THE main aim of the college application process in the UK is to offer admission to students of the highest intellectual (智力的) potential, regardless of social, racial, religious and financial considerations (考虑). In other words, candidates (候选人) are judged on academic criteria alone. Applicants to UK colleges usually write “personal statements”, but these focus on academic interests, not general passion. Otherwise, admissions decisions are reached based on test scores and, at some universities, performance in academic interviews, in which professors ask open-ended questions designed to decide how well students can engage (应对) with them intellectually.