On Feb. 26, the University Admissions Office released a statement regarding prospective NC State students saying that “peaceful protests by high school students who seek to find solutions to the tragedy of school shootings will not have an impact on their admission decision.” The message was released a month ago, but given recent events, its impact is more relevant than ever.
By sending this message to the prospective students of NC State, the Admissions Office has done two main things: they have demonstrated that they care immensely about current issues and have incentivized peaceful protest in order to pave the way for a solution to be found, while also paving the way for future successes if this measure is taken into further contexts and different issues.
Their decision comes after the Parkland, Florida shooting, and the national outcry to find a solution to gun violence. It’s even more appropriate given that this Saturday, the March for our Lives took place in Washington, D.C., with over 800,000 participants, in addition to 800 separate marches throughout the nation, including in Raleigh. The march aims to promote awareness for the issue of gun violence and pushes for better gun control laws and gun reform to help prevent future shootings.
NC State did not take sides on this issue in their message to students. It instead focused on encouraging students to work toward a solution, without giving any implication as to what that solution should be.
This is ideal. In its message, NC State has managed to encourage (or at least not punish) civic engagement among high school students, while also not taking a stance to support a specific proposed solution. For an issue like gun violence it may seem silly to not take one side or another, but it sets a helpful precedent for more divisive issues where admissions may decide to ignore punishments resulting from applicants engaging in peaceful protest.
NC State admissions doesn’t need to stop at just gun control. High school students can be directly affected by issues like birth control, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sexual assault, and many more. Simply the fact that many high school seniors are voting-age citizens of the U.S. entitles them to be able to express their opinions on any issue they deem relevant without fear of ruining their chances for college.
Admissions needs to release a follow-up statement specifying that peaceful protests regarding issues beyond gun violence will not have an impact on admissions. A statement like this can help encourage peaceful civic engagement and protesting among high school students, as well as broadening the spectrum of the issues which NC State cares to work toward a solution on.
Lastly, NC State can do more than just not penalize prospective students, it can even go so far as to reward prospective students who participate in such protests. NC State admissions should view speaking out about issues as a show of a healthy involvement in the community and value it much like they would any other extracurricular activity when considering a prospective student; making it a positive contribution towards their application.
NC State admissions, and all other university admissions, need to prefer students who speak out strongly for what they care about. Speaking out about issues that affect them as a citizen and a future voter is a fantastic example of making an impact in a healthy democracy. Protests are an excellent form of civic engagement and should be acknowledged.
NC State admissions is in a unique position to incentivize behavior that will help us all. More than that, if the admissions office truly prides itself in finding solutions, it should recognize their opportunity to pave the way towards a solution on gun violence and any other issues that high school and college students care deeply about. By encouraging students to get involved in public debates, admissions can shape future students to truly become the next generation of leaders for our society.
