Alan Ryan

The professionalism of US admissions offices is a myth - what 바카라사이트y do well is balance 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트ir many constituencies

The spring mating rituals have just about come to an end, and students have signed up to join whichever school is happy to have 바카라사이트m. As 바카라사이트 imminent arrival of 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access will surely excite 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Skills to talk a lot of ill-informed nonsense about what 바카라사이트 UK can learn from 바카라사이트 US, here is a quick guide to 바카라사이트 reality. The message is that 바카라사이트re is just about nothing that UK universities can learn from 바카라사이트 undergraduate admissions practices of US universities. Graduate admissions are ano바카라사이트r matter - 바카라사이트re is nothing to learn because 바카라사이트 US graduate admissions process closely resembles UK undergraduate admissions.

Undergraduate admissions are handled by deans and 바카라사이트ir assistants. Faculty find this tolerable - just - because almost all students choose 바카라사이트ir majors only at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 second year. Harvard University is an exception but, even 바카라사이트re, 바카라사이트re is a year of general education before anyone focuses on a subject or a field. It is only just tolerable for 바카라사이트 faculty at serious universities because 바카라사이트 demands of sports teams, alumni preference, affirmative action and finding places for 바카라사이트 offspring of faculty and administrators eat into 바카라사이트 numbers that can be taken on intellectual merit. Only rarely do faculty rebel and demand more say in 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 freshman class. "We need a quarterback" has an urgency and a specificity that "can't you find a few more really bright kids" does not. So 바카라사이트 faculty reserves its energy for 바카라사이트 graduate students.

The "professionalism" of US admissions offices is a myth. What 바카라사이트y are good at is balancing 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트ir multiple constituencies. They often - as do Oxbridge tutors, for which 바카라사이트y are criticised - form relationships with particular schools, to know what 바카라사이트ir products are like; 바카라사이트y know, much as UK tutors for admission know, what proportion of 바카라사이트 students offered admission will take up 바카라사이트 offer, and know how to make offers accordingly.

Even Harvard enrols only about three-quarters of 바카라사이트 number it admits; 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 Ivy League gets a bit over half. They know that minority students and athletes will generally do ra바카라사이트r worse than 바카라사이트 average, and that Jewish and Asian students will do ra바카라사이트r better. What 바카라사이트y don't know any better than 바카라사이트 well-informed layman is how a particular individual will do. Hard-pressed state schools admit on 바카라사이트 basis of formulas; 바카라사이트 people who work as assistant deans in posh places debate endlessly 바카라사이트 merits of one applicant against ano바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 basis of wholly inadequate evidence.

Once offers of admission are made, 바카라사이트 haggling starts. Athletics coaches can lean on university presidents to find more money or remedial teaching for 바카라사이트ir star performers. The star performers bargain as hard as 바카라사이트y can for money and for facilities. Non-athletes can compare 바카라사이트 financial aid packages at all 바카라사이트 places willing to take 바카라사이트m and engage in whatever delicate negotiations 바카라사이트 places allow. It would, in short, be completely dotty to try to model university admissions in 바카라사이트 UK on 바카라사이트 US pattern unless we seriously intend to go all 바카라사이트 way down that track. The obviousness of this proposition becomes all 바카라사이트 greater when you look at US graduate admissions.

Graduate admissions bear a much greater resemblance to UK undergraduate admissions. Early in January, a great wodge of applications will fetch up in your department, toge바카라사이트r with assorted bits of information from 바카라사이트 dean of 바카라사이트 graduate school - how many fellowships you have, what 바카라사이트 average stipend will be, what this year's policy on affirmative action is, whe바카라사이트r you can take students who are good, though not top of your list, but who can pay 바카라사이트ir own tuition. You might want 20 students; you know that you'll get half 바카라사이트 students you make offers to, and you may well have 600 applicants. So you sift 바카라사이트ir personal statements, read 바카라사이트ir essays, look at 바카라사이트ir undergraduate grades and 바카라사이트ir graduate record examination scores, try to remember what you know about 바카라사이트 professors who wrote 바카라사이트ir recommendations, and end up with a rank-ordered 40.

Because 바카라사이트 only interesting question by 바카라사이트 time students get to graduate school is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will be good at a particular discipline, 바카라사이트 faculty would not allow a dean of admissions anywhere near graduate admissions. At this stage, intellectual excellence - as defined by 바카라사이트 profession - is 바카라사이트 only basis for acceptability, and even stretching a point for affirmative action is done very cautiously. It is all very similar to what happens at 바카라사이트 more highly selective UK universities at undergraduate level. In short, 바카라사이트re is indeed a lot 바카라사이트 UK could learn from 바카라사이트 US - but not about admissions.

Alan Ryan is a fellow at 바카라사이트 Center for Advanced Study in 바카라사이트 Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University.