Section II. Admission Procedures
A. College and University Members agree that they- will accept full responsibility for admission decisions and for proper notification of those decisions to candidates and, when possible, to their secondary schools.
- will receive information about candidates in confidence and respect completely, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, the confidential nature of such data.
- will not apply newly-revised requirements to the disadvantage of a candidate whose secondary school courses were established in accordance with earlier requirements.
- will not require candidates or the secondary schools to indicate the order of the candidates'college or university preferences, except under early decision plans.
- will not make offers of admission to students who have not submitted admission applications.
- will permit first-year candidates for fall admission to choose, without penalty, among offers of admission and financial aid until May 1. [It is understood that May 1 will be viewed as the postmark date]. Colleges that solicit commitments to offers of admission and/or financial assistance prior to May 1 may do so provided those offers include a clear statement that written requests for extensions until May 1 will be granted, and that such requests will not jeopardize a student's status for admission or financial aid. Candidates admitted under an early decision program are a recognized exception to this provision.
- will work with their institution's administration to ensure that financial aid and scholarship offers and housing options are not used to manipulate commitments prior to May 1.
- will if necessary, establish a wait list that:
- is of reasonable length.
- is maintained for the shortest possible period and in no case later than August 1.
- will establish wait list procedures that ensure that no student on any wait list is asked for a deposit in order to remain on the wait list or for a commitment to enroll prior to receiving an official written offer of admission.
- will state clearly the admission procedures for transfer students by informing candidates of deadlines, documents required, courses accepted, and course equivalency and other relevant policies.
- will inform students and counselors about new or changed requirements which may adversely affect candidates who have met all required deadlines, deposits, and commitments according to the students' original notification from the institution.
- will accept, for the purposes of documenting student academic records, only official transcripts in the admission or registration process which come directly from the counseling, guidance, or registrar's offices of the institution(s) the candidate attends or has attended or from other appropriate agencies.
- will, in the development and administration of their application policies and procedures, abide by the NACAC Guidelines for Admission Decision Options.
- will not discriminate in the admission selection process against applicants based on the particular application form that an applicant uses, provided that the college or university has agreed explicitly, as in common application membership, or implicitly, as in on-line or other computer-based technology, to accept the particular version of the application.
- should admit candidates on the basis of academic and personal criteria rather than financial need. This provision shall not apply to international students ineligible for federal student assistance.
- should notify high school personnel when the institution's admission selection committee includes students.
- should notify candidates as soon as possible if they are clearly inadmissible.
- should make every effort to provide candidates for financial aid with financial aid decisions as soon as possible following an offer of admission.
- will provide, in a timely manner, for colleges and universities accurate, legible, and complete official transcripts for the school's candidates.
- will provide colleges and universities with a description of the school's marking system which may include the rank in class and/or grade point average.
- will in their profiles and other publications provide true and accurate information with regard to test scores for all students in the represented class cohort group who participated in college admission testing.
- will provide accurate descriptions of the candidates' personal qualities which are relevant to the admission process.
- will urge candidates to understand and discharge their responsibilities in the admission process. Candidates will be instructed to
- comply with requests for additional information in a timely manner.
- respond to institutional deadlines and refrain from stockpiling acceptances.
- refrain from submitting multiple de- posits or making multiple commitments.
- refrain from submitting more than one application under any early decision plan and, if admitted under such a plan, comply with all institutional guidelines including those regarding the obligations to: enroll, withdraw all other applications, and refrain from submitting subsequent applications.
- respond to institutional deadlines on housing reservations, financial aid, health records, and course prescheduling, where all or any of these are applicable.
- will not reveal, unless authorized, candidates' college or university preferences.
- will sign only one early decision agreement for any student.
- will counsel students and their families to notify other institutions when they have accepted an admission offer.
- will encourage students to be the sole authors of their applications and essays and will counsel against inappropriate assistance on the part of others.
- should report any significant change in candidates' academic status or qualifications, including personal conduct record, between the time of recommendation and graduation, where permitted by applicable laws and regulations and if requested by an institution's application.
- should provide a school profile which clearly describes special curricular opportunities (e.g., honors, Advanced Placement courses, seminars) and a comprehensive listing of all courses with an explanation of unusual abbreviations and any information required for proper understanding.
- should advise students and their families not to sign any contractual agreement with an institution without examining the provisions of the contract.
- should counsel students and their families to file a reasonable number of applications.
- will urge candidates to recognize and discharge their responsibilities in the admission process.
Candidates will be instructed to- comply with requests for additional information in a timely manner.
- respond to institutional deadlines and refrain from stockpiling acceptances.
- refrain from submitting multiple de- posits or making multiple commitments.
- refrain from submitting more than one application under any early decision plan and, if admitted under such a plan, comply with all institutional guidelines including those regarding the obligations to: enroll, withdraw all other applications, and refrain from submitting subsequent applications.
- respond to institutional deadlines on housing reservations, financial aid, health records, and course prescheduling, where all or any of these are applicable.
- will not reveal, unless authorized, candidates' college or university preferences.
- will follow the process recommended by the candidates' high school for filing college applications.
- will encourage students to be the sole authors of their applications and essays, and counsel against inappropriate assistance on the part of others.
- should advise students and their families not to sign any contractual agreement with an institution without examining the provisions of the contract.
- should counsel students and their families to file a reasonable number of applications.
D. All other members providing college admission counseling services to students agree to adhere to the principles in this Statement.
