Book Review: Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy

Journal of College Access Volume 8 Issue 1 Article 6 12-5-2023 Book Review: Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy Christopher W. Tremblay University of Michigan, Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Higher Education Administration Commons Recommended Citation Tremblay, Christopher W. (2023) "Book Review: Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy," Journal of College Access: Vol. 8: Iss. 1, Article 6. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca/vol8/iss1/6 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Michigan University at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of College Access by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact . Book Review: Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy Authored by Christopher W. Tremblay (University of Michigan) W hen this book arrived, I could not put it down. And then I started telling my admissions and enrollment colleagues all about it. Let me tell you why this is a mustread for those working in college access, admissions, or enrollment management. Yes, the title might not tell you that this is a book for college access folks, but it is. A skim of the table of contents is very revealing as you see access-related terms such as: repressive legalism, equitable practice, holistic review, potential of lotteries, direct admissions, and advancing equity. PART I Questioning Current Practices Chapter 1 “The law has direct implications for higher education’s capacity to admit and support historically marginalized students on campus” (p. 18). Fernandez and Garces introduce the concept of “repressive legalism” and provide three bold questions for each campus to ask themselves as they consider how laws and legal actions are stifling progress on making admission to college more accessible. Poon and Bastedo have assembled 22 authors to describe in three parts how to “rethink” college admissions and facilitate a conversation on research, practice, and policy. In the preface, they state the book’s goal is “to present research to generate new ideas and considerations for practice and policy in admissions…” (p. xiii). Chapter 2 “Although researchers, lawmakers, and education leaders have paid significant attention to making postsecondary education and rigorous courses more accessible for historically marginalized groups, we are a long way from an equitable praxis that will actually begin to dress and ameliorate the historical barriers and resultant gaps” (p. 37-38). I will use a compelling passage from each chapter to introduce you to this stellar read and to demonstrate how access is embedded in each chapter’s message. Volume 8 | December 2023 | Issue 1 89 Book Review: Rethinking College Admissions found Nakae’s work beneficial and applicable to my work in admissions and college access. There is so much embedded in that one sentence by Rodriguez, Lebioda, Skiles and Bindiganavile. This chapter chronicles inequality among Advanced Placement. The authors presented three key issues that impact equitable admission practices and then offer two primary recommendations. Chapter 5 “…Institutions would do well to eradicate standardized testing altogether and to take a deep look into the college application preparation industrial complex and what it does to exacerbate inequality” (p. 80). Chapter 3 “Racism and other forms of oppression undoubtedly continue to undermine the ability of racially minoritized students to prepare for and actively pursue their college aspirations” (p. 49-50). Park provides an overview of the test prep industry, test prep in general, and advocates for a need for change. Admissions is really at a pivotal point in perceptions and realities of the role of standardized testing in decisionmaking. This chapter is timely and could become a book of its own. This chapter offers five recommended practices for improving the college admissions review process. Comeaux introduces the concept of “community cultural wealth framework” that I found compelling. As you have read, Part 1 really set the stage to a variety of current admission practices that are not facilitating positive change in equity nor equality for students historically underrepresented in American higher education. Chapter 4 “As we forge ahead, continued creativity, courage, and innovation are needed to redesign and reimagine admissions structures and processes to ensure that medicine attracts and retains a talented, dynamic, and diverse physician workforce” (p. 66). Part II. Considering Different Approaches to the Work in Admissions Offices Chapter 6 “Equity-minded change requires purpose, attention, and the courage to acknowledge and address the multiple manifestations of racism” (p. 100). Nakae’s chapter is solely focused on medical school admission. They hone in on the holistic review process for medical schools, offering a historical perspective, current setting and end with future directions about discontinuing use of the MCAT and creating more HBCU medical schools. Despite not having ever worked in medical school admission, I still Volume 8 | December 2023 | Issue 1 Posselt and Desir address the elephant in the room (calling it the “uncomfortable truth”) immediately with their first sentence that 90 Book Review: Rethinking College Admissions describes admissions as the paradox of exclusion and access. They then discuss and define racialization and equity, which I appreciated. Their chapter concludes with a set of four thought-provoking questions for possible action at the organizational and individual level. Chapter 9 “The admissions profession employs many who believe in the power of higher education to transform lives and express deep commitments to values of diversity and equity” (p. 148). This chapters’ five authors analyzed interviews with 50 admissions professionals to describe the two barriers to professional development that embraces equity and diversity. Their chapter concludes with offering four recommendations for improving professional development practices. Chapter 7 “For the 70 percent of colleges that request criminal history information on their application forms, it is perhaps time to reconsider these practices, with particular attention to how they might conflict with other institutional goals such as diversity, equity and inclusion” (p. 112). Part III. Considering New Models for Admissions Practice and Research This chapter is another very specific topic, similar to Chapter 4. For those readers not familiar with the topic of criminal conduct questions embedded in the college admission process, Stewart takes you on a thorough and effective journey. Chapter 10 “Proponents of lotteries for the purposes of increasing diversity may take pause at the findings” (p. 155). This sho (...truncated)