The Gatekeepers
Encyclopedia
The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College is a 2002 nonfiction book written by education reporter Jacques Steinberg
that examines the inner workings of admissions committees at prestigious colleges and universities in the United States and addresses the changing face of American higher level education in the 21st century. Steinberg was granted unprecedented access to admissions officers, school administrators, guidance counselors, and high school students and their parents during the writing process. The book itself expands upon a series of articles Steinberg wrote in the New York Times. Steinberg follows the life of a Wesleyan University
admissions officer Ralph Figueroa and various college applicants for almost an entire year as they undergo the stressful and tiring college admissions process. He touches upon such hot button issues such as affirmative action
, recruiting, standardized testing and the significance of the SATs
. His book also highlights the importance of essays and personal statements in a college application
in conveying the individual behind the test scores and numbers.
Other critics noted its seemingly cathartic effects; John Bundris describes The Gatekeepers as a "fitting denouement after the college applications are in the mail - for parent and student alike".
However, some critics adamantly claimed that the admissions practices of a specific Northeast, highly selective liberal arts
school was not an accurate portrayal of how colleges and universities throughout the country select their incoming freshman class. While the book "showcases Steinberg's consummate skill as a journalist", a fellow admissions officer felt that his work itself "would be more helpful to those applying to Wesleyan (as either prospective students or gatekeepers) than to the vast majority of those seeking assistance in interpreting the current realities of college admission". She argues that in contrast to Wesleyan's admissions practices, many college emphasize a numbers approach in evaluating a candidate, citing the University of Michigan
's highly publicized point system .
Jacques Steinberg
Jacques P. Steinberg is an American journalist and author who covers the media, primarily television, for The New York Times cultural news desk....
that examines the inner workings of admissions committees at prestigious colleges and universities in the United States and addresses the changing face of American higher level education in the 21st century. Steinberg was granted unprecedented access to admissions officers, school administrators, guidance counselors, and high school students and their parents during the writing process. The book itself expands upon a series of articles Steinberg wrote in the New York Times. Steinberg follows the life of a Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
admissions officer Ralph Figueroa and various college applicants for almost an entire year as they undergo the stressful and tiring college admissions process. He touches upon such hot button issues such as affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
, recruiting, standardized testing and the significance of the SATs
SATS
SATS may refer to:*South African Theological Seminary*Singapore Airport Terminal Services*Small Aircraft Transportation System*Stansted Airport Transit System*The National Curriculum assessment in the UK at ages 11 and 14....
. His book also highlights the importance of essays and personal statements in a college application
College application
-United States:A college application is part of the competitive college admissions system. Admissions departments usually require students to complete an application for admission that generally consists of academic records, personal essays , letters of recommendation, and a list of extracurricular...
in conveying the individual behind the test scores and numbers.
Wesleyan University Admissions Staff
- Ralph Figueroa
- Former admissions officer and central figure of the book
- Nancy Hargrave Meislahn
- Current Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
- Barbara-Jan Wilson
- Current Vice President for University Relations
- Greg Pyke
- Current Senior Associate Dean of Admission
High School Students
- Julianna Bentes
- A gifted multiracial student and dancer from the prestigious Harvard-Westlake SchoolHarvard-Westlake SchoolHarvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades 7 through 12....
weighing scholarship offers from several elite institutions; attends Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
- Migizi Pensoneau
- A Native American who overcomes a rough background and a checkered transcript to succeed in a preparatory school; attends Wesleyan UniversityWesleyan UniversityWesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
- Jordan Goldman
- An ambitious writer from Staten IslandStaten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
; attends Wesleyan UniversityWesleyan UniversityWesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
; later attends Oxford University; and creates a series of best-selling college guidebooks, Students' Guide to Colleges, from Penguin BooksPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, as well as UnigoUnigoUnigo is a free online college resource guide and student platform claiming to cover more than 1,600 colleges and universities in the United States. The Unigo website is used by college students to share photos, videos, documents, and reviews of their school. High school students and parents use...
-- a free online college resource guide- Becca Jannol
- A talented student from Southern California who confessed to accepting a pot brownie as a sophomore and writes her college essay on her experience; attends Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
; wait-listed by Wesleyan- Aggie Ramirez
- A Dominican and natural leader from an impoverished neighborhood in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
whose grades suffer from being stretched too thin; attends Muhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
; rejected by Wesleyan- Tiffany Wang
- An Asian American and National Merit Scholar struggling to live up to her father's high expectations; attends New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
; waitlisted by Wesleyan
Reception
Although The Gatekeepers was not a best-seller, it was however named as one of the New York Times Book Review's 'Notable Books of 2002'. In general, very well received, with many critics lauding Steinberg's ability to shed light on the human component of the college application process and the ordeal of students, parents, and admissions officers alike. Shannon Bloomstran saw the book as a "fascinating peek behind the curtain" and admits that before reading she "really had no idea of the extent of agony and debate that takes place in the admissions offices of these highly selective schools. Steinberg invokes empathy for both the admissions officers and the students". Edward B. Fiske, editor of the highly popular Fiske Guide to College, also agreed, praising Steinberg for articulately reporting on a "distinctly American rite of passage".Other critics noted its seemingly cathartic effects; John Bundris describes The Gatekeepers as a "fitting denouement after the college applications are in the mail - for parent and student alike".
However, some critics adamantly claimed that the admissions practices of a specific Northeast, highly selective liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
school was not an accurate portrayal of how colleges and universities throughout the country select their incoming freshman class. While the book "showcases Steinberg's consummate skill as a journalist", a fellow admissions officer felt that his work itself "would be more helpful to those applying to Wesleyan (as either prospective students or gatekeepers) than to the vast majority of those seeking assistance in interpreting the current realities of college admission". She argues that in contrast to Wesleyan's admissions practices, many college emphasize a numbers approach in evaluating a candidate, citing the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
's highly publicized point system .
Chapters
- The Tortilla Test
- Don't Send Me Poems
- Istanbul(Not Constantinople)
- Considered Without Prejudice
- Read Faster, Say No
- Thundercats and X-Men
- Nothing to Do with the Dope
- Things Seem to Have Gone Well
- 420-ed
- Unnamed Gorgeous Small Liberal Arts School
Quotations
See also
- College admissionsCollege admissionsUniversity admission or college admissions is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution....
- Wesleyan UniversityWesleyan UniversityWesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
- College applicationCollege application-United States:A college application is part of the competitive college admissions system. Admissions departments usually require students to complete an application for admission that generally consists of academic records, personal essays , letters of recommendation, and a list of extracurricular...
- Standardized testing