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> set a minimum competency bar and then accept everyone who clears the threshold Isn't this what they already do at a theoretical level? If you have 800 seats
by pc86 5y ago
> set a minimum competency bar and then accept everyone who clears the threshold
Isn't this what they already do at a theoretical level? If you have 800 seats in a given class, you keep raising your admissions bar until you get ~800 qualified applicants.
Now we can discuss whether donations and legacy status should play into that bar or not, but I think that's a separate issue.
- jfengel 5y agoI don't think that's what was intended. I think the idea is "Set your admissions bar to the minimum level, then admit however many students meet it." Or, if you have only 800 possible seats, "Set your admissions bar, then pick 800 of them randomly". The more you "raise" the bar, the more your definition of "raise" matters. It will tend to select people who can afford (in time, money, connections, etc) to meet your specific criteria. And you run the risk of accidentally setting your criteria to be "more like me" (in looks, patterns of thought, etc.) If you assume that your school can benefit anybody smart enough to meet your criteria, why not take as many as you can? And why not aim to get more people who couldn't focus on your criteria? Randomness won't seek them out, but it at least won't prefer a 1500 SAT by a student who does nothing but take SAT tests to a 1460 SAT by a student who has to work two part time jobs.