Dive Brief:
- Top schools, including Harvard and MIT, are reconsidering the admissions model in order to promote a more fair process with a greater emphasis on admitting good people, rather than just those who possess the resources to participate in often cost-prohibitive extracurriculars.
- The idea originated with Harvard professor and psychologist Richard Weissbourd, and encourages students to take AP courses that interest them, not across the board. The concept also gives more consideration to students who may work after school jobs or care for family members, and values more heavily the idea that students who immerse themselves in community service activities over traveling to remote locations are gaining similar experiences.
- Weissbourd believes students who are community-minded are better prepared for the higher education complex, rather than students who are competing to stack a high school resume that will earn them admission into top institutions, but without really learning anything from the experience.
Dive Insight:
This admissions consideration could be an equalizer for students from low-income backgrounds, and could ultimately promote the kinds of diversity higher ed leaders say is necessary for the future success of the industry. Recognizing a student's success across a range of experiences, challenges and triumphs will be a better indicator of focus and determination than a padded resume.
However, administrators should be prepared for the idea that these challenges will likely follow a student to college. If family income prohibits involvement in extracurricular activities, those same limitations will likely be a challenge in obtaining academic tools that are both necessary and costly. If a student had to work in high school to help care for family members, it should be expected that s/he will continue to work in college.
Increased resources in the areas of need-based aid, additional human resources to check in on students as they matriculate to college, greater consideration for open educational resources instead of expensive texts, and flexible course scheduling and access to online courses will all be key to retaining these students and ensuring they make it through to graduation and beyond.