<p>Or, to sum it up: succesful Asian American students should not blame "underqualified" African American and Hispanic American students for "taking" their spots in admissions at top universities. It's not affirmative action screwing Asian Americans over. There's a big chance their spot was taken by a wealthy, white and underqualified student. </p>
<p>Oh, and other breaking news: admissions people think all Asian students are dull brainiacs with no social skills or leadership abilities. </p>
<p>Harvard, Yale and other Ivies are not your friend. The Asians at those top schools have higher SAT scores and GPA averages than any other racial group, including whites. That means it takes a higher academic caliber to be accepted into the Ivies as an Asian than as a white student. Which means there are unfair admission policies directed specifically at Asians, and "quotas" restricting the number of Asians in these schools -- informal "ceilings".</p>
<p>If there were fair ethnic representation at the top schools based on academic worthiness, Asians would be even more well-represented than they already are. But they aren't. And its not affirmative action blacks and Latinos taking their spots at the Ivies, but wealthy often legacy, white students who aren't any more "qualified."</p>
<p>I'm tired of the rat race among many Asian American students to see who can get into the "best" universities. Those universities are NOT welcoming you with open arms. The more you push the harder it is going to get, because these universities are just going to make the ceiling lower. </p>
<p>I expect to see in the next decades a large number of extremely talented and smart Asian American students trickling down to universities outside the holy grail of the Ivy Leagues and other top ten schools. Because those schools simply will not take them the way they would if admissions were fair.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>the link is unavailable</p></li>
<li><p>Are u sure this source is 100% correct?</p></li>
<li><p>Another thread providing Princeton University's report says every 4 out of 5 URMs admitted to elite schools will be replaced by asians if there weren't affirmative action. How reliable is your source since the link is not available?</p></li>
<li><p>Out of curiosity, what ethnicity are u?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>
[quote]
Most people think of black football and basketball stars when they hear about “sports scholarships”. But there are also sports scholarships for rich white students who play preppie sports such as fencing, squash, sailing, riding, golf and, of course, lacrosse. The University of Virginia even has scholarships for polo-players, relatively few of whom come from the inner cities
[/quote]
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<p>
[quote]
Two groups of people overwhelmingly bear the burden of these policies—Asian-Americans and poor whites. Asian-Americans are the “new Jews”, held to higher standards (they need to score at least 50 points higher than non-Asians even to be in the game) and frequently stigmatised for their “characters” (Harvard evaluators persistently rated Asian-Americans below whites on “personal qualities”).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I wish HYP etc would release admission profiles. I wonder if a count-by-count analysis would reveal how many underqualified white students there are compared to affirmative action "underqualified" blacks and Hispanics. </p>
<p>I think its sickening that so many Asian families revere Harvard when Harvard admissions officers think that they're personality-less nerds.</p>
<p>Asians are mostly "personality-less," but I know MANY who are just as crazy as the "rich, white boys." Those are probably the Asians that get into HYPS.</p>
<p>hm...either way, the conclusion is that asian americans have a great disadvantage in this so called "fair, equal opportunity" country in this admissions game.</p>
<p>Although not the point of your post, incredibly, Caucasian males may be on their way to being afforded special admission status at top schools. In Texas (and I'm sure it's true elsewhere), while male standardized test scores have been trending down for a decade. Many theories are offered... video games, internet, over-emphasis on sports, machismo view that academics are for girls, sissies, and nerds, etc. But whatever the reason(s), the tops of many high school senior classes are becoming disproportionately populated by females.</p>
<p>Many colleges are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain gender balance in their incoming classes. Some have even begun to add points to white male applications to give them a leg up against academically superior female applicants.</p>
<p>As to the point of the original post, I agree that it's a shame that preference is given to the children of fat cat alumni, celebrities, and big donors. But that's never going to change. In fact, if college is intended to prepare student for the realities of the marketplace, maybe that's a hard, but realistic lesson about the backroom way many things get done in corporate America..</p>
<p>I also read the Economist article and posted it on this site some time ago.
I was not surprised by the blatant favoritism that the top colleges practice toward celebrities' children or rich whites.</p>
<p>IMO, the most screwed demographic is poor Asians: we do not go to schools in great areas and are still held up to the ultra-high Asian standard.</p>
<p>I really think you don't know what you're talking about. Most of this is heresay, and anyway its not the end of the world if you don't get into the best presitigous school, you're blowing things out of proportion. Also, I really don't see how a college wouldn't give an advantage to a rich alumnus' child, they're the one that are going to potentially give the largest donations and thus create benefits and opportunities to current students. Theres a lot to be considered here, try to see it from other perspectives.</p>
<p>I'd be interested in a conclusive study that shows the average ECs of asians are equal to whites. Then it would be permissable to complain about the higher academic standards asked of asians.</p>
<p>MtL07 - I agree that colleges also have to look out for their financial well-being but I find a system that has double standards on meritocracy a little unappealing.</p>
<p>koolcrud - I'm confused by your comments. Are you saying that the average ECs of asians are inferior to whites and that this is why higher academic standards are asked of them?</p>
<p>OP you are out of your mind....legacy does not guarantee admit, and even if that is true, 99% of the "white rich kids"" does not have legacy status to their first choice. Being wealthy does not give any significant advantage.... you dont have to be a millionaire to afford application fees or SAT prep classes. Not to mention the fact that many Asian Americans are wealthy. You speak as if your race is the only one who works hard, and actually deserves to get into a top tier school.</p>
<p>well, i wouldn't say they are inferior so much as they are the SAME.
even at my crappy public school: all the Asian kids play violin or piano, plan tennis and/or badminton...and we are too crappy to have any great math and science clubs.</p>
<p>I'd like to think its not racism but you have to remember how the modern college admissions system started. The Ivies and the other top colleges had the notorious goal of keeping the Jews out. That's why they created subjective components of the application. Exclusion of a group is not the primary reason for essays or interviews now (at least I hope).</p>