Is the US College Admissions process racist?
366535
There are some other factors that could have played a role, but which you don't clarify in your summary. Were your rejections from the most competitive colleges in the country? How rigorous was your high school curriculum? Did you take a fair share of AP and honors classes? How much community service could you show?\n\nI know it's no consolation, but your age cohort is quite large and the caliber of current college applicants is quite high these days, resulting in all colleges becoming more competitive to get into. If you only had one "safety school," then perhaps you aimed a bit too high and should have had a more diverse range of colleges on your list.\n\nThat said, my guess is that you had to classify yourself as White, with the only give-away to your Arab heritage being your name. Given the Supreme Court's ruling that allows colleges to consider race for achieving "diversity," it is possible that your qualifications, combined with being a "non-minority" (diversity-wise, that is), did not make you stand out for acceptance. But I highly doubt your rejections were based on any anti-Arab bias.\n\nDon't give up on applying to those schools as a transfer student.
1126851
Private Schools and public universities have different rules.  Private schools like private clubs can, for the most part, do almost anything they want.  State universities that accept tax-payer money have quiet strict equality rules.  The second Thing wrong with your argument is the housing is not based on race.  It is based on nationality.  Granted that if the country of origin was China most of the respondents would be Asian but a British person from Hong Kong would qualify.  The same would go for Africa.  Some of the respondents could be white South Africans.  Changing you dormitory after admission in always based on availability.  You will be able to change dorns next semester but take my advice.  Who cares.  The cheaper the better.  After you graduate move into a mansion and your student loans will be less.
1015497
I believe UC no longer considers Affirmative Action for enrollment. If you are denied admission to UCLA but you have above average GPA and test scores- as compared to their incoming freshman class- then I would consider appealing.
20855
The only way a law can level the playing field for a class of people is if it does not exsist.  \n\nIt sucks that people have inherint biases but the fact is that we all have them.  I am white and married a white woman.  I prefer white women.  All of my black friends married black women.  They prefer black women.  We (the human race) are prejudicial by nature.  Unfortunately, no law wil ever fix this. \n\nTo answer your question......No, I do not beleive in affirmative action.  Instead, I beleive that minorities that are under-represented in certain occupations need to try harder to make themselves valuable in those positions.  In most cases that means they will have to learn to properly speak the english language.
999803
While I don't attend Harvard, Ivy League schools look at several aspects of a student's application for acceptance.  Simply admitting students based on test scores would not necessarily make for a diverse, or interesting class, and that's what they want.
250779
For it, some minorities live in poor areas and havent had the same educational chances as others.\nagainst it. It is descrimination, you should get into school based on your academic record not your race.
454968
so if the program was completely filled with only indians, would you find this discrimination against other races? what if it was only white people, would it make a difference? my best guess at quota systems is that they are designed to prevent racial monopoly. ie all white schools have to let in other racial groups. the whole thing is racism regardless of fairness. no race should create a monopoly in any resource and then block out other races from having equal oppurtunity.  maybe this is not happening in your situation, then im sorry if your being discriminated against
443582
Because an all white college would be "discrimination," while an all black college is not.  Makes PERFECT sense, right?  It's all political correctness.
758577
You are probably thinking of Affirmative Action:\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action_in_the_United_States
983449
I think as long as there are still huge discrepancies and toothless laws that don't really work well in preventing discrimation, there should be some kind of affirmative action programs. I would like to think that at this point all we need are programs which promoted people who are entirely competitive with the rest of the population that is looking to gain college entrance or employment...... Some programs for encouraging people by giving them scholarships, job training or meals in the morning like "Head Start". It is wrong to enforce quotas based solely on race and not on ability and race together. Is this a legal question or it is about ethics and justice? It's been more than 30 years since I read anything by Plato or Kant in college, and I'm not going to debate the Bible. I guess the underlying question here is - how far should you go to try to legislate ethics and morality? In the case of affirmative action, the goal should be to raise up competent and talented minorities. It seems to be working somewhat, though progress seems slow (especially these days). I would not be in favor of continuing "affirmative action" on a permanent basis. Hopefully, soon, we'll not need it any more.
380643
Some Dude is correct.  The exception is Asians.  When considering applicants for university admissions, several points are *deducted* from Asians' scores -- only because they're Asian!  Yet, many more times that number of points are ADDED to black applicants -- only because they're black!\n\nExcept for Asians, minorities are often favored, even at the expense of others.
747173
Actually all people should be against affirmative action.  It creates unfair advantages.  In regards to your comment about it being harder to get good grades going to a bad school I have to disagree.  Going to a good school generally means a higher level of competition and a greater degree of scrutiny in the grading process.    By your reasoning if I was homeschooled by a moron uncle who gave me straight A's but did not teach me anything correctly admissions counselors should be more impressed by me than by someone who went to a highly competitive school with good instructors.\n\nMinorities get too many advantages through affirmative action.  I'm sorry if this offends you but it is true.  You should not want the special treatment given to you by these laws because basically what they are saying is that you aren't as good or as smart as a white person.  I think we both disagree with that and that we both would take that as an insult, you are in all likelihood just as smart and just as capable as anyone else.  But in reality that is exactly what the affirmative action initiatives are saying about minorities.  \n\nWhen special consideration is give to anyone because of the color of their skin or the country they were born in or for whatever reason they are going against the fundamental ideals upon which the country is founded.\n\nIts a matter of pride, I was born into poverty, I had no father, I had a mother that worked to support myself and my siblings.  We all got jobs as soon as we could and contributed what little we could to help us get by.  We refused welfare and charity out of pride.  We learned to work hard and to persevere and we have all become successful.  We went to the worst school imaginable and we had no special treatment because of our situation.  Yet we all went to college, we all worked our way through and we are the better for it.\n\nDon't buy into the hype that just because you are of a certain heritage that you need or deserve special treatment.  Don't sell yourself or your heritage short.  Be proud and stand up and demand equal footing not a hand up or a hand out.
894389
Unfortunatly yes, and from what I understand it is worse in some areas then others. I was rasied to accept everyone and I am still shocked when I meet people who make racist comments, like my roommate in college was smart but remained a racist because her dad was... It's sad. My aunt is white and married to a black guy, they have a restraunt in North Carolina and due to the racism down there she is struggling with her business. Shes in a black community that doesn't like that shes married to a balck guy. So it goes both ways.  I say, we should all love one another! Discriminate based on actions not race! But hey, not everyone is me...
736562
Okay, thanks for sharing. UC applications are unimpressed by academics nowadays. They get too many kids with 5 AP classes passed with all 5's and 4.5 GPA. They want people who worked with homeless people or wasted their time with some other non-profit. Good luck getting into Berkeley, LA, SD, Davis, or SB. They overimpacted those this year and will take a lot less students.
1133237
Yeah they have pretty selective admissions... my friend got in though...she also had an average above 100 and was the national latin champion BUT she got in! lol But many others from my school have gotten in...nothing is impossible
848016
Yes, minorities get special treatment. Just like you'd be racist if you decided to start a United White College Fund. It is complete garbage. If it is racist to go one way, it is racist to go the other. Eliminatae race from the equation entirely and just have a United People College Fund!!!!!!!!
589575
No, and it has not been the outcome for others, except you. You have sought to degrade others because you feel superior to them. You are not aware, that the USA's population consist of over 20+ different nationalities and ethnic groups. Have you ever given someone other than your race a free ride to their job when it was raining cat's and dog's outside. I doubt it.  Have you ever needed something and another race offered you assistance? More than likely, but you probably refused.  Anyway, native born Americans have not been given ample opportunity to make their dreams come true. But maybe, you can run for president, and make a real difference in Affirmative Action issues.  I PRESUME YOU ARE RICH?  right?  I think not!  Please restate your question more humbly, than you may get the answer you are seeking.