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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m confused. If the UC schools don’t look at test scores or 9th grade grades, and limit the number of AP/equivalent “lifts” that each kid can get to 8, then how do they actually select students? Because it seems to me that there would be a large number of applicants with unweighted 4.0s (or near enough) who also have taken the maximum allowed APs. So how do they pick a class?[/quote]

'Holistically'. GPA, APs etc. are only few of many 'factors' to be considered for admission.[/quote]

Reader here. And I think it's important to remember that "holistically" doesn't mean randomly. There are rubrics for different factors, academic and not. Let's say a certain UC was particularly interested in "bravery" as a quality. (So far as I know, none are.) So they have one part of the rubric where readers score the student 1-10 on bravery, with 10 being the most brave. One student writes about overcoming his fear of dogs to pet a neighbor's dog. Another writes about falling into a ravine on a camping trip and being stuck, so having to spend the night there. A third student, who once rescued a child from kidnappers at the risk of her own life, chooses not to write about this incident in much detail, just saying,"Last summer I helped my neighbor who was in a difficult situation."

The readers would score the students' bravery based on what they said in their essays. The first student bravely overcome his fears, and the act was of his own volition. He also wrote both earnestly and, at times, with gentle humor. The second student encountered a greater obstacle but wasn't necessarily able to do much to help themselves. Is that second student much braver than the first student, or just a victim of bad luck? The application readers are told on the rubric (and in training) how the school wants them to score these types of accounts.

The third student bravely risked her life to help someone else. Seems like the most brave to me! However, this student didn't really write about the incident in her essay, maybe not realizing that the school is particularly interested in "bravery" as a quality this year. Therefore, she scores poorly in this category. Remember, the readers score based on what's on the page.

From my experience, I wouldn't think of the results so much as random as unpredictable. Students can still do the best job they can of presenting themselves, not downplaying or overstating their accomplishments. Then the school gets to decide who's the best fit.[/quote]

Christ.  This is what college in the US has become?

Give me the exams and merit-based admissions like in Europe.  I mean, they are applying to ACADEMIC institutions.  Do I really care if my future heart surgeon overcame his fear of dogs?[/quote]

Schools like JMU generally admit based on grades and test scores. [/quote]

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