The pendulum swings quite a bit on the issue of asking applicants to colleges about their disciplinary records and criminal backgrounds. A decade ago, the Common Application added such questions at a time when many colleges were being criticized (and, in some cases, sued) for admitting students whose past records might suggest that they pose a danger to other students.
But in the last few years, groups that advocate for criminal justice reform and those that have noted patterns of police and school discrimination against young minority males have asked whether such questions inevitably lead to the rejection of many of those who check the boxes -- perhaps unfairly. And others have raised questions about whether admissions officers are trained to analyze such information in ways that distinguish someone who made a few mistakes as a freshman or was the victim of discrimination as compared to someone who really may pose a threat.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/28/nyu-questions-common-application-value-asking-applicants-about-criminal-records