Letter to the Editor: A Question for Dean McGann
In an effort to determine the fairness of athletic admissions, Willard Long Thorp Professor of Economics Jessica Wolpaw Reyes asks that the Office of Admissions release the percentage of athletes who are admitted to Amherst as a result of the pre-read process.
Dear Amherst Student Editors:
I write to pose a question to Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Matthew McGann.
A recent article in this publication quotes McGann speaking at length about the athletics recruitment process and its relationship to the official admissions process. Citing an extensive interview with McGann, the article says:
If an athlete ‘passes’ their pre-read, coaches can guarantee students a spot on the team, given that they are later admitted to the college.
In case there is any doubt, McGann then clarifies, with the article quoting him as stating that “No one is admitted until they get a letter from the Office of Admissions saying that they’re admitted.”
McGann thus gives the clear impression that summer pre-read is merely preliminary, and that the real admission decision remains to be made in the fall. “No one is admitted” in pre-read.
I believe this is false. Maybe technically no one is admitted by pre-read alone but if nearly every pre-read “pass” leads to official admission, then in reality that pre-read is the process.
Two conflicting views. Who is right? The article suggests this is some kind of existential unanswerable question, like whether there is a celestial teapot orbiting the sun (Bertrand Russell). But it is not! McGann knows the answer. So I am hoping he will enlighten us.
My question is as follows:
Of the applicants who “pass” athletics pre-read and then apply, what percent are ultimately admitted?
I have been seeking an answer to this question for years. McGann, I would very much appreciate your doing me the courtesy of answering it clearly and publicly. (You are welcome to do so in rounded form, such as “95-100%” (sadly plausible) or “5-10%” (notably the same range as the official admission rate for all applicants.))
Two conflicting views. Why does it matter? If the conversion rate is close to 100%, that means pre-read is de facto admission. Applicants are guaranteed not only a “spot on the team,” but a spot at the college. One very privileged group gets access to an earlier, partial, easier, less academic, less holistic admission process.
If that is the case, Amherst College has two admissions processes, separate and unequal.
If that is the case, the Amherst College community has a right to know.
Jessica Wolpaw Reyes
Willard Long Thorp Professor of Economics
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