http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134916924/Amherst-Admissions-Process, in which journalist Tovia Smith reports on her observations of the admissions committee at Amherst College.
The piece reveals that the admissions process is getting worse, especially for highly qualified students. During the story, admissions officers at Amherst wrestle over student applications that largely look the same, even though these mirror images reflect industrious and intelligent students clearly capable of success at any college. The officers search for ways to distinguish the students, sometimes even resorting to one line in a student essay. One officer admits that for qualified students, the final round of decisions is really just a lottery.
This confirmation that admission decisions are highly subjective and random is discouraging and encouraging at the same time. Discouraging because admissions officers are still on the wrong path, but encouraging because at least students rejected from Amherst can see that the decision was not about them.
No comments:
Post a Comment