As I have been researching affirmative action for my junior theme, I have come across an incredibly interesting story about a university that I am highly interested in attending. Up until 1995, the University of Michigan used a point system to calculate whether a student would be admitted into the school. The point system was out of 155 possible points, and if you earned 100 points, you would be admitted. On the surface, it seems like a fair, even way to calculate how much a student deserves to be admitted. But once I dug deeper, I found the distribution of points terrifying. The make-up of the points went like this: 80 for GPA, 12 for test scores, 10 for being from Michigan, 1 for a good essay, 4 for legacy, 10 for personal achievement and leadership, 18 for difficulty of high school, and 20 points for being an under-represented minority. 20 points! The second most important category in this process is the color of your skin! Even black conservative Robert Woodson calls this system "Outrageous", and points out how race is almost doubly important as a perfect ACT score (Geocurry.com). A free 20 points for being a minority makes it a full 20% easier to get admitted. Minorities have to accomplish 80% of white a white applicant must.
Although I am for affirmative action, a process this black and white (no pun intended) is reverse racism. There must be help given in the admissions process to low socio-economic applicants, who happen to be predominantly minorities. Economic standing and opportunities given by the high school should be the defining factors, not race. A minority from New Trier should have no more advantage than a Caucasian from New Trier. It is truly amazing how African Americans were labeled as only 3/5 of a person 227 years ago, and now, they still only have to be 4/5 of the applicant a person has to be. So the question arises: When will minorities finally be treated the same as whites?
3 comments:
Interesting topic, Noah! I agree that the point system that Michigan once used is pretty ridiculous. I was shocked that, at one point, being a minority could give you a 20% better chance at getting into Michigan. Though I do not really agree or disagree with affirmative action, I believe it is only fair that colleges take every factor which has had an impact on students when considering to accept or deny them. Race simply has no place in that decision.
Nolo,
Interesting job blogging this term. Here I only wish you had looked at other criteria critically. Aren't "difficulty of hs, test scores, and legacy" also coded for race? If it's so easy for African-Americans to get in to Mich., why do fewer than 5 % attend?
Love the pin post, btw. Congrats. on what sounds like an amazing season.
"why do fewer than 5 % attend?" That's a secondary issue, completely. The topic was unfair admissions and previous admission policy. The idea that if you're poor and come from a bad HS, you get another 20 points, so weren't they really saying just being "black" would get you 40% or 40/100 points in!! It was absolutelly ridiculous and I voted to remove this stupid ideology. I further don't care if you're poor or not, they should want the best of the best and 90% of the points shold be from grades only....period.
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