PDF (V.87:2, October 4, 1985)

[VOLUME LXXXVII NUMBER 2 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA FRIDAY 4 OCTOBERI Startling Admissions by Diana Foss The members ofthe committee and more difficult to get facultyto dent life itself would substantially need fellowships, reduced tuition, Caltech students love to com feel that the sharp increase in serve on the committee. The time imporve out image with potential or reduced self-help levels to insure plain. Ofcourse, this isn't the sort Caltech's tuition and self-help level commitment is so demanding that applicants, not to mention the that outstanding students don't tum of place that leaves people indif in 1982 was responsible for the only exceptional faculty members beneficial effect they would have us down because of money. Addi ferent, yet it seems that no facet of decline. These financial considera feel able to handle it. Perhaps more right here at home. To that end, the tionally, the Financial Aid Com life at Caltech escapes from the in tions are very important to many disturbing is the distribution of Ad Hoc Curriculum Committee has mittee should be notified ofpropos tense and often negative attention prospective Caltech students, and members among the divisions. This been formed and urged to explore ed increases in tuition or self-help of its students. For all that, the increase in the yield to 52 % this last year there were no biologists ways to reduce pressure on levels early enough for them to however, those who complain year may well be attributable to the on admissions, and only 2 ofthe 17 students and the inflexibility ofthe provide useful input. often feel that they are alone in innovative financial packages of members came from Geology and curriculum. Caltech must develop a their dissatisfation, that none of fered this year, and to the fact that Planetary Science. Contrast this to Caltech's humanities offerings systematic program for recruiting their feelings are shared, much less the self-help level has actually 4 out of 17 from Chemistry and are not as varied as those of other applicants after they have been ad likely to be acted upon. This just declined since 1982. There is, Chemical Engineering and a whop schools, but they are in no way in mitted. Involvement of faculty and isn't so. however, evidence of an inverse ping 6 out of 17 from Humanities ferior in quality. A special alumni, as well as a larger early ad Last year, Dr. Donald S. relation between yeild and appli and Social Science. brochure on HSS offerings would missions effort, would increase our Cohen, the Chairman ofthe Facul cant quality. Stanford, for exam There are problems with the offset the image that Caltech is yield. ty, called together an ad hoc com ple, has a 76% yield among its faculty control of the process, weak in this area. Other aspects of The confused organization of mittee to study Caltech's admis lowest-rated applicants, but only however. There is little coordina Caltech that should be specially the admissions procedure could be sions policies and procedures. 47% among its highest-rated. tion between the various faculty emphasized in our recruitment eliminated by the creation ofthe of Rumblings ofdiscontent from past The committee is most con committees, and the lines of literature are the SURF program, fice of Dean of Admissions and and present faculty members ofthe cerned with Caltech's pool of ap authority for the staff are confus our small size, intimacy, and flex Financial Aid. The position would admissions committee had reached plicants and how we fare in direct ed. Staff initiative tends to get stifl ibility cooperation among the be one of broad policy and over a sufficiently high level that the ad competition with our major rivals. ed by the immobilizing cacophony students, and the honor system. A sight decisions. The administration ministration decided that something The suggestion that some of the of faculty voices. As a conse shuttle bus service to schools with staff should also have the freedom had to be done. Dr. Bruce Cain, best students are not applying to quence, staff members become too cultural and humanistic offerings and autonomy to carry out bold professor of political science, was Caltech was heard often enough to cautious to undertake the recruit Caltech cannot provide would be a recruitment plans without faculty chosen to chair the committee, and warrant investigation. In the main, ment programs Caltech so badly novel way to offset our supposed interference. To lessen the burden Drs. John Bercaw (chemistry,) test scores ofCaltech students have needs. lack of commitment to aspects of of the faculty members of the Ad Glen Cass (environmental stayed at their traditional high The committee's report contains education aside from science. missions coIDrnittee, they should be engineering,) Steve Koonin level, with the notable exceptions a large number ofgood reccomen The committee also rec given a term of teaching credit in (physics,) and David Van Essen of the verbal SAT and the English dations. First among them is that comends the expansion of the 3/2 exchange for their service. Also, (biology) formed the rest of the achievement test. Before 1979, the Caltech must develop a vigorous program, and exploring whether it every division should send at least group, known to some as the average verbal SAT dropped below fall visit program, sending staff to could be extended to areas outside one representative. The Admis "Young Turks." only 660 once, and the English AT college fairs and regular visits with of engineering. sions committee should consist of In his charge to the Ad Hoc dropped below 650 only once. counselors and AP science The Faculty Admissions Com 10 faculty members, the Director Committee on Admissions Policies Since then, however, the SAT ver teachers. We should also consider mittee should really develop a set ad Assistant Directors of Admis and Procedures, Dr. Cohen re bal average has been above 640 on a fall road show in major cities of written criteria for admissions sions, and the student members. quested that they "make a com ly twice and the English AT above where we'd rent out a hotel banquet that would be reviewed and revis In order to insure that their rec prehensive and critical review" of 640 only twice. These are minor room and meet with interested ed annually. Applications should comendations stay in the front of Caltech's admissions process. He shifts, to be sure, but they are students, parents, and teachers in be read by more than one person. everyone's minds, the members of went on to say that the current ad nonetheless worrisome. the area. We should particularly A personal rating for nonacademic the Ad Hoc Committee on Admis missions structure was "not func In competition with our major target for recruitment the major interests should be introduced, and sions Policies and Procedures plan tioning well" and was "badly rivals, we seem to have a real pro science schools in the country, and an effort made to increase the to contine meeting and reminding fragmented," and he urged them to blem. In the last decade, we were extend and improve our interac diversity of the incoming class the administration of their commit consider the whole range ofoptions getting 60% of those accepted by tions with local high schools, without sacrificing academic ex ment to improving the admissions from minor modifications to a both Caltech and MIT or Stanford, perhaps expanding the Summer cellence. Caltech should make a process at Caltech. Dr. Cain "radical restructuring ofour entire but in the 80's, we are getting only School Program. special effort to recruit students in doesn't feel he's done his job right process." about 40%. Additionally, the We should target students with biology, chemistry, geology, and unless members ofthe administra Dr. Cain (who happens to play percentage ofthe Caltech entering specific interests and send them other underpopulated options. tion cringe when they see him ap tennis with Dr. Cohen) feels that class that was rejected by MIT or special brochures about oppor A systematic, computerized proach. For the sake of frosh. he was chosen to chair the commit Stanford has also increased tunities for study and research in evaluation of undergraduate admis classes to come, let's hope the ad tee because he had never served on markedly during the same period, that field at Caltech. We shoud sions and education would be in ministration will do more than the admissions committee before, although there are indications that consider offering merit scholar valuable iIi formulating admissions cringe. and could look at the problems with this merely reflects the differences ships to incoming freshmen and criteria. Copies of the report are a fresh perspective. The "Young in the two schools' admissions pro advertising them in major science Caltech should consider raising available from Dr. Cain in Baxter Turks" took their 'charge serious cedures. MIT places greater weight magazines. Improvements to stu- large amounts of money for non- Hall. ly. They started by sending letters on well-roundedness and personal to everyone who had ever been in characteristics than Caltech does, volved with admissions at Caltech which may serve to reinforce the and asking for people's perceptions point that our standards are more of the admissions process. They narrowly academic than those of received about 40 memos in return, other schools. and talked in person to everyone The students who apply to who had replied. Caltech are not the main problem, Next, they dug around in the at however. The most commonly ex tic of Dabney Hall to find records pressed concern was with Caltech's and evaluations of Caltech admis neglect of recruitment and self sion policies dating from the late advertisement, resulting in a bad 60's and early 70's.

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