<p>While diversity is very important, can we punish an average Asian because of the overall Asian student population?</p>
<p>An average Asian American student applies to a selective school in the U.S. Affirmative Action gives a leg up to the URMs and no leg up to whites, resulting in a "leg down" to the Asian applicants. In other words, this average Asian American, who might not have been very bright, who might have worked really hard to receive the Bs in non-AP courses, is punished because Asians on average score better on the SATs. </p>
<p>If we can all agree that Asian Americans are in fact placed on a higher standard because they are over-represented in elite colleges...</p>
<p>Am I the only one who sees a resemblance between giving Asian Americans a higher standard in elite college admissions and not hiring blacks because they are statistically more likely to commit crimes (not sure if this is true at all, but I am sure some employers have done this in the past)?</p>
<p>Asians are not punished because they score higher on the SAT. I know of no school that sniffs out Asians, and you do not have to say you are Asian on your app. Given that, the actual number of Asians in a college is underreported since many Asians do not report their ethnicity, because of the presumption you are presenting.</p>
<p>In selective college, Asians are underrepresented because there is a tendency for them to cluster in the type of majors they want, their ECs, and their essays. The Asian parent essay is so common, that many adcoms have trouble swallowing another one, whether it is the crazy, funny Asian parent, the abusive one, or the hard working immigrant one. The applications tend to be filled with examples of how much parental attention, help and pressure they are getting from expensive music lesson, private language classs. There is a scarcity of menial work done by the students and community service projects other than that offered by the schools. In climate where diversity is prized, when you have stacks for "types", if too many app fall into a certain stack, there are going to be fewer taken from that stack, than from the other stacks since you want many different types. So only the top in that stack is taken. </p>
<p>As for ''average" Asian americans, since they are not as common in "average" schools, the word I hear on the street is that they get preference. I know my friend's daughter went to Ohio University, a definitely vanilla school, and any diversity, Asian included is welcomed and leeway given in the name of diversity. It's just that you don't get that many Asians applying there. Another cluster effect is that many Asians apply to the same schools. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the clusters that many Asians fall into, are abundant, and where you are looking for scarcity,as the top schools are, abundant makes you less attractive. Nothing to do with Asian; I've seen kids with the same profiles as Asians who are not Asians who also feel "screwed " by the system when they do not get into top schools that their classmates with lower academic numbers get accepted.</p>
<p>Bay, I think California sort of came up with this same idea. Somehow, we ended up with an even longer SAT1 and they require SAT2s as well in the UC system from what I am told. So we have gone backwards in that pursuit.</p>
<p>There are tons of wonderful colleges which would be thrilled to admit more Asian applicants. We heard the same refrain at Bowdoin, Bates, Connecticut College. They'd have an advantage applying there. Why the obsession with HYP?</p>
<p>Because they have the best reputation, have a great retention rate, more top drawer kids. I don't blame anyone who wants to go to those great school, and if the applicant has the numbers to get in there, he and the family usually makes admissions to those schools the ultimate holy grail. That's when it starts getting unhealthy. Wanting to get into HPY is understandable. The obsession is an outgrowth of the desire.</p>
<p>I agree with everything you say. But many who cry discrimination seem to imply that it's got to be HYP or bust and then seem to suggest that they are discriminated everywhere, neglecting those top colleges that would welcome them with open arms. Bowdoin is a top ten LAC. Too bad it's not on the radar screens of the HYP obsessed.</p>
<p>And some of those Maine schools are very holistic in admissions too. High scores are not a shoo in there if the demonstrated interest and enthusiasm is not clear to those schools. I know a couple of highly qualified kids waitlisted there from last year.</p>