<p>Colleges in large part request the data because the Federal government, which supplies huge amounts money to the nation's colleges and universities, wants to know if the colleges are using the money to discriminate. The data are provocative, not determinative and helps the Feds target compliance reviews instead of relying solely on complaint investigations. It also helps colleges evaluate how they are doing in their recruiting efforts. I can't say that this is done, but the form collecting racial/ethnic data is supposed to be separated from the actual application.</p>
<p>I think posts 17 and 21 are important. The racial data cuts both ways. Its protective aspect is what has been underemphasized in the CC discussions. The purpose is both for neutral data collection & also to monitor whether there is wholesale, systematic elimination of an entire group (or most of an entire group), such as previously happened in this country with minority groups (more than one) being eliminated from many areas & pursuits in society. The compliance for federal funding purposes is especially important.</p>
<p>I just have a quick question though; what if they find contradictions? Like if I reported on my SAT's, but I don't report on the Common App? Cause if NOT reporting on the Common App will help my chances, regardless of whether I already told them or not, then hell yes, I am "unknown".</p>
<p>I have been asking college officers, on an email list just for them, if they rely on any other information sources (for example, high school transcripts) besides their own forms when gathering ethnicity data for federal reporting. The answer is NO. Colleges use their own forms, prepared under the guidance of federal regulations, and don't trust any other source of information. So if the student doesn't fill out the form--which is the student's right--then the college can only act on the student's application and can only report the student to the federal government as "race/ethnicity unknown." </p>
<p>Here's a link to the college institutional research officer association page about these issues: </p>
<p>Q: How do I know if a student or employee refused to answer the questions or just overlooked them?
A: You don't.</p>
<p>Q: What is the level of effort needed to collect the new information?
A: Presenting the data collection form to students/employees is sufficient to ensure that individuals have had an opportunity to respond. Postsecondary institutions can report unknown when the respondent doesn’t reply—there is no need to use third-party observation to supply race/ethnicity.
<p>That is why when looking at racial compositions of some schools, the numbers are skewed. If you compare facebook pics/names to the composition numbers, you will get a whole different picture.</p>
<p>I will not choose to identify with an ethnic group. After all, we all know that socio-economic status is the best way to determine whether someone deserves a bump, not race.</p>
<p>already a featured thread, with a link to news about colleges' efforts to attract and retain low-income students. Perhaps that is a focus that more colleges need work more on.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In a couple of ways, it would be unfortunate if all students refused to identify their race. Without statistics, there would be no way to determine whether certain colleges might be discriminating against certain races in admissions (yes, they could still do it by guessing at names and neighborhoods), or how each race is faring in American higher education. It might be helpful for each student to at least self-identify their race once they matriculate.
[/quote]
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<p>As tokenadult has said, colleges are discouraged from guessing ethnicity based on names. You might respond that discouraged or not, they can still do it. There’s an easy solution for that: assign each applicant a unique number. The admissions officer never sees the name and thus can’t guess even if he wants to. If you don’t like that, then in the long run, you can expect more and more “visible” minorities to anglicize their last names.</p>
<p>Regarding neighborhoods, how many zip codes in our country are 100% uniracial? I would imagine that a semi-competent admissions officer would realize how dangerous it is to play that game.</p>
<p>If you want a society where we are truly judged on our merits (read: character) as opposed to our melanin levels, then not answering the question is a great step forward.</p>
<p>I like how straightforward the answers in that FAQ are. I also like how postsecondary education does not require “third-party observations” (c.f. primary and secondary education.)</p>
That is why when looking at racial compositions of some schools, the numbers are skewed. If you compare facebook pics/names to the composition numbers, you will get a whole different picture.
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<p>If the numbers are skewed because many students opt not to respond, then Facebook itself is a skewed metric because not every student has a Facebook.</p>
<p>I'm really not sure what the point of this thread is. The courts have already held that campus racial diversity is a compelling state interest. (See tokenadult's cited case law). Colleges are allowed to use race when making admissions decisions. If you don't state your race, then you are simply eliminating race from the myriad of factors about you that the school looks at when making its decision. You won't stop them from admitting qualified students of other races who identify their race. But you could hurt yourself if the college is looking for students with your racial profile. There is no way you will know that in advance.</p>
<p>It might even get to the point where a college would use the data of 'race unknown' as a marketing tool and advertise themselves as an institution that accepts students solely on merit.</p>
<p>I don't think most people were every talking about <em>individual</em> facebook accounts; rather, the college/U facebook that has almost every student's picture in there. It's very revealing as to diversity of enrolled students, less revealing as to diversity of accepted students. I don't know how many college facebooks are online; I know I've seen hard copies of these.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If the documented trends in applicants declining to self-identify continue, colleges will not have any reliable data on which to make a 'race'-based decision.
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<p>As epiphany pointed out earlier, somehow many schools were able to do this (and thereby discriminate against the "unwanted" types) way before the government became involved and required that the race question be asked. Also, merely because a protocol for determining an applicant's race might not be "reliable," doesn't mean it won't be used.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It might even get to the point where a college would use the data of 'race unknown' as a marketing tool and advertise themselves as an institution that accepts students solely on merit.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nothing is stopping them from doing this now, and there is not a college in this country that has chosen to do so.</p>
<p>But if their total applicant pool communicates to the college that they want to be evaluated solely on the merits and not using 'race' (by not self-identifying) then a college would be compelled to act accordingly. The suggested marketing strategy is just a recommendation.</p>
<p>
[quote]
As epiphany pointed out earlier, somehow many schools were able to do this (and thereby discriminate against the "unwanted" types) way before the government became involved and required that the race question be asked.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You’re talking about the history of your much beloved holistic admissions. And “somehow” was an intricate procedure whereby admissions officers scrutinized every inch of the applicant to ensure that they maximized WASP enrollment and minimized Jewish enrollment. Do we do that anymore? Nope.</p>
<p>"You’re talking about the history of your much beloved holistic admissions."</p>
<p>No she's not. She's talking about the time period much before your birth, when Ivy League U's were essentially WASP country clubs, with nothing "holistic" about it. It was often about whether you were well-connected, to some degree. She's making a point about how the data can be retrieved without recourse to the frank statement of origins (in those terms) on the app. Rather, they had more subtle ways of ascertaining these things. "Holistic" wasn't in their lexicon. In fact it was a <em>narrow</em> (restricted), not a broad (holistic) set of admission determinants.</p>