Penn Endorses Campaign to prioritize kindness in college applicants

When considering what traits colleges look for in their applicants, kindness and compassion do not immediately spring to mind. But a new report released by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and its Making Caring Common project argues that the process should be restructured to promote these values in light of increasing academic pressure on students.

The report, “Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions,” was released on Jan. 20 and was signed and endorsed by over 85 university leaders and deans, including Penn Dean of Admissions Eric Furda.

“Reading through it, I thought a lot about Civic House, Fox Leadership Program and the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, and I thought about how these values [kindness and giving back] do not only get translated into what students are choosing to do, but how this plays out on this campus,” Furda said.

 Read more about the report here!