The applicant rather than an individual with similar qualification should be admitted to the program of interest
An applicant for a program of his interest is more deserving for admission than any other individual with similar qualification because through his application he has an opportunity to first write a personal essay commonly referred to as a personal statement explaining who he is, what he cares about and what he intends to do in his life. It is very difficult for one to know the personal interest of an individual who has not registered interest in the program even if he has similar qualifications as another applicant who is willing to explain in a compelling manner a personal story through an authentic personal statement.
It is easier for an interviewer to base his questions for the interviewee on the content of the personal statement which is the most important aspect in the admission of students in any program. Through the application, the candidate gets an opportunity to be known that he is when he produces his picture as a person, a winner of a particular scholarship, what he wants to be and what kind of contribution he wants to make including how.
The application shows why it makes sense for the candidate to study at a certain institution and not the other and serves as an invitation for the reader to be known and therefore bridges the usually assumed distance between institutions and strangers. When admitting students for a particular program, the hidden qualifications that are hard to get from academic and professional qualifications are the priorities as well as judgments of the candidate and so how this is told is very crucial no matter how quality the academic grade of the candidate appears to be. An applicant grabs the interest of the reader of the application and makes him want to meet the applicant for the interview because it shows how ready the candidate is to share his dreams and experiences honestly. (Joseph, 2007)
Academic or professional qualification for a certain program is typically meant for data interpretation, make a reflection of particular research, or analyze some readings and therefore should not be the only factor to determine admission for a student for a certain program because they tell very little about the applicant. An applicant is usually ready to engage on a more personal level than he has been trained in college and his commitment comes from inside him through a natural growth which is dictated by his internal logic and is, therefore, better placed to be admitted for a program than anyone else who just has the academic qualification but has not made any effort to apply.
A student could be lacking in one way or another in his portfolio but in his application, through his personal statement, he could be more than he can accommodate in a different area. A student may fail to reflect his potentials in the transcript and therefore by just considering an individual with similar qualifications and not the applicant may be a selective way of admitting students. Before any candidate is admitted for a certain program, he should be required to apply through a letter describing why he wishes to participate in the program and also outline his academic as well as career goals, and above all indicate their seriousness to pursue that program.
This statement should then be given to the subject teacher who should use it in preparing a recommendation letter addressing probable creativity, interest in that career, the persistence of the candidate in meeting challenges, academic potential as well as the level of the candidate to perform in relation to his potential. All these characteristics are not reflected in the academic papers and so an applicant stands a better chance to be admitted for a program of interest. (Berrigan, 2007)
References
Berrigan D. (2007): personal statement: WIPF & stock publishers.
Joseph L. (2007): personal statement: Kissinger publishers.