Michigan Admissions Collaboratory hosts the Holistic Admissions in Global Context conference

The Holistic Admissions in Global Context conference, a first-of-its-kind event, was convened at U-M by the Michigan Admissions Collaboratory on May 3–5, 2023, and was sponsored by American Educational Research Association (AERA). 

While many people assume that national exams like the gaokao (China), the suneung (South Korea), and the concours (France) exclusively drive admissions decision making in countries outside the United States, many countries have adopted holistic admissions practices similar to U.S. institutions, and some have used them for a substantial proportion of incoming students for over 20 years. But many of these countries face similar challenges related to college access, admissions transparency, and the potential for corruption, and relatively little research has been published on these admissions practices and their effects on equity, access, and student diversity. In addition, the researchers who currently investigate these admissions practices are spread throughout the world, and have had little opportunity to share their work and develop opportunities for collaborative inquiry that would move the field forward.

The ultimate goal of the meeting was to inspire a robust, global community of admissions researchers who will inspire a research agenda for the field for many years to come.