Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for Education Dive, Hallie Busta provides a few steps that all colleges should take to regain public trust in the application process amongst recent admission scandals. 

· How do colleges determine student admissions? What factors are examined during the application process?  How can colleges not impacted in recent scandals regain trust in the admissions process? 

· Here's how the recent admissions scandal highlights inequity in America. 

The revelation earlier this month that a few dozen parents may have paid millions to secure their children spots at elite universities sent the higher ed news cycle into overdrive. The alleged national conspiracy — which was met with a mix of shock, validation and perhaps a little bit of pleasure at the prospect of justice being served — threw the spotlight on areas of the admissions process vulnerable to exploitation.

It also raised questions about the degree to which colleges trade on their own selectivity, whether admissions are tamper-proof and how money can legally buy access to higher education, whether through better preparation or donor connections.

"What was surprising was how far-flung and large this scandal was," said Dan Prywes, a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin who represents several universities in the Washington, D.C., area. "Universities need to fortify their admissions processes against fraud and abuse and they need to start thinking like a bank, where every stage of the payment process is monitored and there are internal controls."

As the dust settles, Prywes and other higher ed crisis-management and admissions experts advise colleges across the board to examine and lock down the paths into their institutions while reinforcing to prospective students from all backgrounds that their applications will get a fair review.

Read the full article about regaining trust in colleges by Hallie Busta at Education Dive.