<p>Destiny- this is America though. Even if AA is done away with, people will ALWAYS judge you based on your ethnicity and gender.</p>
<p>
So you might as well give up like CPUscientist3000 instead of competing on a level playing field for college admissions. CPUscientist3000 knows that people will ALWAYS…</p>
<p>Don’t talk unless you’ve lived the other person’s life. In this case, mine. </p>
<p>I’m not giving up, I’ve actually overcome a lot of racism and discrimination in my short 16 years, and I know that more is to come. </p>
<p>I secretly, well it’s not a secret anymore, wish that you are some puberty-stricken middle schooler with no life. If you aren’t, that’s just sad.</p>
<p>
The question should be in addition to being given an admissions advantage to college because you’re black, did you ALSO get a job or not fired because you’re black? Do you ever want to be evaluated solely on merit instead of skin color?</p>
<p>@CPU You’re right to a certain extent. I know that, as an Asian female (or even as just a female), I’ll be facing hell in the future in an environment filled with males (mainly Caucasian males) so I deserve the extra benefit. In that sense, I suppose AA is justified. Nevertheless, I prefer the level playing field (as aglages eloquently put it) because I’d personally feel less inferior in the future; I’d feel like I actually earned what I got. Ever had that conversation where your friend tells you that so-and-so got into a prestigious university and then someone else says, “Oh, that’s because s/he’s black.”? The way I see it, the whole idea of AA is quite demeaning when people begin attributing academic success to race/gender. I also believe that this will probably carry over to the office where your Ivy League diploma becomes less valuable because, oh gee, you’re black and that’s how you got in.</p>
<p>Getting rid of AA won’t “level the playing field.” it’ll actually “tip the scales” against us. </p>
<p>To “level the playing field” you have to change the racist and prejudiced minds of everyone in America—including adcoms. </p>
<p>Changing an ideology (yes, I know that I used that word) isn’t an easy thing to do. </p>
<p>Anyway, congrats on your acceptance. You know you’re a good student. </p>
<p>Colleges don’t accept kids they know will not do well–even if they are a minority.</p>
<p>Insightful Comments by aglages ** Updated**
This is great. At this rate, Ill be up to 100 comments soon enough. Then comes the official list, then the book deal, then the television show. $$$$$$ :)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Sounds as though even your friends think you don’t deserve to get into your “likely” schools…and they have gone to school with you. What do you expect people that aren’t your friends to think about why a top school would admit you? Although we may agree on “hating” AA, only one of us is still willing to use it…and then complain about how others perceive them.</p></li>
<li><p>I think I’ll stick around to limit your racist whining. Try to get a clue.</p></li>
<li><p>Originally Posted by CPUscientist3000
“I need to get off of CC.”
Aglages says- Excellent idea.</p></li>
<li><p>Ahhhh… one of the benefits of AA…no need to know what “Deserved” means.
Quality post. Please…get a little break in your black life for being black…you’ve obviously earned it.</p></li>
<li><p>Keile: What do you think…about 200 years of AA, 40 acres and a mule enough to make up for “foundational” effects on African Americans?</p></li>
<li><p>Very considerate of the Ivy League schools to share this information with you. Excuse me for questioning the validity of your statement.</p></li>
<li><p>Can’t be easy being underprivileged in CT with a family income of only $65K. Please allow me to extend my sympathies. Clearly you are more deserving than the white kid that also has a disability and whose family has the same income as yours.</p></li>
<li><p>Got to love CC. Person starts a thread and then doesn’t bother to check back on it or read the responses…but…wants to report the “main ideas”.</p></li>
<li><p>No one? Ever? All US children? I sincerely hope your academic papers are more on point and have fewer generalizations than what you have displayed on this forum.</p></li>
<li><p>I think jazzpark said it very well: “I’m every damned bit as good as a person of any other race and want no special favors.”.</p></li>
<li><p>As long as AA offers an unfair advantage to one race/ethnicity, then ALL successful URM applicants are going to be suspect. Even if some/most have competitive stats the AA admits are going to cast doubt on the entire group. Add in the NATIONAL graduation rates…and it reinforces the perception.</p></li>
<li><p>And I don’t appreciate blanket statements like this one. Nobody “claims” that AA is the ONLY reason URMs get into ANY institution. The claim is that URMs with lower stats are getting into institutions ahead of students better qualified academically.</p></li>
<li><p>And she is back!!! So much for meaning what you say and saying what you mean.</p></li>
<li><p>Poor nil desperandum. Unable to respond to being “exposed”.
Lets add this one again for posterity:
“Although we may agree on “hating” AA, only one of us (nil desperandum) is still willing to use it…and then complain about how others perceive them.”</p></li>
<li><p>Item #14 is at the wrong end of the list. Being black is not a crime…but being a fool reflects poorly on you.</p></li>
<li><p>So you might as well give up like CPUscientist3000 instead of competing on a level playing field for college admissions. CPUscientist3000 knows that people will ALWAYS…</p></li>
<li><p>The question should be in addition to being given an admissions advantage to college because you’re black, did you ALSO get a job or not fired because you’re black? Do you ever want to be evaluated solely on merit instead of skin color?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sadly,17 is the only comment that is slightly intelligent and not sarcastic. Sadly, it took aglages 16 comments to get to one intelligent response. Oh well, better late than never. If Im a fool, I shudder to think what aglages is.</p>
<p>
Whoa whoa there young lady. Watch it with the language there. </p>
<p>How is it a fact, you’re just sidestepping that part. Not all black people are at disadvantage in life.</p>
<p>
Actually, I have clearly said that blacks can succeed without AA. Look into my previous posts, and I have pulled out a few sample quotes, so you won’t have to go through the trouble of digging through for them:</p>
<p>“Seriously, people need to stop being in awe of Obama just cause he’s black. Start focusing on the person not the race.”</p>
<p>“No. I don’t think that Asians are born smarter generally, or that Blacks are born stupid. I believe that all humans are capable of accomplishing the same things. Because of that, I think AA is some of the biggest bullcrap ever.”</p>
<p>“There will still be brilliant minorities who will be admitted to those universities.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You have a wonderful INTERNET personality as well. Bye.</p>
<p>this discussion is hilarious, i have to write a (hypocritical) paper on this.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, I haven’t had those kinds of conversations, mostly because I am black - those who ascribe to such thinking are generally cowards and wouldn’t dare say something like that to my face unless they wanted a verbal beating. I have been told that the only reason I would get into college was because of my skin color, but that came from a person with a SAT score 1000 points lower than mine, so I don’t think he was too credible. In fact, I considered him fairly representative of those who followed his style of thinking. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Indeed. While struggle may be emblematic of much of the black experience, it does not define it, nor is it a prerequisite for “blackness,” if there can be such a thing. However, being black is not an advantage, and it never will be, unless you are examining it within the context of skin cancer, and even there, it’s a double edged sword.</p>
<p>And to all the whiners: holistic admissions exist for a reason. Get a life and move on.</p>
<p>
Yes it does. Generally to increase diversity but avoid ending up in court in places where affirmative action has been banned.
[News:</a> Making Holistic Admissions Work - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/03/02/holistic]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/03/02/holistic)
[News:</a> Is ‘Holistic’ Admissions a Cover for Helping Black Applicants? - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/09/02/ucla]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/09/02/ucla)
“…considerable evidence exists that UCLA is using its new admissions system as a way to favor black applicants in violation of California law.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hogwash!</p>
<p>African-Americans aren’t the only people who are in relatively high demand during the admissions cycle. Indeed, all people who are are relatively scarce on college campuses (and whose presence would thus increase diversity) are given a boost.</p>
<p>^^^
Clearly you didn’t read the entire article.
“One reason the system needs scrutiny, he writes, is that the policy appears to be hurting non-black minority applicants”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m sorry - did you not see where I wrote “Hogwash!” ? </p>
<p>Let me quote that for you again:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Now, I clearly wrote my opinion of those assertions. It’s hogwash.</p>
<p>
Yes…I read your in depth analysis of the Inside Higher Education article, your opinion that “holistic admissions exist for a reason”, and your insight on other than African-Americans benefiting from the holistic admissions process. Unfortunately not everyone associated with the holistic approach agrees with you. Did you have some links to articles or research that supports the benefits of the holistic admissions process for BOTH AAs and other URMs and WHAT reason holistic admissions exists?
</p>
<p>The more I read these threads, the more I wonder about something. If those of you who disagree with AA wouldn’t mind, please tell me why you would disagree with my view of this subject. I’m honestly just curious.</p>
<p>It seems to me that the argument is that the boost that African Americans and a few others receive from AA is unfair. Now this might be true if you think about the principle of it, because even well off African American applicants get this boost. However, I just don’t understand why it’s really that bothersome. African Americans only make up, at most, 15% of the student body at top colleges (that college being Columbia according to this [ JBHE</a> 2010 Survey of Black Freshmen at the Nation’s Highest-Ranking Universities](<a href=“http://www.jbhe.com/2010survey.html] JBHE”> JBHE 2010 Survey of Black Freshmen at the Nation's Highest-Ranking Universities)). The number is already quite small and eliminating AA would ultimately result in a very low enrollment of African Americans, as seen in the UCs. Again, the principle of Affirmative Action might very well be wrong, but the way I see it is that you’re just trying to make the little guy even smaller. Instead of pointing the finger at AA as the reason for a rejection, why not wonder why you weren’t up to par with those that make up the majority of the student body (assuming you’re someone that doesn’t qualify for AA)?</p>
<p>I guess what I’m trying to say is, the principle of AA may wrong but doesn’t it seem silly to fight over?</p>
<p>I’m not really interested in you’re reasoning for eliminating AA (lol I know that sounds bad, sorry) because I’ve read many of the same things several times. I’d just like to know why you would disagree with MY point of view. Or even if you would agree I’d like to know. Thanks.</p>
<p>
Are principles worth fighting over?</p>
<p>prin·ci·ple/ˈprinsəpəl/Noun
- A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
- A rule or belief governing one’s personal behavior</p>
<p>“Our culture has done African Americans a great disservice by engendering a sense of entitlement among them, and they do themselves an even greater one by insisting on perpetuating that attitude.”</p>
<p>Well, I see what you’re trying to say. But you gave me a definition and a quote from someone else. I’m just asking that you elaborate in your own words, if you wouldn’t mind.</p>
<p>Principles are worth “fighting” for. Just saying AA “may be wrong” but that is OK because it only affects a relatively few doesn’t make it right or acceptable.</p>
<p>Thank you for your response, aglages.</p>