At St. Elizabeth's School in Denver, our admissions committee is committed to diving deep into understanding and evaluating bias within ourselves to uphold our mission as an intentionally inclusive Episcopal School with a commitment to excellence that inspires learning and transforms lives. In the competitive landscape of student admissions, our greatest challenge isn't identifying top academic performers—it's recognizing student potential while mitigating our own inherent biases.
Our school community has explored bias as an invisible filter that can unknowingly shape our decisions. As an admissions committee, we continue that work as we review applications.
In student evaluations, these biases might manifest through:
- Cognitive biases that affect our judgment and decision-making processes
- Halo/Horns Effect that allows one characteristic to influence overall evaluation
- Groupthink and Authority Bias that lead to conformity in decision-making
- Confirmation Bias that reinforces existing beliefs
- Ingroup Bias that favors those similar to ourselves
- Fundamental Attribution Error that affects how we interpret behaviors
- Anchoring Bias that relies too heavily on initial information
By recognizing our personal identity markers, we become better equipped to combat these biases. This recognition involves:
Examining your own:
- Race and ethnicity
- Age
- Disability status
- First language
- Country of origin
- Religion
- Socio-economic background
- Gender and sexual orientation
It also involves identifying your privilege landscape. Where do you hold societal advantages? Where might you experience marginalization?
We conduct pre-committee work individually to identify these markers. This self-awareness creates a foundation for more equitable decision-making when we come together as an admissions committee.
The heart of bias reduction lies in critically examining our perceptions of students. We take time to visualize our own "ideal" student and challenge the unconscious biases that emerge in this mental image. When I asked myself these questions, I noticed that my "ideal" student had many similarities to myself—clearly a bias. We reflect on how we personally describe students who don't meet classroom norms, consider who bears responsibility in behavioral situations, and define what truly constitutes "respectful" behavior.
To support this process, we have found that Harvard University offers the Implicit Association Test (IAT), a powerful tool for uncovering hidden biases. This resource provides insights across multiple dimensions of potential bias.
When assessing student potential, admissions committees must look beyond traditional metrics. At our school, a holistic approach considers the visit day, academic strengths, student self-reflection, mission alignment, and family engagement. Your school may identify other metrics, but these are the areas we find valuable to explore. This method values myriad complexities and provides an opportunity to understand each student's unique context. We work with a rubric to ensure that all committee members use the same language and expectations.
Effective bias reduction requires ongoing commitment. You may need to revisit common biases more than once with your team or even set a norm to hold each other accountable in the moment. It's crucial to understand that while we cannot completely eliminate bias, we can acknowledge its existence, continuously educate ourselves, and prioritize equity and potential. By embracing this comprehensive approach, we create a more just and inclusive environment that recognizes the diverse potential of every student.
We must hold ourselves and each other accountable, constantly challenging our preconceptions and working toward a more equitable admissions process.
Let's start a conversation—share with me! I look forward to hearing how your admissions committee creates an equitable process. Email me at jmcnally@sesden.org.
Jamika McNally
Director of Admissions
St. Elizabeth's School