Meritocracy and the university : selective admission in England and the United States /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Mountford-Zimdars, Anna, 1979- author.
Imprint:	London, UK ; New York, NY : Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016. ©2016
Description:	1 online resource (240 pages)
Language:	English
Subject:	Universities and colleges -- Great Britain -- Admission. Universities and colleges -- Great Britain -- Entrance requirements. Education, Higher -- Great Britain. Universities and colleges -- United States -- Admission. Universities and colleges -- United States -- Entrance requirements. Education, Higher -- United States. Education, Higher. Universities and colleges -- Admission. Universities and colleges -- Entrance requirements. Great Britain. United States.
Format:	E-Resource Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/12328128

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9781849665490 1849665494 9781849665483 1849665486 9781849665476 1849665478 1849665222 9781849665223 9781849665223
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references and index. Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on March 18, 2016).
Summary:	"Who gets into elite universities, how and why? What are places like Harvard in the United States or Cambridge in England looking for when they admit undergraduate students? What qualities do selectors value and how do they decide between many applicants with often stellar attainment records? And, are we all better off because of who these elite universities admit? Meritocracy and the University provides an insight into the world of university admissions. Based on interviews with professional admissions staff and academic faculty members who select students, the book explains what selectors value and how they make decisions. By shining a light on the world of university admissions in England and in the United States, readers are invited to reflect on the similarities and differences in who selects and how selection is done, the purpose and mission of universities, and the challenges universities face in building fair admissions processes when earlier opportunities to shine in education are unequally distributed"-- "Based on a hundred interviews with some of the key stakeholders in university admissions, and statistics from both primary and secondary sources, this book explains the values, processes and practices that judge some individuals as worthy of getting an education at elite universities and deny admission to other applicants. By juxtaposing the UK and US systems the book invites readers from both sides of the Atlantic to see the familiar as strange and to reflect on the underlying values behind the selection of students. It illustrates how particular discussions of meritocracy affect individuals and relate to the history and social climate of each nation"--
Other form:	Print version: Mountford-Zimdars, Anna, 1979- Meritocracy and the university. London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2016 9781849665223
Standard no.:	40025831633

Table of Contents:

Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Who is this book written for?
Why do you look at elite universities in England and the United States?
Which universities are represented in this book?
Where and when did you undertake your research?
Do you say who you have talked to for this project?
Did you have permission to undertake the research?
What sorts of questions did you ask the selectors?
Who paid for the research? Has the funding or anyone else influenced what you found in this project?
Chapter 3 Selecting for Academic Success
United States
England
Contextualizing attainment
Chapter summary
Chapter 4 Special Interest Cases
Athletics
Legacies
Race
Region
Special talents
Extracurricular
Socio-economic
Schooling
Extenuating circumstances
Chapter summary
Chapter 5 Applying
Timing of application
The elements of an application
Achievement information
References/recommendations
Essays/personal statement
Alumni interviews
Academic interviews
Personal information
Chapter summary.
Chapter 6 Selecting
Reading
Committee
Deliberation
Shaping the class
Offers
Yield
Chapter summary
Chapter 7 Challenges in Decision-Making
Not selective enough
Drawing lines where there are none
The art of deselection
Incommensurability, relational standards and luck
Uncertainty and evidence
Procedural fairness
Legal compliance
Governance
Cooperation and competition
Engaging with the media
Chapter summary
Chapter 8 Fair Admission in the Context of Inequality
The challenge of differences in families and schooling.
Tackling admission in the context of inequality
Widening the application pool: Outreach
Using Holistic and contextual admissions
Changing the cost of higher education
Changing how elite higher education is viewed
Remaining challenges
Chapter summary
Chapter 9 So What?
Some things we have learnt about admission
Some things we have not learnt about admissions
What are the relative merits of pre-qualification systems?
Does it matter whether academics or professionals select students?
How does the implied student model affect admission?
Why did you write this book? Do you have a personal interest in the topic that may have influenced your writing?
How confident can your readers be in the accuracy of your description of the admissions process?
Structure of the book
Chapter 1 Meet the Selectors
United States
England
Chapter summary
Chapter 2 The Aims of Admission
The purpose of the university
Admitting ' the best '
Making a contribution and using opportunities
Models of learning
Admitting groups, admitting individuals
Numbers
Chapter summary.

Meritocracy and the university : selective admission in England and the United States /

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