Sir, – I was greatly concerned by the views expressed in a recent article ("Students are guinea pigs in Trinity's experiment", Education Opinion, October 14th).
I have been dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard for almost 30 years. During that time we – just like other major universities in the United States – have used a holistic admissions system, involving many of the same elements Trinity is testing in this study. Far from being “mumbo jumbo”, and an arcane practice “verging on voodoo”, this approach is recognised as providing a more reliable way of admitting talented students who will excel in their studies and in all their endeavours during college and beyond.
Over the past few years I have watched Trinity’s work with great interest, and have helped support and advise it in its attempts to apply internationally respected indicators to an Irish context. At Harvard every year we run a “Summer Institute” where we discuss the benefits of the use of personal statements and review panels with experts from many nations. They would certainly be surprised by the charges in the article.
Trinity has acted responsibly in running this study on a very small scale, and it is unfortunate to condemn Trinity, one of the most respected universities in the world, for attempting to test something that is seen as standard practice in its peer institutions. – Yours, etc,
Dr WILLIAM
R FITZSIMMONS,
Dean of Admissions
and Financial Aid,
Harvard University,
Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
Sir, – In his response to John McAvoy's welcome and overdue criticism of TCD's latest admission novelty, Patrick Geoghegan revealingly speaks of the "problem of the points race" ("We stand over our attempt to solve the points problem", Education Opinion, October 21st).
The points system fairly compares school-leavers by their performance in the national school curriculum and examination system to which everyone has equal access.
Prof Geoghegan speaks of the Leaving Certificate as a “single examination”. It is not. Students are examined in at least seven subjects, including universal subjects English and mathematics and a wide choice of other subjects designed to develop a range of aptitudes and abilities. Universities are involved in school curricular development and reform.
Prof Geoghegan quotes unnamed “international experts” as favouring “holistic” admission systems. The US 2008 Commission on Admission and the UK NFER Report of 2010 both recommended the use of school curricular-based tests for admission rather than non-curricular tests.
Mr McAvoy raised valid questions in relation to the TCD experiment. Who is excluded by it? Can it be “gamed” by wily applicants? How is an applicant expected to prepare for it? Is it fair? The points system is. – Yours, etc,
SEÁN McDONAGH
Raheny,
Dublin 5.