How American Idol is Similar to Selecting a Class

Admittedly I used to mock those who watched American Idol.  I’m not a big fan of reality television (save for all that is VHI Celebreality — my guilty pleasure) but this season, for some reason, I got into the show.  Maybe it was the immense talent exhibited, maybe it was the unique nature of some of the contestants, or maybe I just needed an escape.  For whatever reason, I watched this season from beginning to end and as I did so, I realized that selecting the American Idol is in many ways similar to selecting an entering class.

Auditions: The audition phase of American Idol is like our initial reading process.  Just as the judges eliminate those without sufficient talent, we as readers are able to distinguish those who are competitive from those who are not.  When the judges unanimously reject a contestant, that is the end of the road for that individual.  Similarly, if all readers unanimously decide that an applicant is not competitive, that application will likely be denied.  Conversely, when the judges all say “yes, you’re going to Hollywood” the contestant moves on to the next round.  In our process, if all readers (including the Dean of Admission) find an applicant to be stellar, that person will get to move on in our process.

Hollywood Week: The Hollywood auditions are similar to our committee prep process.  In Hollywood, the best of the initial round come together in one place before the judges.  Seeing all of the better contestants simultaneously will help the judges decide who among those remaining contestants has the most talent.  As we prepare our regions for the committee process some applicants initially thought to be standouts now seem less so or those who seemed on the cusp now appear more competitive.  Just as the judges decide who will perform before the live audience, we determine who is worthy of going before the Committee.

The Top 36: Now the contestants must really shine as they perform before a live audience for the vote of the people.  Some, America will fall in love with.  Others may need the support of the judges for the coveted wild card.  Similarly, during the initial stages of Committee, some applicants will win the Committee over easily while others will need the staunch support of regional deans or Committee members to bring their talents and value to light.  During this stage of both American Idol and Committee, some get the votes and continue to the next round while others come to the end of their journey.

The Top 12: Now things get really tough.  The judges and America must decide who is the best among some of the finest talent in the country.  Similarly, the Committee members are looking at extremely well-qualified, intelligent, involved students.  Tough decisions have to be made.  Sometimes the judges go for the best performance or overall talent and similarly the Committee might choose the absolute smartest student.  Other times the judges appreciate the unique or interesting voice that is different from all the rest and similarly the Committee will select an individual with an interesting background or a special talent.  Sometimes a forgotten lyric lands a contestant in hot water just like a weak mid-year report card can land an applicant in serious limbo.  Sometimes that contestant or applicant will be forgiven, other times that mistake might prove to be their downfall.

The Finale: Now voters have the absolute toughest decision in front of them.  Likewise, the Committee is left with it’s most difficult decision.  In the end, there can only be one American Idol and there can be only so many admission offers made: it’s a zero-sum game.  Sometimes, America gets it wrong and eliminates a great contestant.  Similarly, the Committee has to waitlist some extraordinary individuals.  Sometimes, the result is an upset or surprise and the underdog contestant wins the coveted title.  In Committee, sometimes the underdog also wins the day.  In both cases it’s a tough call, a tough choice, and a close vote but in the end, someone with talent, ambition, integrity, and guts wins the coveted prize.

– Wendy Livingston