Dive Brief:
- Most health professions schools have changed their admissions review of applicants in the last 10 years to include a holistic approach, assessing the prospective students’ unique experiences in addition to their grades and test scores, according to a new study.
- The student bodies at most holistic admissions schools have become more diverse, while their measured success has been mostly the same or better.
- Within the health field, medical and dental schools have reported the largest increase in the use of holistic review.
Dive Insight:
The report, called "Holistic Admissions in the Health Professions: Findings From a National Survey," examined data from a survey of 163 public universities with two or more health professions schools, including schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and public health. The most-reported positive effects of holistic admissions were an increase in student diversity, better-prepared students, students who have previously faced barriers to success, and increased sensitivity to diversity by admissions committee members.