According to a recent Washington Post article on “name blind admissions,” four universities in Britain are testing the idea of admitting college students without using their name or demographics to eliminate discrimination in the admissions process.
Names may unconsciously influence admissions counselors and prevent promising candidates’ positions, according to the pilot scheme’s organizers.
Members of the Bonaventure community commented on the experiment.
Courtney Cole, a sophomore a biology major, had never heard of “name blind schools”, but after reading about them, she was intrigued.
“I think name blind schools are a good idea because it gives everyone an equal opportunity when getting admitted into college,” she said.
She believes that what’s most important is students’ hard work, not their background.
“This could be a good thing because people will be admitted into college based off of their achievements and accomplishments, not off of their genders, religions or ethnicities,” Cole, a sophomore, said. “A candidate shouldn’t be labeled by who they are or their beliefs. They should be able to get accepted into school based off of what they have done in their life and what path they intend on taking.”
Bernie Valento, vice president of enrollment, saw this from a different perspective and believes that all information about a student is essential in the decision process, he said.“It would be a disadvantage not to consider all of the factors involved with an applicant’s application,” he said.
Even though he has only been a part of the St. Bonaventure community for a year and a half, he has experience in admissions at other universities, he said.
“I’ve been in admissions and enrollment for almost 30 years and never once in my career have I either led or have been part of a staff in which race, ethnicity or a student’s background have been put against them in terms of getting into a school,” Valento said. “In fact, it has actually helped students.”
According to Valento, it’s important to get to know the candidates fully because it helps the admissions staff to make a clearer decision.
“I prefer to get to know our students and know who they are as individuals. I rather appreciate the individual skills and talents that person can bring to the university,” Valento said.
He believes this helps him give opportunities to all kinds of students, despite their background. He said that diversity is crucial on college campuses to reflect that of the real world.
Valento said, “We’re looking for diversity in order to enrich the university and college experience. The more diverse our community is, the better off the whole university is because we can learn from one another and share ideas.”
engjg14@bonaventure.edu
