Unconscious Bias

Reducing Unconsious Bias in Admissions

Overview

At Quantic School of Business and Technology, the Admissions team interviews students from more than 100 countries. While this diversity is a strength, it also revealed a hidden challenge that unconscious bias can shape evaluations, especially for candidates whose first language isn’t English.

As the designer and facilitator, I led the development of a blended learning program that helped Admissions Counselors recognize and reduce bias in applicant evaluations by combining behavioral science, active learning, and reflection to create measurable impact.

The Challenge

Most Admissions Counselors were American, with limited exposure to global accents or communication styles.
Research shows that accents can unconsciously influence how people perceive competence, intelligence, and confidence.

I saw this pattern firsthand in applicant scoring data and realized the need for a solution that would promote fairer, more consistent evaluations rooted in empathy and awareness, not assumptions.

Over four months, I designed a blended learning program that combined asynchronous lessons in Quantic’s LMS with remote workshops facilitated live across time zones.

The design integrated:

Adult learning principles to foster reflection and real-world application
CEFR-level frameworks to anchor evaluation standards
Scenario-based practice with real interview recordings
Feedback loops and discussion forums to strengthen retention

Each module guided Admissions Counselors to distinguish between accent and proficiency, build cultural awareness, and practice equitable decision-making in simulated admissions scenarios.

The Approach

The Implementation

The program launched globally to all Admissions Counselors and was later added to the onboarding curriculum for new hires.

Duration: 4 months
Format: Blended (LMS + remote workshops)
Audience: Global Admissions team and leadership

Using the ADDIE framework, I collaborated with internal stakeholders to collect feedback after each session and refine the design for long-term scalability.

Within six months:

30% improvement in correct application scoring
Increased confidence in identifying bias
The course became part of the standard onboarding program

The Results

Participants described the experience as “eye-opening” and “impactful.”

"The course gave me great insight into being aware of my own barriers to objectively reviewing ESL candidates… I’ll definitely revisit this every so often for a tune-up.”

- Admissions Counselor

”I just completed the Global AC Training-it was great! Just wanted to drop a quick note that it was a fantastic job!!”

- Admissions Counselor

Reflection

This project deepened my commitment to design learning experiences rooted in equity and transformation.

The training improved scoring accuracy and helped build a more inclusive admissions culture.