New Selective Feature

A new feature of the selective process by which a few outstanding applicants for admission will be selected a full year in advance of their entrance was announced this month by E. Gordon Bill, Dean of Freshmen and Director of Admissions. Through this new provision the men selected may be thrown more on their own resources and given freedom to follow scholastic lines of special interest to them during their last year of preparation. Twenty such candidates have already been chosen for admission next year.

This new feature, recently approved by a faculty vote, will be described in the College catalog for 1931-32 as follows:

"A few outstanding applicants, known as 'Junior Selections,' are to be chosen for admission to Dartmouth at the end of their penultimate year of preparation in order that during their last year in secondary school they may have as much leeway as possible in varying and enriching their ordinary scholastic programs. The Director of Admissions will be very glad to correspond with school principals concerning such candidates."

"This is a new and original venture in college admission machinery and one that seems to be full of promise," Dean Bill's statement said. "This is founded on the same philosophy as that which led to the establishment of the Senior Fellowships and Honors groups at Dartmouth. In other words, it is believed that boys of outstanding scholastic promise in thoroughly reliable schools will greatly benefit by being assured of admission to college a full year in advance, so that during their last year of preparation, they may be thrown on their own resources and can be given more freedom, after consultation with and approval by the College, to pursue original work of especial interest to them."

"Junior Selections" will be made from two groups: First, from applicants, at the end of their junior year, who will enter college after four years of secondary school; second, from applicants, at the end of their senior year at high schools, who will take an additional year of preparation at private schools.

Restrictions in the administration of this new process of admission are that only certain selected schools may have the privilege of nominating Junior Selections; that the College will study the qualifications of such nominees and then make its choice; that the courses of study for the last year of preparation must be approved by the College in advance; and that before such candidates are admitted, they must present a sufficiency of formal entrance credit.