3 ms·

I think that the only data driven conclusion we can derive from "holistic" admissions that consider every factor stems from what happened in California. Most Ca

I think that the only data driven conclusion we can derive from "holistic" admissions that consider every factor stems from what happened in California. Most California public colleges (UC Berkeley, etc.) subscribed to the same school of thought, but when race-based considerations were banned, the Asian American percentage at the school shot up considerably. The colleges were still considering the same criteria for admissions, but once race was removed, a significant increase in Asian American acceptances at the schools occurred. I think it's very hard to argue that Asian Americans failed on your aforementioned categories, or that there wasn't a systematic bias against them when considering these facts.

kenjackson 11y ago
The colleges were still considering the same criteria for admissions, but once race was removed, a significant increase in Asian American acceptances at the schools occurred. This may have occurred, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the metrics they used were the only reasonable metrics. I think Harvard would argue that their metrics always looked much different than state schools. And actually that probably cuts to the heart more than anything else: What is the end goal of the pool of accepted students you bring in? Is it to reward the students for a job well done? Or is it to shape a society? Or is it something altogether different -- or a combination? I think a lot of people view college admittance as a reward for a job well done. But maybe for top-tier colleges the goal is to create leaders who will shape the future. In which case diversity actually matters a fair bit. Can you get the societal diverse leaders that you want by accepting just Asian and White students? I honestly think the answer is probably no.

3 ms·

I think that the only data driven conclusion we can derive from "holistic" admissions that consider every factor stems from what happened in California. Most Ca

by FlyingLawnmower 11y ago

kenjackson 11y ago
The colleges were still considering the same criteria for admissions, but once race was removed, a significant increase in Asian American acceptances at the schools occurred. This may have occurred, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the metrics they used were the only reasonable metrics. I think Harvard would argue that their metrics always looked much different than state schools. And actually that probably cuts to the heart more than anything else: What is the end goal of the pool of accepted students you bring in? Is it to reward the students for a job well done? Or is it to shape a society? Or is it something altogether different -- or a combination? I think a lot of people view college admittance as a reward for a job well done. But maybe for top-tier colleges the goal is to create leaders who will shape the future. In which case diversity actually matters a fair bit. Can you get the societal diverse leaders that you want by accepting just Asian and White students? I honestly think the answer is probably no.