Americans who have criminal histories are often stymied when they encounter college entry applications that ask if they have ever been convicted of crimes. The process, which often brings greater scrutiny to people who answer "yes," is driving away large numbers of people who present no danger to campus safety and are capable of succeeding academically.
Similar problems have faced people with records when they look for jobs, but progress on that front could be a model for reforming college admissions. Fourteen states and about 100 local governments have worked to minimize job discrimination by barring public — and, in many cases, private — employers from asking about criminal convictions until later in the application process, when the person has had a chance to prove his or her worthiness for the job.
Read more at The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/opinion/sunday/college-applications-and-criminal-records.html?ref=opinion&_r=0