IN THIS ISSUE

Journal of College Admission, Spring 2007 by Cox, Sarah S

During this time of renewal (although some of us are still removing those last few shovels-full of snow), thoughts turn to our outgoing and incoming classes. How will our high school seniors fair after graduation (after all our hard work)? How will our incoming college freshman class perform (after all our hard work)? Each of us has a role to play and each role conjures up it's own set of thoughts and feelings. Sometimes in the bustle of daily life, we forget that there are several other roles that affect the same students for which we've been working so hard for. With this common goal, putting ourselves in others' shoes isn't as difficult as we might think...

Even without realizing it, we often find ourselves swapping roles. For example, regularly asked to write recommendation letters, Brian Hopewell, reflects on his need for the same and who helped him along the way in Open Forum article, "How Can I Ever Thank You?"

In the On the Lighter Side, "Let Me in Already!" the author, Whitney Soule, shares what it's like to be an admission officer finding herself in the shoes of her students as she applies to grad school. Being in the process, she reflects on the work, stress and sense of achievement encountered by the students she reviews daily.

Reversing sides of the desk over their careers, Scott C. Hooker and Mary Karen Vellines convey aspects and perspectives of each job, their likes and dislikes and what made them switch jobs in their Viewpoints (a newlycreated department, meant to provide a forum for different points of view) piece, "Both Sides of the Desk."

In The Last Word, "The Dreamscape Years," Anne Naman, a director of college counseling, watches her son grow and knows that she soon will be guiding him through the college process, just as she guides all her students.

The Journal features, all research pieces, begin with "The Necessity of Academic Accommodations for First-Year Students with Learning Disabilities." Author Dr. Wanda Hadley discusses the concern about the persistence of students with learning disabilities, as this growing population is creating more and implications for counselors, who have to prepare these students for college, and for those on the college side, who have to prepare special orientations, and provide this specific division of student affairs and training for staff, among other things. The author shares how these students must to be self-advocates and how to measure their successes and their schools'.

People make judgment calls everyday, but those made by admission staffs have the potential to affect others' futures. In "Ethical Leadership in Higher Education Admission: Equality vs. Equity," the authors discuss ethical lenses to consider (in any situation) by applying them to a real-life admission problem.

Lastly, the authors of "Welcoming a New Generation to College: The Millennial Students" share the facts about current and up-and-coming college students, and tell professionals what to expect (from students and parents) and how to manage.

From role-changing to specialized needs to ethical standards, these Journal authors offer insight that will see you through the rest of the season.

Sarah S. Cox, Journal Editor