New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-13
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS.
college AND UNIVERSITY NEWS
NOTES OF INTEREST.
COLLEGE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
WHAT THE NEW ENGLAND COMMISSION
HAS ACCOMPLISHED - IT'S PRO
POSED INVESTIGATIONS.
POSED INVESTIGATIONS


During the last fifteen years the Commission of
Colleges in New England has been steadily accom-
plishing an important work regarding admission
examinations The origin OF the Commission was
mainly due the attempts made by the colleges
OF New England previous 10 1888 TO unity college
entrance requirements in English The first steps
toward this unihcation were taken at a meeting OF
the Association of Colleges in New-England' held
at Trinity College when a vote was passed recog-
MIXING the desirability OF uniformity. At the same
college. in December, 1879 representatives of sew
eral leading colleges met and drew up scheme or
requirements IN English these requirements being
largely based on those prescribed by Harvard Col
1ege and first introduced there in 1874 The IN
tention of this Harvard decision was to encourage
teachers to familiarize their pupils with rev
good specimens of English literature. TO pay care
ful attention TO English composition and to cult
waite i'm their pupils through careful translation
and the reading of prescribed books, accurate
methods of thought and expression In OCTOBER
1885. when the association met at Dartmouth Col
lege, special provision made for preparing
lists Of books to cover the requirements in Eng
fish. and the vote passed which finally re-
suited in the creation Of the Commission In no
department has the influence welded by this Com
mission been marked than in English.
Announcement Is made in the Commissions re-
port of the books for reading and practice dur
ing 1893 1904 and 1906, for publication in the cata-
logues Of New-England colleges where the re-
ouirements adopted. The books prescribed
Tor lSl and lSZ are: ShakeSpeareS Merchant Oh
Venice" Popes Homers "Iliad.' Books I. VI,
XXI and XIV: The Sir Roger de COverley
Papers Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield" Cole
ridges Ancient Mariner" Scott s~'IEanhoe Coop
-er's Last Of the Mohcans." Tennyson's 'Prin-
cess" Lowell's 'Vison of Sir Launfal' and George
Eliots -Silas Mariner" These books cover the
reading part of the requirement. and candidates
for college are expected to present evidence of
general knowledge of the subject matter and 10
answer simple questions the lives of the
A1eo for nd
Shakespeare ..11 PaneaEoeo Bure:s
lays essays on Milton and Addison-the examina-
ton of the candidates being upon subject matter,
According to the latest report all the colleges
Represented in the Commission, except Trinity.
Wesleyan Williams and Yale. have formally APP
proved the PROPOSED TeqniTeentsi some Oh in nnT
qualifications 1t has been proved by practical
IS easily accomplished in four years; the work in
Greek rather more easily than the work In Latin.
investigate the question of admission to college by
0srf decided to postpone active Investigation
iii the autumn of 1900, and to invite the New
Schools to cooperate with them. The results
will be embodied in the Commissions report Tor
a second subject which the Executive Committee
meeting S vas the question of the practcabity or
desrablity Of central board to be establsns ne
mission at widely scattered places Such a BOARD
would make IL possible toT coas reDresent in
the Board at some place near me caiuloa.e
home The examination woaldc be by subject, the
questions for any given subject being identical
3 nd prepared by a conference of examiners CHOSEN
from the colleges interested. Uniformity OF stand
ara in the several subjects would be promoted py
This method of examination. and yet each college
might use the results of examination III us own
way-one college demanding more subjects fer -A1-
mission than another, or better record on me
same number. a different selection or groupP-
Sng Of subjects. The actual record OF each caEul-
date as certified by the Board, would De taken I
al its face value at any of the cooperating col.
leges Such central Board OF Examination was
IT,T0Dosed BIZ President Eliot of Harvard as carry
as October 1855 The practical question OF or
eanization however, remains as yet an open one
q the Commission. after discussion round ltSelI
,1nYreDared for definite recommendation