florida26 You are need of some serious education in logic, math, statistics, reasoning. It is clear you have no idea what you are saying.
BTW here is study although I don’t think you would understand it based upon your last post.
http://openpsych.net/ODP/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ParentsIncomeisaPoorPredictorofSATScoreFinal.pdf
VOR act professionally . Stop with the name calling I will read your last study and comment on it later. Sorry I will understand it. WHY do you refuse to comment on my questions regarding bias in favor of asians??? I think you are trying to avoid the obvious.
I dont get why you feel like you have to act like a bully? Is it because your position is weak perhaps.
florida26 Your entire question about bias in favor of Asians is contrary to the discrimination issues of posters here. It defies logic and even common sense. You are sounding much like the GuywithIQ for AA.
So you believe that CalTech, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard, MIT, UNC, Duke et. al have been giving Asians preferential admissions? lol.
The law of the land per Grutter is that racial preferences may be considered. They certainly do not have to be considered; see Schuette.
They are not Florida26.
See what happened at the UCs, specifically berkeley (generally thought of as the most prestigious and selective) after they got rid of affirmative action.
URMs are not given “huge racial preferences”. That’s a myth. It may be a factor, but you assume too much.
What evidence do you have of “huge racial preferences”?
It seems like recent posts are not showing up on this thread.
Race can certainly be a factor but it’s not a major one. Most colleges want to have a balance
Yes, they are. If you think that they aren’t and moreover that it “may” be a factor, I ask you one question: why do you fight so hard to make sure racial classification “may” be considered? Because if it doesn’t matter, or matters so very little, it boggles the mind that you fight tooth and nail to keep it.
As for evidence, let’s start with some numbers. [212,524 black students took the SAT in 2014](https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/sat/sat-percentile-ranks-gender-ethnicity-2014.pdf). On a per section basis, 700 was the 99th percentile. So no more than 2,125 black students last year scored 700 or higher on each section.
Gee, how many schools do you think would love to have these high-scoring students attend their schools? I’d conservatively say 100. Divide 2,125 by 100, and you get 21 (rounded down). Now, do you think “HYPSM etc.” would be happy with only 21 black students in their incoming classes? Of course not. [The 2013-2014 Harvard entering class had 116 black students](http://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2013-14.pdf). It’s obvious that these schools have to admit lower scoring students.
Now, of course, people like you also like to say that the SAT isn’t everything. I agree that it isn’t, nor should it be. But here’s the thing: where are the lower scoring whites and Asians at “HYSPM etc.”? How come lower scoring black students consistently have superior personal qualities compared to higher scoring whites and Asians, but lower scoring whites and Asians on average just suck compared to higher scoring whites and Asians [Going back to Harvard as an example (one of many)](http://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2013-14.pdf), the 25th percentile per section ranges from 700 to 710. If it’s OK to admit lower scoring blacks, why aren’t there more lower scoring whites and Asians too?
onceuponamom parentmike Here is evidence of huge admission advantage of URM.
http://www.jbhe.com/features/49_college_admissions-test.html
page 1431 of Prof. Espenshade research
Blacks receive 230 SAT point advantage compared to Whites and 280 point advantage compared to Asians out of 1600 (CR+M).
Please retract your “myth” posting by onceuponamom and posting by parentmike that “Race can certainly be a factor but it’s not a major one” or provide other data to showing contrary research.
All of Fabrizio’s and VOR’s posts got deleted? Now, I’m sorry I stopped reading a few days ago because I must have really missed something!
Falcon1 Not sure what happened to fabrizio’s posts, but I am still here. The fireworks came from an unknown poster who wrote quite inflammatory posts.
It looks like all (or at least many) of VOR’s posts were deleted. Mine are still up.
Question about admissions office marketing:
Like every high school student with an e-mail address, my inbox receives messages from the colleges that reach out to potential applicants based on their PSAT score. They normally send application information in the mail, too. I usually dismiss these form letters, whether they are from Boise State or UChicago, because they are sent out to thousands of kids and there is no way to know if the admissions office genuinely wants me to apply.
Recently I found out that I have been selected as a National Hispanic Scholar (and possibly National Merit Scholar). Since then I have received letters from Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, and other competitive colleges. However, I do not think I stand a chance at these schools. A 3.8 is simply not a strong enough GPA compared to the applicant pool of these institutions.
My question is as follows: do the admissions offices of selective colleges reach out to applicants, specifically minority applicants, that can actually get into the school? I have heard that some schools will send letters to kids who do not meet the caliber of the school in order to maintain low acceptance rates. I just want to know if I should ignore or consider the types of colleges writing to me.
Thanks!
@crimsonwarrior They don’t know much about you beyond very crude metrics (in this case your PSAT). Their marketing data says that you fit someone who may be a viable candidate. They’re hoping you might be a diamond in the rough.
Certainly, some schools (MIT & Yale) have been pulling back from their mindless mass mailings to avoid the exact thing you’re wary about – enticing unrealistic applicants to spend time & money & effort to apply. Regardless, the odds are crushing and many people (including Hispanics) with better scores than you will be eventually rejected. But then, there may likely be applicants with similar or lower scores/GPA that do get accepted. That’s just the nature of applying to schools with a >10% admit rate.
Whatever you do, do so open-eyed and with appropriate levels of expectation. Good luck to you.
Guys, I haven’t read this thread at all. But saw this today and wonder if you find it interesting to the discussion: https://celebrity.yahoo.com/blogs/celeb-news/mindy-kaling-brother-pretended-to-be-black-med-school-132146181.html
Regarding the article on Mindy Kaling’s brother, SLU’s average MCAT score is around 33, so I do not necessarily think a 31 would make or break him. Plus, didn’t he go to University of Chicago? Surely med schools adjust the GPA based on the schools the applicants went to.
Without addressing affirmative action and race itself, the “experiment” was pretty poorly done. To my knowledge, he was only accepted to SLU, which isn’t exactly Harvard/WUSTL level. Also, there was no control whatsoever – no evidence he would have been rejected as an Asian unless he applied as an Asian too.
I’m actually more surprised at how easy it was for him to get away with it.
crimsonwarrior: Sadly, those emails you are getting are mass produced on the basis of certain metrics. I can only speak of Harvard and Columbia, but they rejected hundreds of National Merit Scholars every year. This year, many friends got scores of emails from University of Chicago, and virtually all were rejected. Being a NMS helps obviously but it isn’t a slamdunk.
I also wound’t fixate on your GPA. As a URM especially you should highlight anything that makes you STAND OUT. These days, a high GPA doesn’t get you much recognition. If, however, you’ve overcome obstacles, done something noteworthy etc., that CAN make a major difference.