The Whole Applicant (backdoor racial preferences at state universities)

New York Times ^ | November 1, 2009 | Lisa W. Forderaro

[reaganaut1]

...

Across the country, selective public colleges and universities are taking a page from their private counterparts and implementing what is commonly called a holistic or comprehensive admissions process.

...

At Santa Barbara, the comprehensive review process was implemented in the late 1990’s, and across the entire system in 2002. Susan A. Wilbur, the system’s director of undergraduate admissions, says it enables the selection committee to view applicants in light of their socio-­economic and educational backgrounds.

“We call this ‘achievement in context,’ ” she says. “We don’t want to compare a student who’s attending a well-resourced school with a student who may be attending a high school that offers few or no honors courses. That would be an apples-to-oranges comparison.”

The broader lens tends to help students whose statistics — G.P.A., class rank, test score — are less impressive but who bring something extra to the table, say, a talent or success in overcoming an obstacle. “The pool of applicants who could benefit from holistic admissions is pretty large,” says David A. Hawkins, director of public policy and research at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, “and certainly that includes low-income, racial and ethnic minority and first-generation students.” Minority students tend not to fare well on admissions exams.

One catalyst for holistic review is the desire for a diverse student body without quotas. In 2003, the Supreme Court essentially gave universities a framework for taking race into consideration. One landmark decision favored the holistic process used by the University of Michigan’s law school; another found its undergraduate admissions method, which used a system that gave points for race, unconstitutional.

[Old Professer]

I’m glad these guys don’t select my melons and mattresses.

[Oatka]

(He's also a small part Cherokee . . . )

I've told this before but can't find the source (dammit). There was a story about an Anglo kid who applied to a college for entrance, claiming he was an Indian. When asked what tribe he belonged to, he said, "SoSueMe". He got in.

It reminds me of the college kids who started a campaign to "Save The Naugas!". They blew up a picture of a gekko and started parading around campus, decrying the slaughter of these gentle creatures to make Naugahyde coverings for chairs and sofas. All the Mother Earth types joined in and made a great to do over the "massacre".

[Sherman Logan]

Oh, I agree. I realize how the program will work in practice. I was just pointing out that the theory is not inherently a bad one.

Were it up to me, I’d allow all factors to be taken into consideration except race or ethnicity. Income, family background, school attended, etc. are all relevant to achievement. Ethnicity is not.

[Starwolf]

What an ooptunity to monkey wrench the system.

All informatoin in this area that is supplied is voluntary. Its a wonderderful opportunity to destroy the racial quotas from within. We do it in our personal lives, as do our children. Who is to challenge us when we claim to be Japanese Hispanic lesbians who follow the Jedi religion?