Disclosures of Trauma in College Applications: Policies, Practices, Perceptions, and the Role of the Admissions Professional

Abstract

Research shows that most college students have experienced a traumatic event in their lifetime—85%, according to one study (Frazier et. al, 2009). It follows that students often discuss these traumatic experiences in their college application essays. Sharing this kind of information can emotionally tax students and leave them feeling vulnerable to judgment—the latter of which is especially acute in the college admissions process, where being accepted or rejected is at the core. As a result, the need for admissions professionals to know how to best handle disclosures of trauma exists; this qualitative study explores what that might entail. The purpose of it is to examine what action (or lack of action) admissions counselors who work at private liberal arts colleges in the Midwest take when students disclose traumatic experiences in their college applications, as well as how they perceive that action (or lack of action), utilizing an online survey and trauma-informed theories. It aims to answer the question: What action (or lack of action) do admissions counselors who work at private liberal arts colleges in the Midwest take when students disclose traumatic experiences in their college applications? How do they perceive this action (or lack of action)? Findings indicate that, while some institutions have policies and practices, many admissions professionals possess a desire to more effectively navigate the phenomenon. Drawing on literature about trauma-informed practices, survey responses, and my own personal experiences as a college admissions professional, I offer several recommendations for future practice, including: training, filling gaps in knowledge about the effectiveness of practices, dispersing information about how trauma disclosures are utilized in application review, and carving out more time to adequately address the issue.