As reported in today’s Los Angeles Times (B-1), UCLA is trying an all new (for them) “holistic” approach to reviewing applications for admissions. The change at least in part was motivated by UCLA’s lagging diversity, while at the same time being forbidden to consider ethnicity when making admission decisions. It will be interesting to see what if any impact it has on the make-up of the graduating class of 2011. “We’re looking for all kinds of students at UCLA.” No other UC has reported similar changes to its review procedures. The UCLA approach continues to give more weight to grades and test scores, but promises that each admissions reader will read the entire application prior to rating it on a 1 to 5 scale with 1. being “Emphatically recommend for admission” and 5.being “Recommend deny”. Each application will be scored by two readers.

UCLA admissions readers offered some important insight into their criteria: “Be wary of sob stories, but try to recognize when a student has genuine difficulties. Look for ‘passion’ in an applicant’s file, as well as evidence of values and ethics. Look for leadership, but know that not every student could be first in everything.” The article also criticized a hypothetical application because the student focused his essays on his parents, and not enough on “who he was and what he cared about.”

Only time will tell the impact that this holistic approach will have on who gains acceptance to UCLA, and who does not. But any movement toward looking beyond grades and test scores should be encouraged.