Admission

Admission: The Movie

Admission opened nationwide on Friday and we all rushed out to see it. We mostly agreed with one College Admission friend, a high school college counselor, who thought the movie was fun and said, "There were many admission-related happenings in the movie that rang true, but of course it was dominated by stereotypes." We have one further criticism, but it's a spoiler, so we will keep it to ourselves for now. When you see it, we're sure you'll agree. The blogosophere and media are brimming with reviews this morning. We liked Inside Higher Ed's approach. They invited three college admission experts to view the movie on opening day and share their thoughts. You can read them here.

Admission: The Movie

Check out the latest trailer for Admission, an upcoming movie starring Tina Fey in the role of a Princeton University admission officer. Admission is based on the book of the same name by Jean Hanff Korelitz, who has said she has had a college admission fixation since she was rejected by Yale in the late '70s. In researching her book, she worked part-time in admissions at Princeton for two years. But the key to Fey's character Portia came to her in a conversation with former Middlebury College dean Bob Clagett. According to Korelitz, "... it took an interview with Bob Clagett, Dean of Admissions at Middlebury College, to give me my first real insight into the character who would become Portia. Was there, I asked Dean Clagett, a personality type you tend to see in people who chose to work in college admissions? I’m not sure what I expected. Judgmental? Bossy? Sadistic? But whatever it was, his actual answer was utterly arresting. He said: 'We’re all such do-gooders.'" The book is terrific. The movie opens on March 8.

Pamela T. Horne, Purdue University

Each month we invite a Dean of Admission to answer five questions. We may ask their best advice for applicants, how their office reads applications, their favorite thing on campus, or the most surprising fact about their college or university. If you'd like to pose a question to a Dean of Admission or if you'd like to nominate a Dean for us to feature, please email us at authors@collegeadmissionbook.com.

This month, we are pleased to welcome Pamela T. Horne, Purdue University's Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions, as our interviewee from the other side of the desk.