In holistic admissions, colleges evaluating applicants replace grids of grades and test scores with more individualized reviews of would-be students. The practice is most commonly associated with liberal arts colleges or with public universities at which affirmative action has been banned.

Oregon State University is in neither category, but over the last six years it has moved to holistic admissions — with success that is attracting other colleges’ attention. The university has managed to use holistic admissions to increase diversity and retention, and to do so without adding lots of admissions staffers. Michele Sandlin, director of admissions at Oregon State, outlined the program Thursday in Boston at the annual meeting of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

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(3/6/07) An addendum to the holistic approach: homeschooled students benefit from this process as they are able to communicate to Admissions through the Insight Resume what their other skills are that can translate to college success. Note the UC schools beginning to see the light.

-bv