Elmhurst College has become the first college in the nation to directly ask applicants if they are gay. The question, “Would you consider yourself to be a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community?” appears on the school’s new admissions application.
Gary Rold, the dean of students at Elmhurst, stressed the question falls in line with the campus’ mission statement to increase diversity.
Prospective freshmen and transfer students applying for the 2012 fall semester will become the first group of applicants to check “yes,” “no” or “prefer not to answer.” Their answers will not play a role in the admissions process.
A “yes” answer could put students in line to qualify for a scholarship worth one-third of tuition at the private, liberal arts school affiliated with the United Church of Christ, said Rold.
I guess you could say that sex pays at Elmhurst College — at least, certain kinds of sex.
I wonder, will Elmhurst administrators demand proof of sexual orientation before handing out these valuable scholarships? If so, what sort of proof will students be asked to give?
In an era of student-loan sugar daddies, students these days are doing all sorts of things to pay for college. In keeping with the spirit of the times, heterosexual Elmhurst students facing potentially crushing loan burdens may be compelled to consider “broader” sexual horizons.
Am I being absurd? Perhaps. But what’s even more absurd is a college that knocks one third off the sticker price of “an education” because of sexual orientation, effectively doling out tens of thousands of dollars on the basis of students’ bedroom behavior.
Leads me to believe that the discounted Elmhurst experience most likely remains severely overpriced.