We’ve written before about social media accounts and the impression they can make on college admission. An article in Inside Higher Ed last year said that about two thirds of admissions staff polled thought social media was fair game. Most likely that percentage will continue to grow.
That does not mean that Instagram is the same as the essay. It’s not-at least for most students, but it can be for some.
Harvard made the news (again) for rescinding the acceptance of a high school senior from Florida, Kyle Kashuv. Kyle was one of the students in school during the tragic Parkland shooting, and since that horror has used his platform to advocate for responsible gun ownership and Second Amendment rights.
Clearly that’s a controversial topic. But Harvard knew all that when they accepted Kyle, so it was not a problem with his admission. The problem was that in 2017, 16-year-old Kyle had made racist comments in a semi-private forum. Those comments came to light from people who disagreed with Kyle on gun rights, as a way of discrediting or hurting his image. Kyle also apparently made an apology at the time.
(I don’t know all the details of where the message was posted, but if you were not part of the group, you would not have known about it. It was not fully public like Twitter or Instagram, but it was more public than a private one-to-one text.)
During the admissions season, Harvard received “complaints” (who would contact a college to complain about someone getting in?), and also copies of screenshots of the comments. Although Kyle took full responsibility and tried to give some further background to his growth and maturation between 16 and 18, Harvard chose to rescind.
Should your (semi)private conversations in high school disqualify you for admission to a school you are otherwise qualified for? Does it depend on how you define “private conversation”? If so, where does the line get drawn? Should those same comments keep you from a job? Can Harvard rescind a degree for something you say after graduation?
Kyle chose to be a high-profile student. He sought the spotlight to advocate for something he believed in, as have other Parkland students for other causes. But does that change the rules? In fact, a better question would be: What are the rules?
Turn the page in the newspaper and you read another installment of how the rich and famous have bought college admissions for their children. Yes, some are being prosecuted for crimes. But Harvard can try to stake out the moral high ground with Kyle, yet clearly have double standards for admission when it comes to foreign students or children of legacies or wealthy donors. It is a private college after all, so what they say goes.
Some writers have weighed in that Kyle should have disclosed the comments before they were sent to Harvard. Or maybe Harvard should ask the applicants, “Have you ever said or done or written anything that you are sorry for? Please list dates and details.”
Regardless of how you view Kyle’s view on gun ownership or his 16-year-old comments, this is a great opportunity to talk with your teenagers about the issues raised by Harvard’s rescission. Remind them that the internet is forever, and with ubiquitous video and voice recording, pretty much everything is forever.
As Barney Fife famously said, “You’ve got to nip it, nip it in the bud.”
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| 07/01/19 |
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