Brown University is reviewing its admissions practices, including its policies on early decision, legacy preferences, and standardized test scores.
The review comes amid criticism that these practices give an unfair advantage to certain groups of applicants, such as wealthy and white students.
For example, early decision applicants are more likely to be admitted than regular decision applicants. This is because early decision applicants are required to commit to attending the school if they are admitted. This does not allow them to compare financial aid packages, limiting this application option to wealthier sections of society.
Further, standardized test scores are used by many colleges to assess applicants’ academic abilities. However, critics argue that these tests are biased against certain groups of students, such as those from low-income families or those who are not native English speakers.
Brown’s review will be led by a committee of faculty, administrators, and alumni. The committee will review data on admitted students and make recommendations on how to improve the admissions process.
Any changes made by the committee will be implemented before next year’s admission cycle.
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