Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-24
From Other Viewpoints
New Methods for College Entrance.
nv mn FRANK ANDREWS FALL.

veteran educator recently characterized
The changed methods in college admission by
remarkins that getting INTO ,bo bpocesses 81
getting into club and Keeping out Oh an
asylum for the insane. That Is TO say so ~
mi,tee on personnel and another committee
on psychological or intelligence tests.
While Professor L. l.. Thorndyke. or Co
,umhin has been the real pioneer in this
Acid tho new methods have been tried out
in number of American eoileses anu u,,
rcnnayivania Brown. Rutgers. Mercer and the
state universities of South Carolina Kansas;
Sou,h Dakota Utah and Wyoming, as wei
ms in the University of Tasmania. New
Zealand So,
The new method arc required to file state
| mcnt giving full information about tnem-
| selves and their course OF study. They are
also required to state their interests in out
of .school activities and to Ale health Ger.
| tincatcs based medical examinations IL
they can present complete sehoel re- ~. 'sn
| principal of tho secondary school from which
they graduated. they are allowed TO
| substitute the new mental tests LOT the oio
! entrance examinations.
| Al the opening of the academic year 1919
| 90 psychological tests were chosen as method
| of admission Columbia by moro students
| than chose any other method OF admission.
! Three larg> lecture halls were used. and, be.
cause of the number OF students DESTROYS OF
! taking the tests. they had TO he repeated on
| the day following the opening The tests
devised by Professor Thorndykc formerly IN
Il
| Unitcd States Army, ascertatned tho alertness
| Of mind the mental efficiency. and tho brain
| mower OF the entering student. as we'll MS the
| range OF his general knowledge.
At New York University the entrance tests
have been under the direction OF DIR. James
e Tough, professor OF psychology. who has
! called attention to the fact that. while stu
dents can cram" for entrance examina.
| ton. they cannot do so for psychological
| test After successfully passing through the
| psychological ordeal, tho student goes be
| fore the personnel committee. II the mem
| bers of this committee decide that he would
he likely to prove desirable citizen In thu
college community. and his secondary schoo
! credentials arc complete, he is admitted to tn
| freshman class -
1t seems likely that in the university 10
| Gated in cities at least tho work of tho per
sonnet committee will have a continually In
, ! crcasing weight in determining admissions
| This idea will have its critics. OF course. II
fact, it already has them 1t is charged tina
the personnel committee idea Is not In az
: cord with the spirit OF democracy as II shout
function in an institution OF higher learning
that its administration cannot BIO Impartial
| and that Il opens the way for faYoriticm an
unjust discrimination.
ON THE other hand there is tho indisputahl
fact that tho opening OF college and un:
! vcrsity doors to oil Corners. entirely wi,hou
/ discrimination. is very bad thing. Tho out
| break OF academic bolshcVism in several cit
, | universities has proved that oonclusvcl.
! our institutions should encourage real dcmoc
] racy but not anarchism, rebellion nor NOR:
y loosenesss under. any name whatever. H..
Admit an anarchist give him q college edt