More than 200 (and counting) colleges and universities have a message for students protesting against gun violence: we will not hold it against you if your high school punishes you for your activism. Here’s what a few of them have to say, specifically.
In Texas, where at least one school district threatened students with suspension for protesting, UT-Austin announced that “The University is committed to the principles of free inquiry and expression and is dedicated to creating an environment where the expansion of knowledge and the freedom to exchange ideas is safeguarded. ... This commitment extends to the students admitted to the University, whose admission status will not be affected by exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression.”
Simon's Rock, a college which admits students in their final years of high school and which suffered a school shooting in 1992, tweeted that “Participation in peaceful protest has long been valued in a Simon’s Rock applicant’s history. Current protests against gun violence will be no exception, including participation in school walkouts.”
Virginia Tech, scene of the most deadly school shooting in the U.S.: “Participation in peaceful protest by those who have applied to or have been admitted to Virginia Tech will not jeopardize one’s admission. Virginia Tech will support any current or prospective student’s first amendment rights.”
In Denver, where memories of Columbine and Aurora are strong, CU Denver had this to say: “If a student who is applying to our institution is suspended by their high school for practicing responsible citizenship by engaging in peaceful, meaningful protest on an issue of importance to them, it will not negatively impact their admission decision to @CUDenver.”
Worried about your chances at Ivy League admission?Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale all promise that students’ admissions won’t be affected. Princeton was a little wishy-washy, which shouldn’t be surprising.
And at Wesleyan, the promise that protesting won’t hurt your admissions chances came at the bottom of a blog post from the university president with information about a march planned nearby on March 24.
There are so many more—and you have to ask if a school that wouldn’t want an activist on campus is a school you want to attend.