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Review files holistically to maintain a diverse student body
Princeton University strives to facilitate the enrollment, retention and graduation of a qualified, diverse graduate student body. To achieve this goal, the Graduate School Access, Diversity and Inclusion team works with departments, specifically the DGS and the departmental admission committee, during the admission process and encourages departmental admission committees to consider a wide range of both quantitative and qualitative factors.
Form a diverse admission committee: The department Chair and DGS should compose a balanced committee that includes committee members with different perspectives and expertise, and if possible, women and individuals from underrepresented groups. Ideally, the committee should include a mix of junior and senior faculty. Some committees include advanced doctoral students.
- Prime the committee about implicit bias
- Watch a video on implicit bias prior to the first meeting or participate in a workshop on the topic (see quick Resources Section for video information)
- Discuss the intention to consider all qualified candidates
- Maintain awareness of diversity through process
- Create regular opportunities to debrief and review progress at each key stage
- Separate the two rounds of evaluations
- Ask one group to narrow the pool and an entirely different committee to do the final selection
Develop a comprehensive framework to assess applicants: A comprehensive approach is useful to avoid an over-reliance on GRE scores or other traditional definitions of merit, especially in the preliminary stages of assessing whether an applicant is worth advancing to the next stage of the process.
Develop an evaluation rubric and change the order in which materials are reviewed: Ensure that criteria are clear, consistent, and equitably applied to make the process more efficient and consistent across evaluators. Reorder the review process to read the statement of purpose before reviewing grades and scores to reduce bias introduced by an over reliance on grades and scores.
- Letters of recommendation can describe a student’s potential for success and provide useful context for understanding an application. At the same time, research suggests that letters sometimes reveal unconscious bias.1
- To supplement quantitative metrics, use a holistic approach1 to determine an applicant’s potential for success. Multiple indicators, supported by research, suggest that certain traits are well correlated to success in doctoral programs including creativity, tenacity, and perseverance.2 These traits may be articulated in personal statements or letters of recommendation; however, they are best judged through in−person interviews.
- Consider applicants who
- display drive and motivation to persist and succeed in their careers despite personal, professional, or financial barriers or challenges. Judge applicants based on what they were able to achieve with the resources that were available to them.
- show an upward trajectory in their academic success and discount courses taken in the freshman year. Many first-generation and low-income students experience a difficult transition to college but then achieve great success as they progress.
- have the potential to bring to their research the creative and critical discourse that comes from their experience or who have research interests that will contribute to intellectual diversity.
- Interview candidates in person: Where possible, invite candidates for a campus interview and structure the visit to include conversations in both formal and informal settings so that the admission committee can fully determine what the candidate could bring to Princeton. Make candidates aware of the breadth of resources available on campus. Remember candidates are being both evaluated and courted. The ADI Team can support in the planning of visitations for prospective and admitted students.
- Take a High Touch Approach to Communications: Stay in contact with promising students to convey a commitment and investment in their success. Promising prospective students have many choices and the relationship that the department creates with the student can impact their decision.
- Have a Departmental Hosting Event post admissions to enhance the yield of promising students: Students find a campus visitation helpful in their decision-making process. The ADI Team is available to assist departments in creating an inclusive and welcoming program. Some suggestions for to enhance a sense of inclusion:
- An Inclusive Princeton Event: Featuring campus resources, student affinity groups, or a current graduate student panel can provide prospective student a sense of the “inclusive community” they could join.
- Dean’s lunch or tea led by an ADI Dean.
- Pairing students with a departmental buddy or a mentor during their visitation to ensure students feel supported and connected while in the department.
- Ask Us Anything Session/Panel led by current students to address prospective student questions and concerns.
- A women’s luncheon/tea/event for departments in which women students are greatly in the minority (particularly in the STEM areas) can be helpful to give prospective women an opportunity to make connections.
Quick Resources on Recruitment and Admissions:
- Miller and Stassun (Nature, 2014). “A Test That Fails.”
- Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program Toolkit
- Kent, J.D. and McCarthy, M.T. (2016). Holistic Review in Graduate Admissions: A Report from the Council of Graduate Schools
- GRE® Guide to the Use of Scores 2017 – 2018
- The Implicit Bias Video Series by UCLA’s Office of Equity, Diversity Inclusion
- Implicit Bias Review 2017 (Kirwan Institute)
Julie Posselt(2016). Inside Graduate Admissions (book with case studies)
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1 Kent, J. D., McCarthy, M. T. (2016) Holistic File Review in Graduate Admissions: A Report from the Council of Graduate Schools. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools
2 Matthews, M. D., Kelly, D. R. (2007) Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals. J. Personality and Social Psychology 92 1087 - 1101
