problem is not the problem we think it is. Get involved, and speak up. Or

Oh, and #EMTalk