Dartmouth Won’t Penalize Student Protesters

Dartmouth College will not penalize students who face disciplinary action by their high schools for engaging in peaceful protests.

In response to the wave of student gun control activism sweeping the nation, Dartmouth College has let it be known that it will not penalize any applicants to the school for their participation in peaceful protests. Indeed the College on the Hill has made clear that even if students face discipline or suspension by their high schools as a result of their peaceful protest, it will not in any way hinder their chances of admission to the Ivy League institution. In fact, among the Ivy League institutions, only Princeton has not offered a free pass to peaceful student protesters. As the Founder of Ivy Coach, Bev Taylor, articulated today on the pages of America’s oldest college newspaper, “The Dartmouth,” Dartmouth has sent a clear and powerful message to prospective students — and the message is consistent with the values the school has long espoused. The school whose motto reads “Vox clamantis in deserto” supports the voices of students crying out — in the cities, in the suburbs, in the wilderness, and across our great nation.

Dartmouth Stands with Peaceful Protesters

As Alex Fredman writes in a piece for “The Dartmouth” entitled “Dartmouth will not penalize applicants for protesting,” “‘Dartmouth and these other highly-selective colleges are letting students across America know that they support them, that they stand with them,’ [Bev] Taylor said. Taylor added that she thinks colleges are sending a clear message to prospective students with these statements. ‘We applaud colleges who are announcing that students who are engaged in peaceful protest won’t face repercussions — in their case, admission to these institutions,’ she said. ‘But really, why should they? Protesting doesn’t lack integrity — in fact, it shows integrity.’ Taylor also noted that although admissions offices have been putting out these statements in response to the movement on gun control, she does not think that the schools were intentionally offering their support for specific policies. ‘I don’t think the gun control issue was the motivating factor,’ Taylor said. ‘I think the motivating factor was to support students who want to advocate, and support students who want to speak up.’…’Students who seek a better world are precisely the kind of students that the College on the Hill seeks in its incoming class,’ she said. ‘Kudos to Dartmouth for backing all that up.'”

Ivy Coach salutes Dartmouth College for not penalizing students applying for admission who have faced disciplinary action by their high schools as a result of their civil disobedience. Dartmouth seeks students who are engaged and civic-minded, students who wish to change the world in a meaningful way. This move by Dartmouth’s admissions office, under the leadership of vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid Lee Coffin, absolutely backs all that up.