<p>To what extent does ideological persuasion factor into admissions decisions? It is common knowledge colleges and universities are dominated by the left. Is this so in admissions departments as well? Even if it is true, do admissions materials lend themselves to subtle ideological analysis? Isn't the whole enterprise of creating a diverse class of admits a left notion? Are left admissions officers more likely to admit based on essays that pander to "I would have done better if not for __________" type pleas? How then should an applicant from a traditional home and rather right bent package themselves to avoid being passed over by the left meter? Difficulties are inherent in this process because these types of applicants are resistent to the "external factors have kept me from succeeding" approach in the first place. Would this be more of a problem for the major publics in urban areas and the left coast rather than the elite privates?</p>
<p>What I have observed at colleges, both public and private, is that the concept of putting together a diverse class includes admitting plenty of kids from traditional/right bent backgrounds. So if I were one of those students, I would just apply honestly as who I am without trying to package myself as something else. Diversity is a two way street. It includes everybody. (And ironically if diversity is indeed a "left notion", then the applicants from the right should be grateful to the left for ensuring that they too are included.)</p>
<p>I think the concepts of "left and right" and what is considered such depends on where you live and where you apply. My son considered himself very "left" here in Texas, but found he was really more median compared to the student body of his school. He says that most of the kids are slightly left or right of center, and then there is fringe at both ends, but they are really the minority. Then of course you have a substantial chunk who are neither--apathetic, uninvolved, or undecided would be more appropriate.</p>
<p>Well, it may be a legitimate question, but you have filled your question with so many stereotypical myths about "the left" that it is difficult to respond with respect. </p>
<p>Quite frankly I think your question comes from the same place you bash the left for -"external factors have kept me from succeeding". In this case the external factor is the admissions counselor. I would bet that most admissions counselors don't think twice about your political persuasion unless you tell them.</p>
<p>Hmm---the question seems to have struck a nerve.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>Isn't the whole enterprise of creating a diverse class of admits a left notion?>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>I have to agree with Coureur's analysis. If diversity is a left notion, right-wingers should be grateful for being included.</p>
<p>"avoid being passed over by the left meter" ?</p>
<p>"major publics in urban areas and the left coast" ?</p>
<p>Sorry, but you sound like you need <em>serious</em> help. You seem to view universities as being filled with some sort of "left_virus" that will contaminate your children if they go there, and (even worse) bring back with them on holidays and contaminate the home nest as well.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>the question seems to have struck a nerve<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Well, wasn't that your intention? As Liz pointed out, you loaded your question with enough controversial assumptions that it was bound to cause trouble.</p>
<p>No, my intention is to argue the best, most qualified young people ought to be admitted regardless of race, gender, family circumstance, and other special circumstances; where best/ most qualified is defined as academic record; objective test record and demonstrated ability to communicate at an advanced level. My experience indicates, that increasingly, this is not the case, particularly in some large publics.</p>
<p>And what experience is that? It would be helpful to know on what basis you make your claim; perhaps other have differing experiences.</p>
<p>(PS: Interesting that you believe your question has "struck a nerve". To the contrary, as I read the responses I was thinking, "Wow, look how calmly and intelligently people are phrasing their responses to what was really a rather thinly-veiled attack in the first place." If a question "strikes a nerve", the responses are likely to contain vitriol and bile, and border on sarcastic disrespect. I see none of that here.)</p>
<p>Since adcoms are human, one would have to think their leanings are reflected in who is accepted. This is not to say that they auto reject anyone who has different views, but in an application you're presenting a whole person and the question becomes is this a person we'd like to see here?</p>
<p>Think about how many teachers have been accused of giving bad grades to kids with views they oppose. Adcoms just operate behind closed doors.</p>
<p>The community, as usual, is handling this query with respect and information. The OP should be aware that Bob Jones University, Liberty, and others of a non-liberal persuasion also have adcoms, so you can't generalize about adcoms any more than you can about the 'left'.</p>
<p>Struck a nerve? Mom101, is that you?</p>
<p>I think that schools that have the luxury of reading student applications as opposed to screening solely by SAT & GPA, genuinely try to find a diverse class. Both of my nieces receive a very generous finaid package from their top LAC, for one of them a total free ride inc room and board. They are both fairly conservative, and while they do attend one of the more conservative/traditional LACs, most colleges in general I agree are more open minded than say Bob Jones University.</p>
<p>"...particularly in some large publics."</p>
<p>Well I can say that would not be the case here in Texas. Our large public unis don't have the time to delve past rank (top 10%) and SAT. To my knowledge, numerical data such as that is neither "right" nor "left." </p>
<p>I wonder how an adcom can really tell if a child is "right" or "left" ? Unless they have many political causes or projects on their resume, can you really tell? My son enjoys debate--which you can't have if everyone is of the same viewpoint. Even here on CC, there are always several different suggestions or solutions on any given thread.</p>
<p>Again, I think most campuses have people that hover just each side of center, and a lot that don't care one way or another. The radicals in either camp are much fewer, perhaps more vocal? :)</p>
<p>Honey, many of us here could complain all day long that our wonderfully qualified kid is disadvantaged in admission because he/she is Caucasian, and is not a legacy, URM, sports star, a one-handed professional juggler, or a child of the donating rich or someone famous. Lots of students on CC fit that profile. No point to waste much energy bewailing the current state of affairs. It is what it is, like it or not. </p>
<p>If you want merit-only admissions, apply in the UK. It's all about academic talent demonstrated by courses, grades, and at Oxbridge, a test and an interview. They don't care much about ECs (except to ensure that a student has enough interests to enjoy something outside of class). You will get the merit-based judgement you are seeking, and it might be a wonderful growth experience for your student to attend college in another country.</p>
<p>Choose your schools carefully. Certain schools have a greater percentage of students who have a 'red' outlook, such as (corrections welcome, parents) Vanderbilt, Washington & Lee, etc. Make sure your student visits every one he/she is considering, and gets a feel for the political climate on campus. When I visited with my son, I would always ask the tour guide a question to the effect "if you averaged the political views of the undergrads, where would the needle fall on the spectrum conservative to liberal?" I got very prompt answers - this is an aspect of campus life that becomes obvious quickly. For instance, at Kenyon, the tour guide said "slightly to the left of center, lots of moderates" and at Oberlin, the tour guide laughed and said "for the 2000 election, the big debate was to vote for Nader or Gore, Bush was not even discussed."</p>
<p>From the gamesmanship aspect, I would say that if your student's essay or ECs point to a certain political outlook (e.g. evangelical mission tours to Africa every summer, active member of the Young Republicans, NRA Gold Medal winner, etc. etc.) but the best offerings in the area of his/her interests are in a 'blue' school, the student should highlight the differences from the standpoint of 1) being open-minded towards co-existing with other points of view, and 2) having the guts to spend four years in an environment where others would disagree with him/her on many issues, courage of convictions, that sort of thing.</p>
<p>There you go. A very, right on response. Actually, the initial request was prompted by my wife, who is from Europe and attended university there. Now that our d is applying to college she just doesn't get all of the concern for anything beyond pure academic merit. She had to score at a particular level on the admissions exam just to qualify for an interview. One faculty she was interested in had less than 10 openings and hundreds of applicants. So, I have been trying to explain to her our ds success just isn't going to come down to SAT and GPA scores. Furthermore I explained to her how liberals have a thing for reaching out to those, who they think, have been disadvantaged by the WASP culture because it makes them feel better about themselves.</p>
<p>It is imprudent to divulge political leanings when applying to selective colleges. 90% of the faculty are liberals and you can pretty much assume those numbers carry over into the administration and admissions department. Generally liberals believe that conservatives are both morally obtuse and stupid while conservatives believe liberals are delusional and out of touch with reality. Any adcom liberal or conservative would be more likely to dismiss your application because you are stupid than because of your morals or delusions. Revealing conservative leaning can only hurt you.</p>
<p>BTW you should also be circumspect in revealing what organizations you belong to. I think increasingly church or Boy Scouts should not be mentioned. Stick to politically correct or politically neutral. As kirmum pointed out adcoms are humans and they work behind closed doors and they work in a culture that does have leanings. I don't think they intentionally go out of their way to weed out people whose politics are different but if you insist on wearing an NRA button in their all they are going to see is a button that says "I am an ignorant Doofus."</p>
<p>We need to infiltrate and destroy them from within. Lay low and wait for the signal - the Econ department will fall without a fight, concentrate your fire on the English and Environmental Studies departments :-)</p>
<p>Is that why Mom101 was thrown off? Never did discover that state secret....:p </p>
<p>MM; I see the European bent. I have an Austrian friend with the same "What is Merit?" difficulties. She thinks Merit should be defined by academic merit only. Lefty American adcoms have a broader view, partly because the European view of Merit rewards the privileged and reinforces a highly stratified, rigid society.</p>
<p>How nice you are to explain American culture to your wife! However, when conversing with fellow Americans on an otherwise civil panel, you might want to leave off phrases like
[quote]
because it makes them feel better about themselves
[/quote]
. </p>
<p>Or stick to American talk-back radio, where baiting and contempt is appreciated.</p>
<p>"liberals have a thing for reaching out to those, who they think, have been disadvantaged by the WASP culture because it makes them feel better about themselves."</p>
<p>Hmmm, I didn't think reaching out to those who are disadvantaged was such a bad thing.</p>
<p>"BTW you should also be circumspect in revealing what organizations you belong to. I think increasingly church or Boy Scouts should not be mentioned."</p>
<p>Amazing that a student would want so badly to be in a school full of people that are so liberally biased etc (from the tone of the posts I take it that liberal = bad)...that they would alter who they were to be admitted.</p>
<p>I know, but sometimes habits carry over from my interest in sports where it is often take no prisoners!</p>