Social Reproduction in the College Admission Process: Admission Counselors' Perspectives on How Decisions Are Made

• In Event: Underresearched Student Populations and Access, Transitions, and Success

Abstract

This paper explores how nine experienced admission counselors at private, selective colleges and universities negotiate the importance of various pieces of the college application and navigate competing priorities when making admission decisions and the impact these decisions have on equity in higher education. I aim to highlight the voices and experiences of admission counselors and underscore the important and often overlooked role they play in the decision-making process. Drawing on a Bourdieusian framework, I provide needed insight into how selective admission processes operate behind closed doors and the ways in which these practices advantage students from certain backgrounds.

Author

• Kendall Cole, Stanford University
  Presenting Author