Who Gets In?: Strategies for Fair and Effective College Admissions

Synopsis

Disputes About College Admissions Are Never Far From The Public Eye. At The Core Of These Controversies Is The Fact That An Admissions Policy Cannot Be Evaluated In A Vacuum--it Must Be Judged With Reference To The Mission Of The Institution And The Goals Of The Society At Large. There Is No All-purpose Entitlement To Be Admitted To College. Who Gets In? Explores The Goals, Effectiveness, And Fairness Of Competing Admissions Policies, Drawing On Current Events, As Well As Literature From Education, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, And Law. The Book Illustrates The Effects Of 16 Admissions Procedures Through Analyses Of Nationally Representative Survey Data From College Applicants, Implementing The Selection Methods And Then Comparing The Resulting Entering Classes In Terms Of Demographic Makeup And College Performance. A Final Chapter Offers Recommendations For Improving The Fairness And Effectiveness Of College Admissions Policy.-- Evaluating The Fairness And Effectiveness Of An Admissions System -- Admissions Tests And High School Grades: What Do They Measure? -- Performance Predictions And Academic Indexes -- Admissions Preferences: Who Deserves A Boost? -- Percent Plans And Other Test-optional Admissions Programs -- Noncognitive Attributes: A New Frontier In College Admissions? -- Casting Lots For College -- Crafting A Class -- Conclusions. Rebecca Zwick. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.