Recruitment to most courses opens to applicants in October when all

Question

Recruitment to most courses opens to applicants in October when all the places are available and is closed in April when the course administrator hopes there are no places left. Between these two dates, the number of places steadily decreases. By the end of February it is a fair assumption that the popular courses have only a few places left to fill. The likelihood is that in October places are offered purely on the basis of merit, however, as the course fills, those responsible increasingly turn to the issue of ensuring the correct balance of the class. In deciding to whom to make an offer they will look to ensure, for example, a good balance of backgrounds in the hope of ensuring a well-balanced class that can bring a broad church of experiences to discussions and seminars. On many courses, quotas are set as to the preferred mix of candidates to be offered a place. Schools will want the genders to be equally represented. They will wish the intake to be representative of the ethnicity of the community that they serve. They will seek to recruit a representative sample of students who declare a disability. It is a distinct possibility that the last few places are effectively reserved for applicants who offer a profile that remains under-represented in the class. By this stage the school may not be looking to recruit the best in terms of merit and it is possible that an offer will be made to less well-qualified candidates because they fill the under-represented profile.    1 
 1. It can be inferred from the passage that:

A. Less-than-popular courses do not have the same opportunity to achieve a preferred mix of students.
B. A candidate with less-than-perfect academic credentials stands a better chance of success if they apply in the latter part of the period of recruitment.
C. A candidate who declares a disability is more likely to be offered a place than an able-bodied applicant with identical qualifications.
D. Academically strong candidates should submit their applications as soon as the recruitment process opens.
E. The last few places of a course are effectively reserved for applicants who conform to under-represented profiles.

2 
 2. Which of the following statements is the author most likely to disagree with?

A. Most schools set a series of deadlines, and as each is passed, in effect another mini-recruitment campaign begins.
B. The first mini-round is the most straightforward in terms of the candidates being offered places purely on the basis of merit.
C. The second of these mini-recruitment rounds is when the course administrator turns to the issue of balancing applicants with the candidates who have already accepted a place in order to ensure a representative mix of students.
D. Once the second half of the recruitment campaign is reached, schools will have received most serious applications.
E. Towards the end of the recruitment cycle, popular courses will only have a few places left and the administrator is as much concerned with ensuring a representative and well-balanced class as selection on the basis of merit.

3 
 3. In the context of the passage the term ‘broad church’ refers to:

A. students who are broad-minded
B. a course of study on the subject of a religious sect that favors a liberal interpretation of doctrine
C. a policy that promotes diversity in education
D. a wide set of criteria adopted so as to ensure a fair and equitable recruitment policy
E. a group that encompasses a wide range of views

Source: How to pass the GMAT

vasutandon · Answer

why won't D be an answer in Question 1

kuersat99 · Answer

In question 1, why can't B be the right choice? Essentially the whole text is saying that in the beginning of the application phase, applicants are most likely chosen my merit and in the latter stages academic merit is weighed against achieving balance in the range of profiles that make up the class making it more likely that a student with "less-than-perfect academic credentials" is accepted.

pratikborkar26 · Answer

Why is D not the answer for question 1?

Also,how is 'A' the right answer?

Posted from my mobile device

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

Q1. It can be inferred from the passage that:

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The passage describes features of the recruitment process of popular courses and responses  B, C  and  E  are not qualified so they relate only to popular courses.  D  (and also B) fail because they assume the course is an academic one, which is not stated in the passage.

Answer: A

thakurarun85 · Answer

Sajjad1994

in Q2 how E is wrong?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

Q2. Which of the following statements is the author most likely to disagree with?

Explanation:

Suggested answers  A, B, C , and  E  are effectively a rewriting of the features attributed to the recruitment process described in the passage and so are likely to win the author’s agreement. Statement  D  however, reflects a sentiment not attributable to the passage and therefore is the most likely to be the point with which the author disagrees. It is wrong to assume that the applications would finish before the courses started filling up.

Answer: D

Sosoeb · Answer

Even I marked D as the answer. Is there a way to get explanation of these answers?

Bunuel · Answer

The question is not good. Ignore and move on.

Recruitment to most courses opens to applicants in October when all

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards