Chances at Washington & Lee?

Esquette
Tue, 15 May 2007 14:00:46 +0000

friedokra -

Just wondering what your information source is for your sweeping characterization of W&L’s admissions policies as inequitable? Personal experience, research, or rumor? Did you apply? Have you visited the school? Examined the admissions/application data? To me, it seems a bit “inequitable” to post such generalized attributes without offering any factual basis for your opinion.

Here is another perspective, based on recent personal experience. My S, who has no “special interest” (not sure what that means really), no “social connection,” no legacy status, and no big bank account, had hands-down the best admissions process experience with W&L from among his applicant schools, incl. my beloved alma mater and UVa. W&L so distinguished itself from its cross-admit schools in that very personalized process that the school became his surprise (to him at least) first choice.

What could possibly be “inequitable” about every applicant being considered as a “whole person” by the adcom? W&L told my S to send anything he wished them to consider in support of his application, because the adcom would really look at it. And they obviously did, because when he interviewed with professors, every single one had obviously read every line of his essays and was prepared to talk with him about what he said – and did not say – on those pages. That really blew my S away. Is it really “better and more equitable” to decide about applicants based on a tabulated numerical score derived from assigned values for certain GPA, SAT, ECs? I think these are two different admissions approaches, each one with some merit in different circumstances – but neither one necessarily deserving of the unexplained label “better and more equitable.”

As for reliance on SAT scores, what is “inequitable” about selecting a student body in which nearly 50% of current students scored above 700 on math and verbal SATs, given that demonstration of such high performance on SAT I and SAT IIs is an indicator that the student will be able to handle W&L’s rigorous academics? And why would the use of these same test score benchmarks be widely considered equitable in admissions at other selective schools, incl. most famously, the Ivys?

COlsen – do your own homework and your own thinking about W&L. Gather information and personal experiences, not generalizations. That’s the best way to develop an informed opinion.