The art and fickleness of admissions

[katalytik]

Had I been on an adcomm, I would make the applicants do an eating contest of foods from Andrew Zimmern's show on Food Network. The last 10 applicants standing without puking are in!

Of course with full funding........can't deny crazy and driven people funding, you know.

[varekai1018]

This sounds like a fantastic idea! Would it have to be regional cuisine, just to make sure the applicant is able to adapt to her/his new geographic surroundings?

I guess judging by your top schools, it would be lobster roll for you? (Not so bad, though I still don't understand how anything that comes in a hot dog bun is more than $6). But for me, it might be...scorpions. Scorpion bowl, I can do. I'm afraid I might not be able to handle the former, though.

[katalytik]

This sounds like a fantastic idea! Would it have to be regional cuisine, just to make sure the applicant is able to adapt to her/his new geographic surroundings?

I guess judging by your top schools, it would be lobster roll for you? (Not so bad, though I still don't understand how anything that comes in a hot dog bun is more than $6). But for me, it might be...scorpions. Scorpion bowl, I can do. I'm afraid I might not be able to handle the former, though.

Scorpions sound good to me! We can team up and judge technique......... the better the technique, the better the advisor you can get if you become a grad student.

[snorri]

This is a great idea! No how do we sell it to grad programs? Is there a specific bent to the contest for each discipline? I'm thinking maybe it might be a hard sell to health management programs--sounds right up my alley as a medievalist, though.

[katalytik]

This is a great idea! No how do we sell it to grad programs? Is there a specific bent to the contest for each discipline? I'm thinking maybe it might be a hard sell to health management programs--sounds right up my alley as a medievalist, though.

No specific bent. I'm hoping to hear from all of you guys about other ways to interesting "ways" to admit grad students........... everything/anything is welcome. Game on!

[glasses]

I'm thinking something like either "Man v. Food" or "The Alaska Experiment": fully-funded admissions are awarded to either the X number of people who eat the most of a giant pizza/hamburger/sundae/etc. or the X number of people who make it the longest in some desolate wilderness.

(Typical: I've gone and proposed the two alternative courses of action that, if possible, give me even LESS of a chance of admission than I have in the present system. I have the stomach capacity of a sparrow and the outdoorsmanship of . . . well, of someone who hates to be outdoors.)

[mario]

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Edited September 12, 2010 by mario

[LadyL]

I think a prank contest would be excellent. Each grad student must organize an elaborate prank, and the most excellent few gain admissions. I would win . I single handedly organized our senior prank in high school (we turned the first floor of the school into a ball pit of balloons) and also managed to turn the senior play into a satire of the school as well. In college I only had time for lesser pranks but the point is...I would win. Therefore that's how they should pick .

[Sparky]

Three words: air guitar contest.

[jaxzwolf]

Guitar Hero and/or Rock Band contest. Everyone plays on 'expert.' Each candidate plays a set of five songs, three they pick themselves and two chosen by the admissions committee. In addition to points awarded by the game, the ad com gives extra points for focus, style, enthusiasm, and grace under pressure. Top ten scores are admitted, top seven get RA's/TA's, top three get fellowships.

[brouhaha]

Guitar Hero and/or Rock Band contest. Everyone plays on 'expert.' Each candidate plays a set of five songs, three they pick themselves and two chosen by the admissions committee. In addition to points awarded by the game, the ad com gives extra points for focus, style, enthusiasm, and grace under pressure. Top ten scores are admitted, top seven get RA's/TA's, top three get fellowships.

As someone with a small stomach but nimble fingers, I like this idea much more than the food competition.

[glasses]

As someone with a small stomach but nimble fingers, I like this idea much more than the food competition.

Word. I'm in.

[worrywort]

People with small [girl] hands are at a serious disadvantage (mostly w/ Guitar Hero b/c expert is ridic). If I could rock the vocals, then I'd be all for it (only on Rock Band, though... Guitar Hero's vocals are sooo picky).

[waytooold]

I think there should be an SOP haiku competition.

Season of learning

I am at peak

I am your best hope

[varekai1018]

How about some sort of global scavenger hunt? Something along the lines of the Amazing Race?

Instead of representing one program, adcomm could be comprised of members who represent the various schools we want to attend. We could form teams...and later become colleagues in some strange, interdisciplinary sort of way (the possibilities are endless here - i.e. examining the ways in which medieval lit has shaped contemporary health policy, etc...).

[BlueSwedeShoes]

Ohhh, I want to play too!

It would start with an double headed axe throwing contest. Except the targets are pins. Pins suspended in three inch strings from angry bees. Angry at you, because their hive is duct taped to the axe you're holding.

Next, the badly stung applicants would have to run a mile, timed. Carrying their desired advisor yoda-style on their shoulders. Also holding the professors full coffee mug. No spilling allowed.

As soon as they cross the goal line they are given an irrelevant and seemingly nonsensical test consisting of the parts "Recognizing medieval English words no longer in use" and "High school math with focus on rote learning geometrical formulas" ...wait, sorry, ETS owns the right to that one.

So instead they have to recite the alphabet backwards.

Next up is drunken karaoke with classics such as "Carry on wayward son", "Don't Stop Believin'", the Soviet national anthem and tequila shots.

Survivors will face the final test, living under poverty line in a foreign and unknown city for 3 years while working an unpaid and stressful job 60 hours a week while hoping that they will somehow, one day, make something of their lives. Or maybe that's the prize for winning?

[katalytik]

Ohhh, I want to play too!

It would start with an double headed axe throwing contest. Except the targets are pins. Pins suspended in three inch strings from angry bees. Angry at you, because their hive is duct taped to the axe you're holding.

Next, the badly stung applicants would have to run a mile, timed. Carrying their desired advisor yoda-style on their shoulders. Also holding the professors full coffee mug. No spilling allowed.

As soon as they cross the goal line they are given an irrelevant and seemingly nonsensical test consisting of the parts "Recognizing medieval English words no longer in use" and "High school math with focus on rote learning geometrical formulas" ...wait, sorry, ETS owns the right to that one.

So instead they have to recite the alphabet backwards.

Next up is drunken karaoke with classics such as "Carry on wayward son", "Don't Stop Believin'", the Soviet national anthem and tequila shots.

Survivors will face the final test, living under poverty line in a foreign and unknown city for 3 years while working an unpaid and stressful job 60 hours a week while hoping that they will somehow, one day, make something of their lives. Or maybe that's the prize for winning?

HAHAHA, you guys are crazy and hilarious!

[RedPotato]

These sound like way more legitimate ideas than that darn GRE.

[ColorlessGreen]

YES to the karaoke. I do a mean "Don't cry for me Argentina."

As to the haiku:

A frozen winter.

Under a blanket of snow,

Hope springs eternal.

[mouse]

Battle Royale.

[Kam]

Battle Royale.

haha YES!

[origin415]

Iron Chef-style battles.

I would own so much face, I basically learned to cook by watching every episode and battling friends.

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

How about a Harry Potter style "Tri-Grad Championship?"

After all, I'm sure most of us would rather face a flaming mad, psychotic Hungarian Horntail than take the GRE's again....

[mario]

Maybe the folks will accept her after all. See

[Katzenmusik]

ROUND ONE: Limbo! This is an effortless way screen out large number of applicants.

ROUND TWO: The ad coms do not review application materials, but rather use them to create paper maiche pinatas. A select few pinatas are filled with confetti & candy, signifying admission. The others are filled with ashes and tears. Applicants are gathered and told to start bashing.

ROUND THREE: Pin the tail on the fellowship paperwork!