The College Fix

Stanford will implement random auditing of prospective students’ applications starting this application season with early-action applicants, whose credentials are due Nov. 1.

The Office of Undergraduate Admission will use random audits to hold a portion of the estimated 30,000 students expected to apply to Stanford this year accountable for what they declare to be true in their applications.

Because the implementation of this practice is still in the planning phase, the Admission Office is not yet sure of how many audits it will be able to carry out. Though the practice of verifying and confirming each aspect of an application may be new to Stanford, it will not be the first of its kind in the state of California.

“The University of California system already audits,” Director of Admission Robert Patterson said. “They use different techniques to conduct these audits, including e-mailing and calling students.” Patterson was the deputy director of admission at UC-Berkeley from spring 2009 until he became director at Stanford this fall.

When using the Common Application to apply to Stanford, applicants are prompted to electronically sign agreements stating that their claims are true before the applications can be submitted, thus holding them to the Fundamental Standard.

Read the full story at the Stanford Daily.

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