March 18, 2019
It has been a turbulent and upsetting week in College Admissions. We know that many of you have questions about the scandal, how it could have happened and what it means for independent college counselors in general, and your work with The Short List in particular.
More will be learned as the investigation unfolds. While we share in the frustration and disappointment that so many feel, we also recognize this is an important opportunity to examine the college admissions process and to clarify what we stand for at The Short List. However, it is equally important to clarify what this scandal represents because it goes well beyond a single independent college counselor.
The allegations include coordination with College Board proctors in cheating on college admissions exams, falsifying admissions documents and bribing college officials (mainly coaches) to endorse applicants as athletes in order to gain admission to select universities. We are talking about behavior that violates the ethics and principles, and goes beyond independent college counseling, not to mention criminal behavior. These practices go against everything we stand for at The Short List.
The Short List is an organization that has been around for 18 years. We provide counseling in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Professional Practices as put forth by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). We have developed procedures that provide quality advice to our students that adhere to our values and ethics, as put forth in our own Guiding Principles, the first of which is Client Empowerment. We believe this is a student-driven process and do not subscribe to the commodification of college admissions. When done properly, the college application process is an important opportunity for self-discovery and growth. The Short List continually strives to facilitate that process for our students.
We neither take your trust lightly nor for granted, and therefore we will continue to strive to provide service that adheres to the ethical and professional principles that The Short List and the broader college admissions community uphold.
We thank you for partnering with us on this wonderful journey and welcome your input at any time.
Sincerely,
Bill Short
Founder & President
The Short List