What stands out? Interestingly, the topic of diversity was very much prevalent in the majority of my applications. Nearly all of the college pamphlets I read contained a detailed breakdown of the school's students by ethnicity. Many of the information sessions I attended contained a segment where the admissions officer boasted about how many different backgrounds were present in the school. And at least three of the essays I had to write answered a prompt like " X College prides itself on diversity. Please talk about your background and how that will add to our campus".
Personally, I believe that diversity is important in a college setting. Varied perspectives and unique upbringings provide a more interesting and compelling experience for students since they get to learn about people who are very different from them. However, I began to wonder: has the search for diversity ever gone too far? Have colleges ever been so committed to fostering diversity that they forget about the other aspects of an application?
Of course. Take two "current" examples: Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) and now Fisher v. University of Texas (currently being heard by Supreme Court). Similar in nature, these court cases center around the idea of affirmative action. Many of the current criticisms regarding this policy stem from students feeling that they were denied because there were more ethnically diverse applicants (same or less qualifications) as competition. Looking at Grutter v. Bollinger, the University of Michigan even admitted that they were quite interested in including as many minorities into the Law School to "provide an opportunity for them"- an idea which the District Court even found unlawful. Though the Supreme Court ultimately upheld affirmative action in that case, here we are, a mere 9 years later, taking a similar case (Fisher v. U. of Texas) to Supreme Court to review the same policy.
Should it stay or should it go? There's definite controversy regarding affirmative action, as seen by this article from Yale News. Some schools deem it necessary...besides, doesn't there need to be some sort of regulation to help bring majority and minority groups together? There are certainly positives to having a multitude of perspectives and stories to share. However, some schools find that minority groups are overrepresented and that there is real discrimination going on in the admissions process. Are policies upholding affirmative action, then, encouraging colleges to choose students based mainly on color of their skin and how "different" they look? Are they just trying to make the school look diverse and not paying enough attention to the actual credentials of the students?
Regardless of the ruling by the Supreme Court for Fisher v. University of Texas, universities need to define diversity- what does that actually mean for our school? With that, the color of an individual's skin should never be the sole factor that gets them into college. Unique experiences, difficult circumstances, passion, grades, extracurriculars...those are the elements that set a student apart. But, like Grutter v. Bollinger, taking a minority into a university just because they are a minority and not because of their great scores, compelling story or extraordinary school involvement, isn't fair to that student or the student who is therefore denied because they do not have the racial "edge". A certain appearance does not equate to a deserving, diverse perspective. There are deserving members in both the majority and minority groups as well as undeserving members. That's why decision-makers should stick to the application and stay away from a compelling appearance or label.
Should it stay or should it go? There's definite controversy regarding affirmative action, as seen by this article from Yale News. Some schools deem it necessary...besides, doesn't there need to be some sort of regulation to help bring majority and minority groups together? There are certainly positives to having a multitude of perspectives and stories to share. However, some schools find that minority groups are overrepresented and that there is real discrimination going on in the admissions process. Are policies upholding affirmative action, then, encouraging colleges to choose students based mainly on color of their skin and how "different" they look? Are they just trying to make the school look diverse and not paying enough attention to the actual credentials of the students?
Regardless of the ruling by the Supreme Court for Fisher v. University of Texas, universities need to define diversity- what does that actually mean for our school? With that, the color of an individual's skin should never be the sole factor that gets them into college. Unique experiences, difficult circumstances, passion, grades, extracurriculars...those are the elements that set a student apart. But, like Grutter v. Bollinger, taking a minority into a university just because they are a minority and not because of their great scores, compelling story or extraordinary school involvement, isn't fair to that student or the student who is therefore denied because they do not have the racial "edge". A certain appearance does not equate to a deserving, diverse perspective. There are deserving members in both the majority and minority groups as well as undeserving members. That's why decision-makers should stick to the application and stay away from a compelling appearance or label.
