Home Faculty and Staff Resources for Directors of Graduate Programs Holistic Admissions Holistic Admissions Rackham recognizes that the discontinuation of the GRE presents a particular challenge for the small number of programs that continue to rely on the GRE in doctoral admissions. In addition, we understand that the development and implementation of truly holistic admissions practices requires ongoing work for all doctoral programs. To address these needs, Rackham has developed mechanisms to support individual programs in the development and implementation of holistic admission best practices. Summer Funding for Rackham Programs to Support GRE Discontinuation Transition For summer 2024, Rackham will provide funding for up to three faculty members to work on revisions to their program’s admissions process; the level of summer salary funding is one half-month of a summer ninth. Holistic Admissions Workshops Holistic admissions practices are an integral part of achieving both diversity and excellence when admitting graduate student cohorts. This workshop is designed to provide concrete strategies and evidence-based practices to support faculty and program goals in admitting diverse and excellent cohorts of graduate students. This workshop will provide members of graduate admissions committees an opportunity to develop their own holistic admissions tools. Holistic Admissions Best Practices Holistic admissions practices evaluate the skills, experience, knowledge, and potential of an applicant by considering the academic, professional, and personal record along multiple dimensions. Through these practices, components of the graduate application that are most reflective of an applicant’s accomplishments and promise are identified and used for admissions decisions. Responsibilities of Rackham Graduate Admissions Committees Faculty and university goals for access, opportunity, and excellence in graduate education are strongly impacted by the work of faculty serving on graduate admissions committees. Data Collection and Analysis Rackham’s Institutional Research team will continue to collect and analyze data on recruitment, admissions, and the student life cycle as part of their research program; in this way, changes across many dimensions that correlate with GRE general test discontinuation can be identified. Rackham data can also be made available to individual doctoral programs or faculty for their own research purposes. For more information, please contact Rackham Institutional Research. At the conclusion of the 2024–25 admissions cycle, the impact of removing the GRE in doctoral admissions will be evaluated using all generated data. The effectiveness of the support structures for admissions committees will also be assessed.
