<p>I believe the original poster said that he/she is Asian-American and was specifically asking about issues related to selecting a college as an Asian-American.</p>
<p>Mini:</p>
<p>All of the above are included in the very broad Asian-American classification, just as the Latino/Hispanic classification includes a very broad range of ethnicities. If I were in the Asian-American classification, I would further investigate the representation on campus of each major sub-grouping. But, obviously, if there are fewer than 10 Asian-Americans in each freshman class, there aren't going to be many from the Indian subcontinent or many from Southeast Asian ancestory or many of Korean ancestory or many of Chinese ancestory or whatever. </p>
<p>To me, an ideal campus environment as a training ground for leaders in the 21st century would include interaction with students from all of those sub-groups. But, that's just me.</p>
<p>Then you have the classic chicken and egg problem. If they don't apply because not many like them are there.............
I'm in the official latino/hispanic whatever group and went to a place with very few others of similar ethnic background. No big deal. I think many schools with large subgroups of ethnics have LESS mixing becasue most of them tend to hang around in groups--Asians with Asians, Blacks with Blacks, etc. Large numbers does not mean interaction in my experience.</p>
<p>That's why, in my initial post, I suggested two areas of interest: the overall representation of minority groups on campus and the degree of interaction among groups in the campus culture.</p>
<p>Others may disagree, but I am not a fan of ad hoc campus segregation and theme housing. But, that's not even an issue if the campus doesn't have any "theme" students to begin wih.</p>
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Then you have the classic chicken and egg problem.
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<p>Yes. It is very difficult for a college to change its campus culture. That's why I endorsed AdmissionRep's suggestion to look at the history of a school. Why? Because that history will almost certainly shape today's campus culture. For example, a college that historically barred Jewish alum from serving on the Board will probably not have a large Jewish community on campus. Or a university that has historically been governed by a board of seven rich white males is probably more likely to hire a President who is insensitive to issues surrounding women in higher education.</p>
<p>"All of the above are included in the very broad Asian-American classification, just as the Latino/Hispanic classification includes a very broad range of ethnicities. If I were in the Asian-American classification, I would further investigate the representation on campus of each major sub-grouping. But, obviously, if there are fewer than 10 Asian-Americans in each freshman class, there aren't going to be many from the Indian subcontinent or many from Southeast Asian ancestory or many of Korean ancestory or many of Chinese ancestory or whatever."</p>
<p>But, you see, answering this question may begin to get at the one you asked - which is why "different representation" on each campus. Schools with heavy commitments to economic diversity will likely draw "Asian" students from certain subgroups in larger proportions than others - the 12% at one school may be quite different than the 12% at another. True for "African-American" students as well - Harvard's African-American students, where only 6.8% of all students are on Pell Grants, are going to look very different on the whole than those at Amherst, where 16% are.</p>
<p>Schools without "theme" housing have strong histories in having population subgroups "mix". Harvard surveys suggest that many students have found the mixing of race/ethnicity was among the single best parts of their education. I think this is even stronger in schools without first-year housing segregation - having such segregation makes it more likely that smaller student groupings will self-segregate in future years, and this holds whether there are fraternities/sororities or eating clubs, or not.</p>
<p>And yes, it is difficult to change campus cultures, and costs lots of money. Amherst, though (just as an example), has proven it can be done.</p>
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Amherst, though (just as an example), has proven it can be done.
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<p>Amherst has successfully changed its admissions profile. Based on a cursory read of the student paper and administration concern over campus self-segregation, it is not clear that they have yet changed the campus culture. That will take decades. However, I give Amherst a lot of credit for their efforts. I think they are putting a lot of pressure on their closest competitor in the marketplace.</p>
<p>Similarly, think there are several "elite" colleges with very poor diversity stats that are feeling pressure in the marketplace. The most sought-after customers appear to be placing increasing weight on diversity in their purchasing decisions.</p>