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Articles on University admissions

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The Supreme Court is deciding a case on whether, and how, universities may consider an applicant’s race when making admissions decisions. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

What is affirmative action, anyway? 4 essential reads

Scholars explain what affirmative action is – and isn’t – as well as what its effects are, and why, among others, the military has supported it for decades.
Many people are wondering if COVID-19 could spell the end of university admission testing. Young people at the Autonomous University of Barcelona on July 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

University admissions tests like the SAT are under scrutiny especially in the age of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated a growing shift to test-optional admissions policies or scrapping entrance tests altogether.
Think of the ranking system like a queue. The closer you are to the front of the queue, the more likely you are to get a university spot. from shutterstock.com

What actually is an ATAR? First of all it’s a rank, not a score

The ATAR is mainly used as an efficient way for universities to decide which students can be offered a place in a certain course.
In short, less advantaged students require significant additional supports, well beyond acknowledging their diverse pathways for entry into a degree program. Alan Porritt/AAP

ANU’s new entrance criteria won’t do much to improve equity

From 2020, ANU will require students to meet co-curricular requirements alongside ATAR. This significant policy shift is meant to improve equity of access, but won’t change much.
Regardless of your ATAR, it’s important to keep vocational pathways in mind, not as a lesser option, but as a way of getting experience in an industry you’re interested in. Shutterstock

So you’ve got your ATAR, now what? Here are some options

Students should consider all their options and remember the ATAR is just one measure that doesn’t necessarily dictate how well they will do in future.
Could legal intimidation threaten race-conscious admissions in the U.S.? AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The legal threat to diversity on campus

For colleges and universities that lack the multi-billion-dollar endowments of schools like Harvard, the mere threat of legal action may be enough to put an end to race-conscious admissions policies.
Educafro, a Brazilian black activist movement, protested in 2012 to demand more affirmative action programs for higher education. AP Photo/Eraldo Peres

Affirmative action around the world

‘Positive discrimination’ policies around the world are on the rise. What might other countries teach the U.S. about attaining racial, economic and gender equality in higher education?
Antonio Guillem/shutterstock.com

Dear students, what you post can wreck your life

To post or not to post? Colleges and employers are increasingly checking social media to get a sense of their candidates. Here’s what you should (and shouldn’t) post in order to secure your future.
A student takes a nap on a desk during his lunch break studying for the National College Entrance Exam in Anhui Province, China. June 2, 2012. Reuters/Jianan Yu

Matchmaker, matchmaker, find me a school: College admissions in China

Every year, 9 million students in China compete for just 6 million college admission spots. The systems that match students with schools are being overhauled. But will that improve outcomes?

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