empathy

ˈempəTHē

Noun

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

In elementary school, we were always reminded to treat others nicely and share our toys. In middle school, we were told that we need still be nice but also focus on our grades and honors classes and extracurriculars. In high school, we were told that we needed to do whatever we could to get into college. That is when empathy stopped being a priority completely.

A lack of prioritization on empathy is a problem if we as a society want to produce individuals who value morality and ethical behavior. Students focus on grades and activities, rather than trying to better themselves as human beings at a deeper level. Both are important; however, building character may better our society more than an Ivy League acceptance. Harvard University's Graduate School of Education has identified this issue as well and have created a program aimed to create "educators, parents and communities raise children who are caring, responsible to their communities, and committed to justice." Making Caring Common is using research and experts to create suggestions on how we can create a generation that values ambition and moral character equally.

One of the suggestions that Making Caring Common has published is on college admissions reform. Coming from Harvard University, it is interesting that this department recognizes the flaws in the system that accepted them into such a prestigious program and what needs to change. Their goal with this suggestion is to "inspire concern for others and the common good through college admissions" through a more meaningful admissions process. What if college applications didn't focus on the number of community service hours you did, but why you chose that organization and how it changed you as a person? By focusing on the student's growth as a person over quantity of hours, students would be encouraged to choose activities that they are genuinely interested in and promote a sense of community.

Leadership is an excellent quality to develop, but students often see leadership positions as another thing to put on an application. Again, instead of focusing on the numbers, what if the focus was on their contributions and how they were able to aid in the facilitation of the success of others under their leadership? High schools have various opportunities for students to explore their interests, and colleges should recognize that stimulating the growth of students in a few areas can be much more beneficial than mediocrity in many. Making Caring Common sees "ethical engagement and contributions" as a better way to assess a prospective student than what colleges continue to do today in their admissions process.

Some students have all the time in the world to do every extracurricular and sport on top of five AP classes, but other students may not be in a position where that is a possibility for them. Taking this into consideration, Making Caring Common aims to "redefine achievement in ways that both level the playing field for economically diverse students and reduce excessive achievement pressure." Instead of only looking at scores and numbers, colleges should take into consideration the home life of a student. If someone is working 60 hours a week to help their family get by, they may not be able to participate in all the activities and classes as someone who is of a higher socioeconomic class. While test scores and grades are still something that all colleges must consider, there are often other outside factors that they may not be aware of with the current admissions process of most colleges.

Being a high school student is stressful enough at an awkward time of adolescence. If there can be a reduction of stress from overloading on AP/IB courses and test pressure, students would be in a better mental state to flourish creatively and passionately as they pursue their interests that may shape the rest of their careers. Students should be empowered to be better people, and college admissions is an excellent way to show ambitious youth how they can grow as a person while achieving all that they want.

Empathy is something that often gets lost on the journey to success. Why can't it be a key factor in reaching that success and much more?

For the full report on college admissions reform by Making Caring Common, click the link below!

http://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/files/gse-mcc/files/201...