Andy Borst Profile picture
Mar 21, 2023 12 tweets 5 min read Read on X
With the intention of moving away from the middle 50% of SAT/ACT scores, we are exploring different ways to provide information to students, parents, and counselors about who gets admitted to UIUC.

This is a thread about Language Other Than English and college admissions.🧵
Who gets admitted to UIUC? We want to explore new ways to show who gets admitted by breaking down certain components of our application process, such as our expectation for students to take a language other than English in high school.
Most students admitted to UIUC (66.2%) took 4 levels or more of a language other than English.

36.5% took more than 4 levels, 85.3% took 3 or more levels, and 98.5% took 2 or more levels.
Since the pandemic, the profile of student we admit hasn't changed drastically, but our middle 50% has become skewed based on who chooses to submit scores. Notice how the interquartile range changes when 45% of the distribution isn't represented:
Our admissions process places the most weight on consistent achievement at the highest curriculum level available to the student, especially in English, LOTE, Math, Science, and Social Science. admissions.illinois.edu/apply/freshman…
Strong performance in these core academic areas are most important to our admission process. I've already tweeted about math (and calculus) in other threads, so let's dig in further into Language Other than English (LOTE).
At UIUC, levels of LOTE in high school were correlated (emphasis added) to first-year GPA performance, with each level being associated with stronger grades in the first term of college.
At the same time, no matter what factors we consider in admission, many requirements may be insidious in perpetuating inequality.

There are notable differences in who takes more levels of LOTE based on who qualifies for a financial hardship fee waiver
There are also significant differences in levels of LOTE by race/ethnicity.

Only 30.9% of African American/Black students took 4 or more levels of LOTE, compared to 56.3% of white students.
The less information we share about what happens inside the black box of college admissions, the more frustration builds.

My hope is to find new ways to convey information that will be helpful to students, while also challenging conventional metrics in college admissions.
What other decision points do high school students face in choosing a curriculum (when it is their choice)?

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More from @AndyBorstUGA

Oct 1, 2022
This was me. I said this. Here is why…🧵
This quote came from a report by @Justequations & @NACAC which raises an important question about the role of calculus in admissions justequations.org/wp-content/upl…
Yes, calculus should continue to be the default recommendation for students who are interested in STEM majors. I will agree with that recommendation, but I want to offer that the emphasis should be that students are *ready to begin* calculus in college. insidehighered.com/admissions/art…
Read 21 tweets
Jun 9, 2022
Should I send my ACT/SAT? I thought I would share some insights on this question in an attempt to add some transparency.
Submitting your test scores improves your chances of being admitted in the same way that eating more mozzarella improves your chances of earning a doctorate in civil engineering. The two may be related but not causal. Source: tylervigen.com/spurious-corre… Image
I'm going to attempt to show how flawed metrics of "who gets admitted" may lead you to an false conclusion. Cartoon by #xkcd Image
Read 15 tweets
Feb 23, 2022
The only admission decision harder to understand than being denied is being waitlisted. I want to offer some context about waitlists.
The most common question I hear is, "What are my chances of being admitted off the waitlist?"
Just for some peace of mind, most universities who have a waitlist also have what's called a "Common Data Set." Waitlist statistics are part of that data set. This can provide some context for how schools have used their list in the past years. Keep in mind each year is different
Read 12 tweets
Jan 31, 2022
Many universities have more applications/fewer staff to read files and are bracing for uncertainty. This may lead to larger waitlists/more deferrals and cause students greater anxiety. Pro tip: You can't predict admission decisions. 🧵
tl;dr The denominator is getting bigger (apps), the numerator MAY be getting smaller (enroll targets), fewer people are available to read apps, and colleges will likely guard against over- and under-enrolling (larger waitlists).
More Applications: Compared to 2019, @CommonApp apps are up almost 20% with bigger increases at publics and more rejective colleges. s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ca.research.pu…
Read 10 tweets
May 31, 2021
If I had one wish, it would be for high schools to eliminate half of their Advanced Placement courses.🧵
As test optional admissions shifts the focus onto course selection and grades, we need to be intentional to not replace the testing arms-race for an emphasis on number of AP/Dual Credit/IB/Honors courses or extra-curriculars.
I recently got an email from a high school thinking of cutting some of their 30+ AP/Honors classes. They are admirably trying to address issues of equity within their courses while trying to address concerns about their students not being as competitive for admission.
Read 17 tweets
Apr 6, 2021
In honor of several universities releasing admission decisions today, I offer some selected quotes from an article: nytimes.com/1970/03/13/arc…
"As the officials plow through the thousands of applications, recommendations and test scores, youngsters and parents bite their nails waiting to see if they have beaten the mysterious system and been chosen by the college of their choice."
"It is probably easier to get into college these days, but harder to [be admitted to] your first choice."
Read 10 tweets

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