The dreaded personal essay used to be the toughest part of the college-admissions process for the applicant. These days it's admissions officers who fret about student writing--and not just because they fall asleep reading endless takes on "overcoming adversity." They've got weightier concerns--plagiarized essays, students who receive…

The organizational transformation process begun several years ago by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers has resulted in the association's once-solid financial base collapsing, bringing internal tensions about the transformation to the surface. Debate centers on the organization's ability to be a policy leader…