When I worked in the college admissions office of a well-known university, we used to get a heads up in advance if a celebrity or a celebrity's kid was coming to campus for a visit. The red carpet would be rolled out. The Dean of Admissions who rarely showed up to the office on any given day would finally make an appearance. And the celebrity family would be ushered from one private meeting or tour to the next. Everyone else visiting that day was treated like the masses.
And when it came time to read and evaluate applications, the celebrity kid's application was carefully coded and hand-delivered to the Dean for a "special" review. Those students seemed to always get admitted no matter what their applications looked like.
But that's about to change.
If you or your parents are well-known, here is your warning. You will no longer get treated differently on your visit. You will no longer get a special meeting with the Dean of Admissions. If you decide to apply, your application will be held to the same standard as everyone else. In fact, you might actually have to outperform the rest of the applicant pool to justify your admission. Don't get upset. That's exactly what every regular kid has had to achieve to be admitted for decades.
BONUS: Read my op-ed on the college admissions bribery scandal in USA TODAY
The admissions process is about to get a revolution. Regular kids are finally going to be thrust into the light to be seen in all their glory. All those AP classes they are taking. All those near-perfect grades. All those standardized test scores that were achieved on their own. All those activities they have been leading and investing in for more years than the application even acknowledges. All those essays that were written from the heart will finally be appreciated. We will usher in a new era of college admissions: The Regular Kid Reigns.
"We will usher in a new era of #collegeadmissions: The Regular Kid Reigns." TWEET THIS
I know it is hard to believe that change could happen this fast. But those colleges know they must change their ways quickly and decisively. If they dare to treat celebrity kids or anyone better than the "regular kid," they will be hit with much more than just lawsuits. The wrath of public opinion will be even more powerful than the federal investigation that led to this scandal.
I support those regular kids who do extraordinary things with their young lives. If you do as well, speak up. Let those colleges know. Let everyone take notice. Being regular just became cool.
