Abstract
This paper explores inequality along the path to college through an analysis of college admissions essays and institutional documents that shape admissions expectations in the United States. The research considers how successful applicants from two different universities and students who are the first in their families to go to college compared to those who are not, approach the college essay in relation to the presented institutional expectations. The sample consists of institutional materials from two universities, one a small private university and one a large public institution. Institutional materials also include documents from college preparatory agencies (such as Kaplan and Khan Academy). Thirty-five student essays were collected from the same two universities mentioned above. Through values analysis, a narrative analysis method, I ask how students with less exposure to the culture of college (taken for granted knowledge about college that is passed down from families) perform the college essay genre. Findings show that students with less exposure to the culture of college focus more on challenges and narrate less expression of their “true selves” in their college admissions essays. Findings can help stakeholders create a more equitable college admissions process that more clearly illuminates institutional expectations for students.
Highlights
In recent years, colleges and universities have made additional efforts toward diversifying their campuses (Stevens 2007; Steinberg 2003)
Findings show that students with less exposure to the culture of college focus more on challenges and narrate less expression of their “true selves” in their college admissions essays
There has been an increase in the emphasis universities place on the college essay (Early and DeCosta 2011; Warren 2013)
Summary
Colleges and universities have made additional efforts toward diversifying their campuses (Stevens 2007; Steinberg 2003). With an increase in the importance of diversity and equity in access to education, universities have tried various approaches such as creating summer programs for low-income youth and removing the SAT from the required documents for application (Stevens 2007; Syverson 2007). While the college essay is presented as a space where students can be themselves and show who they are to the admissions committee, it is still fraught with (often implicit) challenging expectations. The application process, and the admissions essay, is considered in its role as a possible gatekeeper to college entry. Individual outcomes in financial success upon completion of a college degree can vary, especially based on the amount of loans a student is required to take (Rothstein and Rouse 2011)
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