Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy

Rethinking College Admissions probes the many facets of higher education admissions and translates research-backed insights into actionable strategies for innovative, equitable admissions practices.

Edited by scholars OiYan A. Poon and Michael N. Bastedo, this collection gives readers an evidence-based understanding of postsecondary admissions practices and structures, exploring many factors that affect college access and educational equity in the United States. These collected essays from leading experts present boundary-pushing applied research on admissions, with implications for policy, practice, and leadership.

The volume considers admissions issues from three angles. In the opening essays, contributors offer critical analyses of current admissions approaches in higher education, delineating the delicate balance of equity-building efforts and legal pressures. The contributors offer reflections on whether and how admissions systems further inclusion or inequality. They examine topics such as race-conscious admissions, holistic review without standardized test scores, and student test preparation. The volume’s next part discusses the many different ways in which admissions work can be done, outlines ethical hazards, and considers potential areas for organizational change. The final essays provide inroads and examples for developing reciprocal relationships in research and practice for the future. They discuss promising approaches for advancing campus diversity, such as admissions lotteries, direct enrollment, and institutional promise programs for high-achieving students from low-income communities.

A must-read for practitioners, policy makers, and anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of postsecondary admissions structures, including K–12 educators and counselors, advocacy groups, and students, this work supports data-informed approaches to higher education admissions.

OiYan A. Poon is a program officer at the Spencer Foundation and a faculty affiliate at Colorado State University and the University of Maryland, College Park. Michael N. Bastedo is a professor in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan, where he also serves as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs.