4 ms·

It should be easy to make the student body reflect the diversity of applicants: select them at random.

whoooooo123 4y ago
I actually think this would be a good way to run admissions at ultra-selective elite universities - places like Harvard or Oxford where getting in or not can make a huge impact on the entire rest of your life. Everyone knows the evaluation process is bullshit and highly dependent on luck, so why pretend otherwise? Just discard those applicants who don't meet some minimum objective standard (SAT scores or whatever) then pick the remaining names out of a hat. It's never going to happen, but still. If people don't like it then maybe the solution is to improve the quality of other universities so that getting rejected from Harvard isn't such a big blow in the first place.
- bombcar 4y ago
  It’s often not the quality as it is the network. It’s well known that many state schools have excellent business programs (think MBA) but that you should only ever go to your local one, because the network you get will be limited to that locality. Whereas NYU Stern or whatever is a world-wide network.
- texaslonghorn5 4y ago
  > places like Harvard or Oxford where getting in or not can make a huge impact on the entire rest of your life. ??
  - whoooooo123 4y ago
    What part don't you understand?
    - texaslonghorn5 4y ago
      I disagree that getting into those two schools makes such a huge impact.
      - whoooooo123 4y ago
        I said that it can make a huge impact. I'm sure it doesn't always.
bradleyjg 4y ago
Thomas suggested this as an alternative to using race as a plus factor in Grutter v. Bollinger. He claimed the existence of this alternative meant that the schools use of race was not narrowly tailored even if one conceded the compelling government interest in diversity.
MichaelCollins 4y ago
I'd have them selected randomly from those that clear the standardized testing bar. Otherwise, without selecting for academic performance, universities become a continuation of highschool where high achievers are surrounded by riffraff who don't really want to learn but rather spend a few years partying with student loans before hitting the workforce.
- bombcar 4y ago
  The solution is to make high school more selective - which is done in some countries. Around 12 it is determined if you’re on the college path or the tradeschool path and you go from there Then suddenly you have the ability to boot non-performers on the college path into something else.
  - texaslonghorn5 4y ago
    You really think we can accurately determine people's paths by age 12?? It's more likely the determination ends up as a proxy for whose parents were rich enough to [stay at home to / pay for someone to] train their kids to get onto the college track.
- causi 4y ago
  continuation of highschool where high achievers are surrounded by riffraff One of the best things about adulthood is no longer spending every day with what one teacher called "the peanut gallery" hooting and squawking from the back of the room.

I actually think this would be a good way to run admissions at ultra-selective elite universities - places like Harvard or Oxford where getting in or not can make a huge impact on the entire rest of your life. Everyone knows the evaluation process is bullshit and highly dependent on luck, so why pretend otherwise? Just discard those applicants who don't meet some minimum objective standard (SAT scores or whatever) then pick the remaining names out of a hat. It's never going to happen, but still. If people don't like it then maybe the solution is to improve the quality of other universities so that getting rejected from Harvard isn't such a big blow in the first place.

bombcar 4y ago
It’s often not the quality as it is the network. It’s well known that many state schools have excellent business programs (think MBA) but that you should only ever go to your local one, because the network you get will be limited to that locality. Whereas NYU Stern or whatever is a world-wide network.
texaslonghorn5 4y ago
> places like Harvard or Oxford where getting in or not can make a huge impact on the entire rest of your life. ??
- whoooooo123 4y ago
  What part don't you understand?
  - texaslonghorn5 4y ago
    I disagree that getting into those two schools makes such a huge impact.
    - whoooooo123 4y ago
      I said that it can make a huge impact. I'm sure it doesn't always.

bradleyjg 4y ago

Thomas suggested this as an alternative to using race as a plus factor in Grutter v. Bollinger. He claimed the existence of this alternative meant that the schools use of race was not narrowly tailored even if one conceded the compelling government interest in diversity.

MichaelCollins 4y ago

I'd have them selected randomly from those that clear the standardized testing bar. Otherwise, without selecting for academic performance, universities become a continuation of highschool where high achievers are surrounded by riffraff who don't really want to learn but rather spend a few years partying with student loans before hitting the workforce.

bombcar 4y ago
The solution is to make high school more selective - which is done in some countries. Around 12 it is determined if you’re on the college path or the tradeschool path and you go from there Then suddenly you have the ability to boot non-performers on the college path into something else.
- texaslonghorn5 4y ago
  You really think we can accurately determine people's paths by age 12?? It's more likely the determination ends up as a proxy for whose parents were rich enough to [stay at home to / pay for someone to] train their kids to get onto the college track.
causi 4y ago
continuation of highschool where high achievers are surrounded by riffraff One of the best things about adulthood is no longer spending every day with what one teacher called "the peanut gallery" hooting and squawking from the back of the room.