As the proud parent of a member of the HS Graduating Class of 2019 and a proud teacher of the HS Graduating Class of 2019 I have one request...Stop with the College Acceptance Banners!!!! We have all seen them in every school proudly displayed. In most schools, sadly including the one I currently call my home, it is the largest single banner displayed all year. It is meant to proudly display all of the higher education institutions that have graciously accepted applications from the hard-working students of the graduating class. Schools display these banners with pride and boast about some of the institutions that are listed. We post these banners in areas of the school with the highest traffic to ensure as many current students, parents, teachers, staff, and any visitors to campus can see. I do have to give credit here to the High Schools, specifically the counselors, that make sure every institution that sends an acceptance makes their way onto the banner. It isn't easy as there are usually hundreds listed, depending on the size of the graduating class.
Why do we make these banners? Is this how we can best brag and boast about our students? Is this a tool the school uses to measure its success? It is a recruiting tool for some schools? Depending on who you ask, the answer to any/all of these questions may be YES, To those that answer YES, I wonder if they are the same individuals that say we have to stop the competition amongst students/families when it comes to applying to Colleges & Universities? We cannot stop the competition if we are the ones breeding the competition.
Think about it for a minute. How much did you celebrate this year when a student came to you and said: "I just got accepted into (fill in any US News Top 100 College/University)!!!" I am sure there were enthusiastic congratulations, high fives, maybe a hug, and then probably a few "Did you hear ___ got accepted into ___?" in the lunch/faculty room. Did you have the same reaction when a student said: "I was just accepted into Hometown Community College!!!"? Probably not. Why? Because we inadvertently breed competition when it comes to College & University acceptances. With one of the most celebrated ways being the yearly Acceptance Banners.
Don't get me wrong, I love hearing about every acceptance that my seniors tell me every year. I get excited for them when they tell me. On the personal side, I loved seeing my son's face light up when he read an acceptance email from the schools he applied to. I also see where we are missing the boat on this whole amazing part of our students' educational journey. We do not give the full power to them. Instead, we give it to the institutions. How? By putting their names on the Acceptance Banners.
Take the power back, give it to the ones that have worked year after year to finally have the power of a choice that may change the rest of their lives. For some, this choice may be the first choice that they have been given when it comes to their education. Give the power to our students. Change the entire wording on the banners. It's simple. We currently give all of the power to the Colleges & Universities but forget that the ones who hold more power are our students. Change the words and by doing so the meaning of the banners from "College & University Acceptances" to "Colleges & Universities Accepted by Our Graduates." It is a subtle change in wording but a massive shift of power. The power will now lie in the hands of our students and not with any institution. This shift will focus on the graduates and not names of schools. It's time to stop giving all of the power of choice to institutions and give it to our students. Show our students that they matter. Show them how much we care. Above all, show them how much power they truly have.
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