Stanford Begins Random Application Audits

Following Harvard’s lead, Stanford University will soon begin randomly auditing applications for undergraduate admission, according to the Stanford Daily.

Both universities evidently see the need to check for admissions honesty after Harvard and Stanford admitted con man Adam Wheeler, as a transfer student. Wheeler managed to fool admissions staff at both schools by allegedly concocting a fantastic mix of academic credentials that got past their respective screening processes.

Responding to questions concerning growing evidence of application fraud, Stanford director of admission Robert Patterson told the Daily, “Many institutions, including Stanford, have responded to this prominent discussion on the national level of college admissions.”

He goes on to add, “We actively follow the principles and practices of NACAC [National Association for College Admission Counseling] and the College Board. Both organizations have seen an increase in application falsity and want colleges to look into this.”

Coming from the University of California system, which already audits applications, Patterson indicated that Stanford will implement random auditing starting with Early Action (EA) candidates, whose credentials are due on November 1st. Students chosen for closer review will be contacted directly to notify them of their selection in the process.

Without giving too much away, Patterson suggested that information contained on both the Common Application form and the Stanford supplement will be subject to review. This could include anything from addresses and phone numbers to extracurricular activities and discipline records.

In addition to implementing a system of random application audits, Stanford has also increased application fees to $90—by far the highest in the country for US applicants to a four-year undergraduate program. Evidently, application verification comes at a significant cost.