Alternative to college admissions scam

          Instead of relying on professional test takers, falsifying documents, transcripts, fake photos colleges and universities can accept authentic assessments such as project based learning PBL, a portfolio of completed projects. Students in their classes can demonstrate their expertise and be assessed according to a rubric that is then publicly placed online. Video can be a crucial tool interviewing teachers, counselors, administrators with the student describing or demonstrating their project before college admissions is more difficult to manipulate then traditional rote oriented assessments. In my experience as an educator for k-12, college and adult students I implemented a “hands-on” practical approach that would build skills in addition to other abilities such as team-building, communication that would expand a student’s knowledge base and enhance their prospects for employment or promotion in their field. 
              Students can present to colleges and universities a tangible project in combination with tests. Saving on their stress students can create a project in each of their classes over the course of 2-3 years colleges can request that students in consultation with their teachers, counselors submit their best project assignments.  Peers can vote on student projects adding feedback, comments that adds authenticity over a traditional exam, essay or grades. Students can be in control of their projects presenting their favorites to colleges that can then decide taking a holistic approach taking into consideration other student circumstances.  The A-F grading system that has guided our k-12 schools through the industrial age can be replaced by an authentic measure of assessment with projects that can demonstrate students creativity, intelligence and resourcefulness.   
             As a student back in the 1970s I vividly recall my shop classes or what was then called vocational education. I took woodshop, machine shop, electronics then in high school photography and one of the first classes on video production. I do not remember much from my academic classes because back in the 1970s our country was industrial but I remember the shop classes because I built actual projects that I presented to my classmates whereas my academic classes were reading, taking a test then passing onto the next grade. Same goes for my university degrees except for my master’s in education technology that involved creating projects using this time digital tools. Learning should involve more than studying to pass tests which is why I believe project based learning is a solid alternative to the over reliance on testing and “fake” assessments.