First, to make every effort to ensure that the admission process is student-centered. This approach reinforces a consistent message that a student's high school record is the most important academic component in the review for admission. By focusing on a holistic view of the high school record, DePaul is emphasizing that four years of perseverance, motivation and effort by successful high school students bear a direct relationship to college-level work.
Second, even high-achieving students often believe that low test scores rule out their chances for admission at a four-year institution. This is especially true of first-generation and low-income students, populations that DePaul has always served well. Yet, even experts at testing agencies agree that the four years spent in high school, studying, researching and producing academic work more closely mirrors success in college coursework than does standardized test scores. In short, the best high school students make the best college students.