4 ms·

I studied at Harvard some years ago and I wholeheartedly support the holistic admissions process. Good grades are a great predictor of your ability to get good

I studied at Harvard some years ago and I wholeheartedly support the holistic admissions process. Good grades are a great predictor of your ability to get good grades, not much more than that. As a nerdy Asian, if 50% of my classmates were nerdy Asians, my experience would have been much less fulfilling. Much of the education at college comes from the friends you meet along the way so a diverse, multifaceted class is an invaluable part of the experience. I have a friend who was an armed guerrilla against Iran and another friend who was forced into exile in Egypt after a coup in Sudan. These are the perspectives that expand a young 18-year-old's worldview. Both of them had a SAT score much lower than mine, but I would argue they deserved their spots at Harvard more than I did.

JoeAltmaier 11y ago
I'm one of those 'diverse' classmates I guess. Poor Iowa farm kid, got middling good grades (best in my class but that's not saying much). Couldn't afford anything without a full loan etc. But Stanford let me in, for no good reason. That was in 1981.
argumentum 11y ago
Why do you presume Asians are any more nerdy than others? It's one thing to be in favor of diversity of experience (it's great that you met such interesting people) and quite another thing to assume that Asian ethnicities are less likely to contribute such experiences to the university. That second thing is called racism. (not saying you are racist, but your argument certainly justifies racism)
- howlingfantods 11y ago
  I wouldn't say I'm presuming Asians are nerdier. Since I'm a nerdy Asian, I can only speak to the type of people I know. What I meant is: "if I were in school with only people who were like myself."
  - argumentum 11y ago
    So then, perhaps you'd want to replace "As a nerdy Asian, if 50% of my classmates were nerdy Asians," with "As a nerd, if 50% of my classmates were nerds,"

JoeAltmaier 11y ago

I'm one of those 'diverse' classmates I guess. Poor Iowa farm kid, got middling good grades (best in my class but that's not saying much). Couldn't afford anything without a full loan etc. But Stanford let me in, for no good reason. That was in 1981.

argumentum 11y ago

Why do you presume Asians are any more nerdy than others? It's one thing to be in favor of diversity of experience (it's great that you met such interesting people) and quite another thing to assume that Asian ethnicities are less likely to contribute such experiences to the university. That second thing is called racism. (not saying you are racist, but your argument certainly justifies racism)

howlingfantods 11y ago
I wouldn't say I'm presuming Asians are nerdier. Since I'm a nerdy Asian, I can only speak to the type of people I know. What I meant is: "if I were in school with only people who were like myself."
- argumentum 11y ago
  So then, perhaps you'd want to replace "As a nerdy Asian, if 50% of my classmates were nerdy Asians," with "As a nerd, if 50% of my classmates were nerds,"