Ultimately, should race be a factor in college admissions?
This fall, I filled out 11 college applications. As I recall, each one asked my gender, race and even religion. And I have to admit, stating that I was a white, Roman Catholic, female, made me wonder if I was making myself seem 'average.' A lot of my friends wondered the same thing and complained that they wished they had some aspect of their heritage to make them self stand out. One of my friends even boasted about being 1/32 Native American (Cherokee to be exact). I constantly hear kids at DHS whining about how they wished that there was something about their race, ethnicity or religion that would make them 'stand out' or have an 'edge,' solely for the purpose of applying to schools.
I have two very qualified friends applying to similar schools. One who is white and one who is of a minority race. They both have very high GPAs and very high ACT scores, and they both are extremely involved in diverse clubs and activities. When my white friend got deffered from a school and my minority friend was accepted to the same institution, my white friend instantly explained that it was because of race. Regardless, if I agree or not, that race played a roll in the admissions decision, this topic if more than relevant for people at our age.
I do believe that affirmative action should be a factor when admissions boards are deciding on who to accept to specific schools. However, I also think that economic status (regardless of race) and social standings (regardless of race) should be considered with the same regard.
I don't like the way University of Michigan conducted this with a point system, because it was basically saying here are several points for being born the way you are (for race) and here are only a few points for explaining what you have gone through, what tribulations you have faced and the economic struggles you have endured (for the personal statement). I think that the best way to approach affirmative action is in a holistic way where all factors of admissions are considered.
Nicole, I really like the personal connection to this post however it would have been even more powerful to bring in some of the specifics and details from the class materials.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you need to stay up to date with your blogs overall. You always have interesting things to say, but 5 posts for the quarter with none in March is insufficient.