We received the following message from a dean of admission we know: It's only March and we'll be rescinding our first admission. Children: do not lie. Students -- and parents -- don't forget that all offers of admission to college are conditional. Colleges may rescind admission for a number of reasons -- if a student enrolls and makes a deposit at more than one college;  if there is a significant change in senior year grades;  if there is a lapse in judgment or integrity such as cheating or suspension for alcohol use. And admission can be rescinded for lying, for misrepresenting any facts or work in the application -- grades, test scores, essays, a change in personal circumstances, extracurricular activities, a disciplinary matter. In signing the application, students certify that every piece of information and material in the application is the students' own work product and pledge they have upheld the highest standards of honesty, character, and moral and ethical principles.  In signing, you are saying, “This is who I am and what I stand for and I stand by it.” That’s something to be taken very seriously as a matter of personal honor. Colleges require it, and rightly expect it. This is a big deal. "The notion of integrity is the most important value we reflect on when we think about students attending the university," says Kirk Brennan, Director of Admission at University of Southern California.

Today's guest post is from Jon Boeckenstedt, vice president for Enrollment Policy & Planning at DePaul University, who has a gift for cutting to the chase whether he's writing about testing, college tours, or tuition. Here is his take on the value of a college degree and how a student may want to think about borrowing to obtain that education: 

It has long been believed that attending college paid back financially and with a better quality of life in general.

Then we had a little economic calamity in this country, and people aren’t so sure any more.

Some people think we’re in the middle of “A Perfect Storm,” where several important (negative) things are happening at the same time, thus creating a crisis: College tuition keeps increasing, and often increasing faster than inflation; federal aid keeps shrinking, causing student debt to grow dramatically; and the jobs recent graduates need to pay back student debt are growing scarcer.  On top of that, problems like unemployment are even greater for people who don’t have a college degree.

File this one under "Media Madness." In a recent article from the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sandy Baum and Michael McPherson take on the latest thought contagion in college admission -- the level of concern surrounding student debt.  Baum is an independent higher-education-policy analyst and senior fellow at the George Washington University School of Education and Human Development, and McPherson is president of the Spencer Foundation, which is dedicated to education research.  Check out their debunking of this most recent example of urban myth and college admission.

Later this week, Jon Boeckenstedt, DePaul University Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing, will address the cost of a college education and how much is too much when it comes to loans.

Thank you to Schools.com for including College Admission as one of their "Best College Counseling Blogs." From their post: These blogs are the cream of the crop. They provide comprehensive information on virtually every aspect of the college admissions process. From financial aid to testing tips to sanity savers, chances are you can find what you need here. Each also offers a collection of resources that provide in-depth coverage on almost every aspect of selecting a school and applying for college.

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