This means that the selection process should emphasize academic accomplishment, personal talents, potential for growth, diversity of backgrounds and individual goals that are compatible with the institution s goals. Candidates should be evaluated and valued as whole persons just as new classes should be valued as aggregates of complex individuals. Students will come from various geographical areas, ethnic and racial backgrounds and should be admitted without regard to economic circumstances. It should be noted that over many decades the Board of Managers has mandated only one major admissions policy that daughters and sons of alumni and members of the Society of Friends are to be admitted if the admissions staff determines that they can be successful academically. As far as I know, the Board has never modified this directive, but it has been largely ignored in the admissions process in recent years.
Selection is important and difficult.
No simple formula will be effective. Selection by test scores or grade point averages is just such a formula and will not result in the kinds of classes described above. Let me try to summarize at the risk of oversimplifying. The details of the operation of the Admissions Office and the selection process will vary over time depending on competition for students, changes in our academic program, strengths and weaknesses in prior applicant groups and the financial resources available to the Office. Perhaps it is sufficient for our purposes to emphasize that these practices should be directed toward gaining a full picture of each candidate s abilities and then to the formation of a class which contains the diversity needed to support personal growth and institutional strength.