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“I don’t test well.”

“Test scores shouldn’t keep me out of my top colleges.”

“I am more than just numbers, why don’t the colleges see that?”

If you’ve ever heard these remarks or felt this way, you’re not alone.  These sentiments are common across hopeful college applicants.  And now, over 90 colleges have proposed a solution: The Coalition Application.  The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success consists of 94 members.  In Connecticut, the Coalition application will be accepted by Connecticut College, the University of Connecticut, Yale University and Wesleyan University.

So what does this mean for students?

One of the stated goals of the coalition is to increase access to college by encouraging students to start planning as early as freshman year.  The college application process is convoluted and many students and their families don’t have enough resources to even know what they don’t know.  On the other hand, there are many who fear that this method may increase the stress that students are under.

To understand how this might cause increased stress, we should look at how the new application will work.  Students can create accounts starting freshman year.  As part of the account, students will have access to an area called the “locker” where they can save essays, artwork, videos, and class projects.  This will be secure and visible only to the student, unless the student chooses to share the projects.  Students can share this information in a “Collaboration Space” with mentors, teachers, or college admission officers who can then make suggestions and comments on the student’s work.  The student can also select information from the locker to submit along with their application as part of a portfolio.

Having students begin the application process in 9th grade could accelerate the onset of college-related stress.  However, some believe that spreading work out over 4 years will help alleviate stress and lead to better decisions overall.  In an article by Inside Higher Education , a Purdue University admissions representative commented that this would give them the ability to help advise younger students.  Students could share that they had completed certain classes and might ask for suggestions of additional classes to take in order to be ready for college.  Sounds promising!  But it’s possibly nothing more than a pipe dream.  In reality, it might be difficult for this theoretical back and forth to take place in the real world given the substantial workload of college admissions officers.

What should I do next?

While the true impact of the coalition on access to college remains to be seen, it appears that the colleges who have joined are committed to making the coalition application work.  What does this mean for your student?  All high school students should at least explore the Coalition website: www.coalitionforaccess.org.  Underclassmen should start filling their virtual lockers on the coalition website soon.