The video gives some insightful information about what it’s like for the people who work in the college admissions decision room. The committee of admissions specialists meets in a room to discuss whether they want to admit various students to the school. They first divide the 8,000 or more candidates into about 30 geographical regions. College admission software helps with that part of the process. Two people read the information about students from each region, and then the committee votes when the process is completed.
The members use an old-school style of voting with raised hands for each candidate.
The group uses a number of factors to decide who they will admit. Grades are obviously an important factor, but the committee also looks at sports and extracurricular activities. They look at whether the students have musical talents, special interests, and accolades as well. Overall, the admissions team accepts about 1,000 candidates from the 8,000-candidate pool.
The school’s dean feels that the process is flawed but steadily improving. He also thinks that the process is agonizing because the school can’t accept every prospective student. Many applicants deserve a chance to obtain a higher education, but only the top candidates gain the final approval.
