The University of Minnesota redesigned its application process last summer asking perspective students for information such as parents’ educational background, undergraduate research and leadership qualities.
“We are depending on the numbers [of GPA and test scores] and it has not proved minority enrollment has increased, so this is another way of looking to make a college more diverse,” said Patricia Jones Whyte, acting director at Minnesota’s graduate school diversity office.
Jones Whyte said a memo about the index was sent to officials in the 150 graduate school programs. However, “the PPI is probably of less value because of the information we already collect is in the PPI. The PPI is good for schools [that] need this tool.”
Some school officials found out about the PPI after a reporter e-mailed them a link to the ETS Web site.
“I think ETS will probably need to do some outrearch on this,” said Carlos Holmes, spokesman for Delaware State University. “We would like more information on this program.”
The index has been documented in various newspapers and is featured on ETSs Web site –
ETS spokesman Mark McNutt said a marketing plan is in the works to ensure all graduate schools are informed about the product.
“Sometimes people miss things,” he said. “I would be surprised if by the fall graduate schools have not heard of the PPI.”
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
