Holistic Recruitment and Admissions: Staying the Course

When the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on considering race in the admissions process was announced on June 29, 2023, it gave us an opportunity to better appreciate and further deepen our existing recruitment and admissions practices that will continue to lead us to mission-aligned and interracially committed students. Our vibrant and diverse community derives from our mission, which was established long before the debate about the use of race in college admissions.

Berea College’s mission and size are such that we can consider every aspect of each prospective student’s personal journey, perseverance, commitment and ability to take advantage of every opportunity that Berea offers. We seek to balance students’ successes with their stories and consider the level of “grit and fit” they bring to campus.

This is often referred to as holistic admissions. Holistic admissions is a flexible framework that is aligned with an institution’s unique mission and assesses each applicant’s contribution to the campus on a range of factors that usually fall into two categories: academic and non-academic. The primary goal is to deeply understand the whole person, not just numbers on a piece of paper or a set of checkboxes.  

As you can imagine, a holistic review process takes time and is no easy task. I have jokingly said over the years, “I wish someone would invent a crystal ball so we would precisely know who will commit, take full advantage of the college experience and graduate.” However, it’s no joking matter when we are talking about changing someone’s life trajectory and redefining future generations.

Our application checklist and set of optional electives have been intentionally designed and shaped over many years to allow a prospective student the opportunity to paint a complete picture of who they are today and hope to become in the future. For example, we require standard components such as a transcript and financial information, but for many years we have offered applicants a chance to complete an interview or conversation with an Admissions staff person. Teacher recommendations have always been part of our application process, but this year we developed a student self-inventory, which allows applicants to select from a variety of statements that most describe them.

Personal essays often are included in an applicant’s file but newly added this year was the opportunity for students to complete a short statement in response to a prompt: Berea College was created 168 years ago and became the first interracial and coeducational college in the South.  Please tell us in 168-ish words or less, how this is meaningful for you in the context of your personal experience.

Whether it’s an appreciation for longstanding application components such as teacher recommendations or the excitement around a newly added elective like the short statement, the goal is the same—to get to know the whole person at the deepest level possible. An applicant is more than just numbers on a piece of paper. An applicant is more than just the checkboxes they may select. At Berea, each applicant is a unique individual who is worth more than the tuition they can afford. Selecting students is both an art and a science, requiring us to be deliberate and discerning with every admissions decision.

The College has a unique pursuit in American higher education: to stay grounded by our commitment to coeducation and interracial education while exclusively serving the underserved. Thankfully, these well established holistic practices have us in a good position to continue serving future generations of deserving Berea students.

Luke Hodson is Berea College’s associate vice president for Admissions.