Moody Eye View

Elmhurst College put a question on its admissions application  that won’t appear on any other school’s application.

“Would you consider yourself to be a member of the LGBT  (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community?”

That optional question makes Elmhurst the first school in the  country to ask applicants about their sexual orientation or gender identity, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Gary Rold, the dean of students at Elmhurst, stressed the  question falls in line with the campus’ mission statement to increase  diversity.”We’re offering an incentive to a group of students who are  looking for a home and may not find that in a lot of other places, we consider  that a good thing. It’s very consistent with our mission,” said Rold.

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.

LGBT  Preparatory classes will now take off as desperate parents look for ways to reduce college costs. Creates new wave of college entry consultants..