Task Force: Admissions Committee

Congratulations!

The top five universities in the United States have hired you for the admissions committee to redesign the admissions process. Your goal is to create guidelines that will ensure the universities are accepting ideal students that will get the most from this top tier education.  

Why Are We Doing This?

With 5-9% acceptance rates, it is easy to understand why people question the admissions process at Ivy League universities. What exactly does the admissions committee look for in its applicants? Here, we ask you to try and create guidelines for the admissions committee at the top five universities to ensure the spots get filled with people that will best contribute to society after graduation.

Steps:

1. Before you begin, read about what admissions committees look for in their applicants. Consider the importance given to grades, extracurricular activities, essays, etc. 
2. Then, try to come up with guidelines for the admissions committee at the top five universities to follow to meet the goal of filling spots with students that will contribute to society in a meaningful way, however you define that standard.
   1. What do admissions committees normally look for? 
   2. What will your admissions committee look for?
   3. What areas will be given more attention and importance?
   4. What areas will be given less attention and categorized as less important for identifying applicants that will contribute to society?
   5. How will you decide the necessary criteria for admission?
3. Think through the possible objections about your guidelines that someone might have. 
   1. Are you leaving out an important criteria that hasn’t been addressed?
4. Share with the group and see if you can convince them that your plan ensures that the spots will be filled with students who will go out to contribute to society in a meaningful way. 

Things to Keep in Mind:

• You do not have to come up with an exhaustive list of guidelines for your plan. Focus on a few you are prepared to defend.
• Try to brainstorm what it means to contribute to society in a meaningful way.