To Enroll More Minority Students, Colleges Work Around the Courts

New York Times ^ | April 1, 2012 | RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

[reaganaut1]

With its decision to take up racial preferences in admissions at public colleges, the Supreme Court has touched off a national guessing game about how far it might move against affirmative action and how profoundly colleges might change as a result.

But no matter how the court acts, recent history shows that when courts or new laws restrict affirmative action, colleges try to find other ways to increase minority admissions.

The aggressiveness of those efforts, and the results, vary widely by state, but generally they increase minority enrollment — though not as much as overt affirmative action once did. And they have tended to help Hispanic applicants far more than blacks, at least partly because of the demographics of the states where they have been tried.

Texas and a few others, for instance, compare students with their high school classmates, rather than with all applicants, resulting in more enrollment from poor communities. Washington is among the states that give added credit in the admissions process to students who come from poor families or excel at troubled schools.

Other colleges have spent more time recruiting in underrepresented communities. And the University of California system tries to weigh a student’s life beyond grades and test scores — which, critics say, sometimes amounts to giving racial preferences without acknowledging them.

Even if the Supreme Court limits the options, college and universities will “be seeking diversity by any legal means possible,” said Ada Meloy, general counsel of the American Council on Education.

But a decision overturning affirmative action could produce a national pattern of more liberal states going further to mimic the current system than more conservative states.

[kearnyirish2]

“It is because so many more women than men are going to college that colleges are now tripping over each other to get enough men to have a reasonably close to balanced ratio.”

Nice evasion on the acceptable racial makeup of those men being admitted.

“You ought to get out more before you go spouting off that which you know nothing about.”

I live within a few miles of MANY colleges; I know exactly what I’m talking about. I believe my own eyes before the “various professionals working in college admissions”.

[9YearLurker]

Then you’re an idiot. There are lots and lots of stats that back up the reason why there are more women on those campuses—they are by far in the majority in applying.

[kearnyirish2]

“they are by far in the majority in applying.”

With lower grades and other people’s money; that is the only reason they are there.

You are a token, and apparently others treat you accordingly leading to this resentment. Blame the government that did it, with your collaboration.