AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AT THREE UNIVERSITIES

TownHall.com ^ | Nov 23, 2004 | David J. Armor - Professor of Public Policy

[Huber]

George Mason University

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This paper analyzes Fall 2003 admissions data for University of Virginia undergraduates, North Carolina State undergraduates, and William and Mary Law School. Odds ratios indicate that black applicants receive very strong preference over equally qualified white applicants at UVA and W&M Law (and over equally qualified Hispanics and Asians), and moderate preference at NCS. At NCS and W&M Law, white students are preferred over equally-qualified Asian students. At UVA and NCS, Hispanic students are also preferred over white students, but the degree of preference is much less than for black students. The results for UVA do not appear consistent with their stated admission policies, which “seek the ablest and most promising students,” and “expand[ed] opportunit ies for …minority students.”

[Huber]

Great analysis!

[cyborg]

These universities are still predominantly white according to the data provided.

[Huber]

"Chart 3 shows the relation between SAT scores and admission rates for Hispanics and Asians. For both schools (NC State and UVA), the patterns are more similar to the white student rates shown in Chart 2. The probability of admission for Asian students is almost identical to white rates for each SAT category, while the probabilities are somewhat higher for Hispanic students. But the differences are on the order of 10% in each category rather than the 50% advantage shown for black students at UVA.

Chart 4 shows the relation between admission and LSAT scores at W&M Law school. Black students have a substantial advantage over all other groups in the LSAT score range 153 to 162, which encompasses nearly half of all white applicants. Black applicants in this range have better than a 50% chance of admission compared to less than 10% for white students. The average LSAT score for W&M admissions is 165; the average for black admissions is 156."

[Huber]

These universities are still predominantly white according to the data provided. Therefore...? Please explain your point.

[cyborg]

No point. I am just stating what I read in the data.

[Huber]

This was interesting...

The odds ratio for blacks compared to whites at NCS is 13 to 1, but at UVA it is 106 to 1 and at William &Mary 267 to 1. In other words, at UVA the odds of a black student being admitted is more than 100 times the odds of admission of a white student with the same qualifications. The odds of admitting a black applicant at William & Mary is more than 250 times the odds of admitting an equally-qualified white applicant.

The odds ratios for Asians at all three schools are less than one, meaning that Asians are less likely to be admitted than equally-qualified whites (the odds ratio for Asians at UVA is not statistically significant).

[cyborg]

very interesting... so perhaps whoever requested this document should ask the admissions committee for their reasons for admitting one student over another student. These things can be very subjective. I notice they don't give the stats of those admitted who don't indicate their race/ethnicity.

[cyborg]

I wonder what would happen if everyone applying to these universities just opted not to check anything off? It is voluntary, and no one is required to fill them out. A lot of students fill them out because they are tied to money and who doesn't want money instead of student loans. What would these libs do then.

[Auntie Dem]

The odds ratio for blacks compared to whites at NCS is 13 to 1, but at UVA it is 106 to 1 and at William &Mary 267 to 1. In other words, at UVA the odds of a black student being admitted is more than 100 times the odds of admission of a white student with the same qualifications. The odds of admitting a black applicant at William & Mary is more than 250 times the odds of admitting an equally-qualified white applicant.

The odds ratios for Asians at all three schools are less than one, meaning that Asians are less likely to be admitted than equally-qualified whites (the odds ratio for Asians at UVA is not statistically significant).

There is no discrimination here, just simple statistics and mathematics. Clearly, there is an inverse relationship between qualification and admission. It's that simple.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"what would happen if everyone applying to these universities just opted not to check anything off? "

Well, you still gotta show up in person sooner or later in the application process to fill out further forms, pay your fees, etc.... and maybe some 'helpful bureaucrat' might just help you out on your form...or their own back-office forms....

[bushisdamanin04]

Damn I'd love to get away from this racist crap. I wanted to be a Maryland State Trooper. Although I had the required high school degree at that time, they were so limited in the number of white males they could take that they only took white males with college degrees.

I also tested for the post office. There were probably 200-300 of us who tested in Baltimore that year. I was one of a handful of whites testing. Never heard from the Post Office. Every young (and thus new) worker I saw in the post offices were black.

Now, I went on and was a commissioned military officer and a lawyer. And yet I couldn't even get my foot in the door with the state police or Post Office. Everytime I see a black trooper, I wonder if they were the best qualified, or just the best qualified black. Even in law school the racism insisted on by the ABA, and gladly accepted by the law school, was outrageous. One set of rules for the white students and one for the black students.

Despite laws to the contrary, schools will always find a way to have racist policies if they so desire.

[cyborg]

That's after you've been accepted... you don't pay that stuff till you're registered. I suppose one can always check their own admissions records. The last thing people need is 'help from a bureaucrat' *LOL*

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

The last thing people need is 'help from a bureaucrat' *LOL*


agreed and appending a belated /smirk to my prior post!

[cyborg]

bushisdaman is right too... schools will find a way to do whatever they want. I just know from experience that I'd rather have Saddam Hussein for a boyfriend than a bureaucrat's help.

[LiteKeeper]

read later - education

[Southack]

Forget the universities for a moment, If liberals love Affirmative Action so much, then why are all of the liberal talking head network newscasters White?

[ReadyNow]

Yes, but isn't the country benefiting from the presence of these black lawyers and college graduates? Or maybe we're developing a two-layered profession: a small number of very bright white lawyers, and a large number of not-quite-so-bright non-white lawyers.

[Huber]

I think that some Hokies and TarHeels might agree with you!

[atomicweeder]

Further evidence of PC run amuck. My son is the owner of a small company that builds special electronics for the government. For five years he has actively recruited minorities from engineering schools. He has hired whites, Hispanics, and Asians. He said he has interviewed black Engineering grads, but has never encountered one that his truly qualified. He said it's like they handed them a degree.

He says the lowering of standards is something that has happened in past 20 years -- he has several black engineering colleagues, from his same era (class of '82 or earlier) that he would hire in a heartbeat.

Sad. I wish some of these minorities would sue the universities for not making them adhere to same standards as everyone else.

[Huber]

It's only a matter of time. Most local newscast teams seem to consist of co-anchor teams with a white male and a non-white female.