<p>I was wondering whether top elite universities reject applicants because of their political views. I work for a Republican committee, and was just rejected from my top choice school, which is a flaming liberal school. </p>
<p>Did mentioning the fact that I work for the Republican party and I have conservative values have negative effects?</p>
<p>Thank you. </p>
<p>Although some people will say it doesn’t matter, the fact is universities that base decision on personal statements have a lot of leeway in rejecting applicants. If the adcon believed that you wouldn’t be a good fit or that you would clash with professors or ya just didn’t like Republicans it is completely possible that they would reject you. </p>
<p>That’s life… if you wear your politics on your sleeve, you need to expect that you may get burned in work, school, or friendships. I am very active politically, but am quite selective about how I reveal that to others (clients, people I meet outside of political events, neighbors, social media, etc.). I even think people of the same political persuasion I am of are immature and a**hats if they are super vocal about their beliefs sometimes. So it might have just been being opinionated that hurt you, not necessarily just the content of the opinions. Or maybe it was something else… heck, maybe you rubbed your teachers and/or GC the wrong way, and your recommendations weren’t so strong.</p>
<p>There were many people of conservative bent at my famously liberal college. But they were able to clearly engage in thoughtful discussion and were incredibly willing to learn and listen. Perhaps your partisanship came across as intellectual close mindedness (it happens with progressives too). Having conservative values is nothing for people to get worked up about. Colleges desire breadth of thought and background. My college was famously sued by several people of an orthodox religion, seeking to force it to change some housing policies. If you applied to an “elite” college, then it has a small admit rate. 99% likely, you simply didn’t stand out. If you wanna pin it on your being conservative (cuz commentators love to paint everyone who attends and works at these ‘elites’ as disgustingly broad) – then I think you’re off base. I consider myself to be conservative but when I hear those tropes, my eyes roll.</p>
<p>I feel for you but this isn’t something to get worked up about. Go and learn, challenge your own beliefs, go in thinking the best of the people on the other side of the table. Expand yourself. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>The only part where my political stance was hinted was from my EC section. I never wrote anything about it in my personal essay and supplements. </p>
<p>Don’t worry, I hate rubbing off my political beliefs on others. Also I am a moderate conservative, which is NOT the same as some strong-winged conservatives. </p>
<p>I am asking this because my core stats are reasonably (and subjectively, better) sound compared to other admitted applicants. Maybe the recommendations were to fault? </p>
<p>
Wearing your liberal politics on your sleeve will boost u for college admissions. Wearing your conservative politics on your sleeve will burn u. Colleges want the kind of diversity that shows in photos, not the kind that shows in social justice debate.</p>
<p>Suggest u read “The Gatekeepers”, about a Wesleyan admissions cycle. The Wesleyan AO admitted that had he known the gal he rejected had a pen pal on death row, he would have voted to admit her bcs anti-deathpenalty is one of his pet causes.</p>
<p>FYI
<a href=“http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/1/liberal-majority-on-campus-yes-were-biased/?page=all”>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/1/liberal-majority-on-campus-yes-were-biased/?page=all</a></p>
<p>Funny thing is, I am Pro-life AND Anti-Death Penalty. Life is life innocent or tarred. But how can I echo that message to the colleges? </p>
<p>Safer not to broach the subjects at all until AFTER u are admitted</p>
<p>But it is one of my main work experiences, and I would hate to NOT share it with the colleges. </p>
<p>What you described would hardly cause a blip, pragmatic. I’m sorry for the disappointing result but nothing about what you’ve written would/should cause anyone cause to doubt you. I would have listed the work experience as well.</p>
<p>My opinion is that your moderate conservative leanings were not a factor. GL to you with your other schools.</p>
<p>I’ve been told that Vassar didn’t let someone interview with their school because the applicant was too conservative. I really doubt this story is true because I’m not sure how colleges know someone’s political stance before the interview and canceling the meeting seems unbelievable (from any school- conservative or liberal). </p>
<p>I just think that story is funny. The person who told me was probably a bit muddled. However the point is that personal beliefs as well as campus sentiment shouldn’t change admissions but because these types of discussions are highly emotion based, it is truly possible that it can affect your outcome. Though you did say your affiliation with the Republican party was only briefly mentioned so I doubt that was a major factor to your rejection.</p>
<p>I’m the farthest thing from a Republican, but if this were true, then that would be BS. No college should refuse a kid just because they have different political beliefs.</p>
<p>But I think that you may be rationalizing, i.e. finding excuses. Maybe your stats were too average, maybe your recs were not that good, or maybe your essays weren’t up to their standards. College is a crapshoot.</p>
<p>Being involved in your community and politically is only a plus to colleges. Colleges want students who will be involved. </p>
<p>However, I have seen this question posed by other students, in the essay forum in particular, where they sounded like a broken record. They talked in every essay about it and about meeting Mitt Romney. They said it over and over. They said if they met a person from a foreign country the thing they most would like to show them was the badge they got from a political rally and a photo with Mitt Romney. And did I mention that the student got to meet Mitt Romney? So if you were this student or came off like this student, it may have been too one dimensional. </p>
<p>The comment about The Gatekeepers is taken out of context to serve a personal agenda, imho. It is not because of liberal politics that he would have liked to have that information about the girl, it is because that humanized her and showed a different side of her that she had this long term correspondence and showed compassion and reaching out beyond the confines of her world.</p>
<p>Conservatives who view events like college rejection to be because of liberal bias are already one dimensional thinkers and may generate a self fulfilling prophesy.</p>
<p>Given what you’ve written, I highly doubt you were denied because of your party affiliation or political views. Even the most liberal colleges have active conservative groups and they like it that way–I know a very vocal and self-identifying Republican at ultra-liberal Swarthmore, for instance, and his application definitely featured his political views.</p>
<p>Cool. Thanks for the advice y’all. Although my major is engineering (lol :)) ), I like to be politically active. </p>