Journal article
What are We Talking About When We Talk About Holistic Review? Selective College Admissions and its Effects on Low-SES Students
The Journal of higher education (Columbus), Vol.89(5), pp.782-805
09/03/2018
DOI: 10.1080/00221546.2018.1442633
Abstract
This mixed-methods study used open-response survey data, focus groups, and an experimental simulation to explore how 311 admissions officers defined and used concepts of holistic review in selective college admissions. We found that 3 distinct definitions of holistic review predominate in the field: whole file, whole person, and whole context. We explored these concepts qualitatively and used the coded data to predict decision making in an experimental simulation. We found that admissions officers with a "whole context" view of holistic review were disproportionately likely to admit a low socioeconomic-status applicant in our simulation. Inconsistent definitions of a core admissions concept make it more difficult for the public to comprehend the "black box" of college admissions, and a more consistently contextualized view of holistic review may also have real-world implications for the representation of low-income students at selective colleges.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- What are We Talking About When We Talk About Holistic Review? Selective College Admissions and its Effects on Low-SES Students
- Creators
- Michael N. Bastedo - University of Michigan–Ann ArborNicholas A. Bowman - University of IowaKristen M. Glasener - University of Michigan–Ann ArborJandi L. Kelly - University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Journal of higher education (Columbus), Vol.89(5), pp.782-805
- Publisher
- Routledge
- DOI
- 10.1080/00221546.2018.1442633
- ISSN
- 0022-1546
- eISSN
- 1538-4640
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/03/2018
- Academic Unit
- Educational Policy and Leadership Studies; Public Policy Center (Archive); Center for Social Science Innovation
- Record Identifier
- 9984283728202771
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