How do elite institutions actually select people?
There is no single universal selection formula in the current evidence. In the six-market foundational Who Gets In? sample, every market sample contained both a test or structured assessment and an interview. Written exercises appeared in three market samples and cases or simulations in two. The instruments, sequence and programme architecture varied across institutions and markets.
Denominator
Six purposive market samples in the foundational Who Gets In? comparison, with two to three institutions represented in each market sample and different pathways represented across markets.
What this does not show
This is not a representative survey of all elite employers or universities and it does not estimate how common any stage is across the whole market. It does not establish a hidden scoring model, universal sequence or causal formula for who receives an offer.
Evidence route
Governed findings · Cross-market comparison · Source register · Methodology
How to cite
Who Gets In? (Elite Careers Strategy), How do elite institutions actually select people?, revised 13 September 2026, https://www.accessecs.com/who-gets-in/questions/how-do-elite-institutions-select-people/