<p>1) Academic powerhouses that are Black, Hispanic, or Native American are RARE. As are nationally ranked athletes, national competition winners, etc. Colleges want a DIVERSE population, which requires a variety of backgrounds, environments, challenges, and accomplishments. </p>
<p>2) By percentages, whites and Asians are more likely to score a 1500 on the old SAT than blacks are to score a 1300. That being said, a black student who scores a 1450, 1500, 1550 is likely an incredible student who overcame a lot to make it to where they are - whether that be a poor environment, racism, or social pressures. And believe it or not, most of these students were likely susceptible to a multitude of these prejudices.</p>
<p>3) Another argument is that when we go to college we are learning about the world. This isn't just about biology or medicine or business - it's about learning to work with all kinds of people, meeting all kinds of people, and growing as a person, not just as a brain. If the top colleges just took all the white and Asian kids with the killer SATs & $8,000 summer programs these students would continue to live in the ignorant reality that has consumed them their entire lives. </p>
<p>4) And lastly, only 1/3 of the students accepted are minorities. At Harvard, for example, this reprents a pool of about 650 students. Now, assuming that all minorities are undeserving (which is completely untrue), an individual would only be affected by affirmative action if he/she were in the top 650 out of all 18,000 denied students. Therefore:</p>
<p>If all minority students were undeserving, you would only be affected by affirmative action if you were in the top 3% of the denied pool. Given the quality of those rejected by Harvard, this is highly unlikely. Not only that, the process of "best fit" would once again resonate - and top stats would still not guarantee anything.</p>
<p>P.S. I am white w/ a 2330 SAT & was flat-out rejected ED from my 1st choice Ivy school.</p>