Why Contextualized Admissions in Elite Universities differ in the U.K., the U.S. and China?

Contextualized admissions (CA) as a key solution to address inequity in college access has been gradually spread out in many countries since 21st century. However, how and why its policies and practices vary across countries remains under-explored. This study discusses CA at national policy level and organizational level in the U.K., the U.S. and China, which represent different types in the world. Offering critical insights into typologies of CA from multiple dimensions, this study provides an analytical review of existing governmental CA policies and its social and political roots, as well as outlines different organizational approaches of implementing CA by examining the organization running process, the political process and the “explanation” process. This study contributes to policy actors’ epistemic diversification and cultural self-awareness of CA.

Presented by Dr Yuan Wan. 

Dr. Yuan Wan is an associate professor in Institute of Education Law at East China University of Political Science and Law, and a visiting researcher in DECE at Durham University. Her research interest is multidisciplinary study of the examination and admission system and admission opportunities. She has published more than 20 research papers in core journals in China such as Educational Research, Comparative Education Research, Fudan Education Forum, as well as many commentary articles in authoritative media in China such as Guangming Daily and China Science Daily.