<p>My D just read on some previous posts about Haverford being really horrid for minorities! Please....help! If you know ANYTHING at all, about how a minority would fare at any of these school, please let us know before she ends up with a terrible match. And if you can recommend a school that is more liberal and diverse, please let us know! Please!!! We were considering Wheaton, Ct. Eastern, Occidental, RIT, Dennison. THANKS!!!!</p>
<p>No one knows anything about these schools? We really need info...please!</p>
<p>I don't think that it would be fair to characterize Haverford in the "horrible" category at all. In fact, its Quaker roots would tend make its fundamental campus culture in the "welcoming" category.</p>
<p>Haverford is part of the Tri-Co consortium with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore that has been running a summer enrichment/orientation program for freshman minority students for 25 years.</p>
<p>Haverford's minority percentages on campus are competive with many of the top liberal arts colleges. Not the most diversity, but they have clearly made an effort. </p>
<p>Haverford would certainly be on my list of top LACs to consider if I were looking at it from a minority perspective.</p>
<p>Of the other schools you mention, I'm only familiar with a couple. Dennison isn't even in the same league as Haverford for minority recruitment. Dennison could be fairly described as "lily-white", partly a result of its midwest location.</p>
<p>Haverford:</p>
<p>Black: 6%
Hispanic: 6%
Asian-American: 13%</p>
<p>Dennison:</p>
<p>Black: 5%
Hispanic: 3%
Asian-American: 3%</p>
<p>Occidental is known as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country. </p>
<p>Black: 7%
Hispanic: 15%
Asian-American: 11%</p>
<p>Part of that is its location in a geographic location with extreme diversity in the underlying population. Part of it is that it has much lower admissions standards and a much higher percentage of financial aid students than Haverford. This is also a college that would be high on my list from a minority perspective.</p>
<p>I think the comments you read from the Haverford alum are representative of a much larger issue...and probably a topic for another thread. 40 years after the beginning of affimative action, there is still a considerable "de facto" segregation and occasional estrangement felt by minorities at elite colleges. There are a handful of schools with campus cultures that truly deliver on the promise of integration, but for the most part, you could find bitter alums like the Haverford poster for just about every school.</p>
<p>If you really want to dig into it, things I would suggest looking at the following in researching schools:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>minority percentages in the student body</p></li>
<li><p>minority participation in student leadership roles (residential advisors, student council, etc.)</p></li>
<li><p>minority representation on the faculty</p></li>
<li><p>minority presence in the Dean's office</p></li>
<li><p>minority issues covered in the school newspaper. Have there been racial insults?</p></li>
<li><p>the degree to which there are racially-segregated "themed" dorms, official or unofficial (a complex issue because the minority students often push for segregated housing).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Im sick and tired of people complaining "ooooh we need more diversity!" give me a break, its seriously pathetic.</p>
<p>Yeah god! Who cares if minorities feel comfortable on a campus or not?? I say integration never, segregation now!!!</p>
<p>/End sarcasm.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Im sick and tired of people complaining "ooooh we need more diversity!" give me a break, its seriously pathetic.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually, if you look forward to the next fifty years and the implications of a rapidly globalizing economy, it would leave American students woefully unprepared if they have not broadened their horizons by living and studying with students from diverse cultures.</p>
<p>IMO, diversity on campus is a critical element in a solid education.</p>
<p>obviously, you THINK you don't need to think about diversity but THAT is my point exactly. God forbid that your school should discriminate against rude morons. Please tell us what school you go to now, so we can all mark it off our lists.</p>
<p>Occidental is about as diverse as top-50 LACs come.</p>
<p>If you are looking for race plus economic diversity, Smith, and, adding in international students, Mount Holyoke, would rank very high. Of course, the second chromosome of each of the students has an extra leg. ;)</p>
<p>Diversity was a big factor in my son's college search as well. We visited and felt comfortable at Tufts and at Amherst. the Princeton Review web site offers a list of schools where interaction between different groups is good. NYU is very liberal and diverse but huge.</p>
<p>lalamom, I think you misunderstood me. if you reread my post you'll see I was being so clearly sarcastic that I used the phrase 'end sarcasm' implying that I was previously being sarcastic and had just ended. I know it's hard to judge sarcasm online, but I don't know how much more obvious I can be. I can still tell you what school I'm going to though, just in case you still want to 'cros it off your list'.</p>
<p>I am the one who misunderstood! Sorry! It is easy to get your feathers up when it looks like someone is being so crass (tipperian). Where ever you are going -- great! It can be an awesome task to try to fit in all the criteria (or most) that you need for college. I guess lots of kids don't have to worry about whether they will look like anyone else on campus, on top of all the other stuff to consider!</p>
<p>Haverford was a previous ranker on the Black Enterprise Top College for Blacks list, one of the few LACs, I wouldn't worry about any school on that list...same for Bryn Mawr and Swat.</p>
<p>Eastern University, don't go, uber-conservative, especially administration. </p>
<p>Wheaton (MA) is okay in terms of diversity, but Wheaton (IL), a recommendation for that school will never come out of my mouth.</p>