'Dan Rather Reports' to Take a Behind-The-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes, High Money World of the College Admissions Process

'Dan Rather Reports' to Take a Behind-The-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes, High Money World of the College Admissions Process

'Dan Rather Reports: The Admissions Game' premieres Tuesday, May 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET

DALLAS, May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Today's process of applying to college has become so tortured and demanding that many people -- students, teachers, and experts -- say the system is broken. Many question whether the process is fair, and whether or not it really serves the interests of parents, students, or the colleges themselves.

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The subject of college admissions also strikes at some of the most controversial issues facing this country: questions of race, wealth, privilege, and class.

In this Tuesday's episode, "Dan Rather Reports" goes inside the process of college admissions. The program will bring you a seldom-seen look into an admissions committee meeting and Rather speaks with university presidents, guidance counselors, and students from two very different high schools.

One man has made it his mission to take on this system - a system he says has been taken over by billion dollar industries. "The commercialization of college admissions has created a crisis by undermining educational values," said Lloyd Thacker of the Education Conservancy.

The pressure to get into a top-ranked school has driven some students to extremes, paying tens of thousands of dollars to coaches who help them market themselves properly in their college application process. At the same time, the commercialization of admissions has made it even harder for low-income students to compete in the admissions game, especially if they can't afford costly tutors or SAT preparation.

Rather also speaks to some college presidents who agree it's time to make a change.

"We've made a mess of it and we can do better," said Doug Bennett, the president of Earlham College in Indiana. "We make some people very anxious about getting into college. Very well prepared students grow tremendously anxious. And we have a lot of other students -- and I worry more about these [students] -- who aren't sure that college is right for them. Aren't sure they can afford it. And then wind up not going at all."

"Dan Rather Reports: The Admissions Game" premieres on HDNet, Tuesday, May 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET with a re-air at 11:00 p.m. ET to accommodate West Coast Prime Time.

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