<p>I've gotten a few emails from Columbia's MRC about diversity, and how I could "fit in".
It basically suggests that I should apply (which I'm doing anyway).</p>
<p>But my question is, how does the MRC work with the admissions committee?</p>
<p>Are they advocates for URMS, 1st generation college students, and low-income applicants?</p>
<p>^ lol I’ve been getting the same emails and got actual mail today lots of it from them. </p>
<p>They just want us to apply. (I already did though)</p>
<p>Yeah, they want to reach out to traditionally underrepresented groups and show that they too can succeed at Columbia. Columbia is not only (or even mostly) comprised of rich white kids!</p>
<p>yeah that (^) and to further diversity lol</p>
<p>the MRC started in the early 80s separate of admissions when columbia didn’t have any minority outreach efforts or admissions was aware of the specifics required to recruit in low-income and minority communities. in the 90s it was pulled into the admissions office and now operates as an arm of admissions, and yet in many ways independent. students of color weekend (which is what it was called when i was admitted) or now perspectives on diversity, came out of calls by minority candidates to feel comfortable learning about not just what everyone else would learn on campus, but specifically whether or not they would have a community of people from similar backgrounds that could make folks feel comfortable.</p>
<p>as columbia has changed, the mission of the MRC has changed mostly from improving the atrocious minority numbers of the 80s - JBHE used to laugh at columbia and post nasty remarks - to today where its goals are more about helping students from underrepresented backgrounds of all stripes learn about, be admitted, and feel comfortable attending columbia. at harvard this is done mostly by the HFAI fellows. for instance.</p>
<p>as one of the oldest and certainly one of the more autonomous branches in the ivy league, it has a lot of history initiating many efforts toward helping students of diverse background feel comfortable.</p>
<hr>
<p>not every student feels this is for them, and i know many folks that react poorly to the work we did(do) as students. but ultimately there are far more students from underrep backgrounds (like i was) who feel they don’t belong, or feel as folks on here have mentioned that they are afraid of affirmative action and do not understand it.</p>
<p>the mrc is a resource, a particular one based in students who hope to engage with students from various underrepresented backgrounds (and in general with anyone who cares about diversity in the classroom) and providing the right information for folks interested in what it might feel to be a minority at columbia.</p>
<p>most studies we learned about said that minorities were most hesitant to apply, even if they were overqualified, so we perhaps were more aggressive than most in our efforts. it is to make folks feel comfortable with the fact that Columbia could be in their future.</p>
<p>and as the Ivy with the highest percentage of blacks and latino students 3 years running, columbia really has done wonders there. (blacks outstripe any school in the top 30 of national universities, with an incredible percentage of students of color.) columbia is a special place because you feel as if you can be from any background and you will find more than just one friend, but multiple friends from multiple backgrounds who will be your neighbors, peers and friends. </p>
<p>the diversity at columbia is truly remarkable. and something i remember so fondly because of what we did on the mrc.</p>
<p>Does MRC’s involvement extend beyond recruitment? How involved in the black and latino community at CC, Barnard and GS beyond recruitment? Do students form one large community or are they segmented?</p>
<p>Mommie: the minority community is both segmented and together depending on certain things and also the interests of particular students. For instance there is a group on campus USCC that brings together leaders from all cultural groups on campus, and perhaps surprisingly or not it is often has a very strong East and South Asian contingent as well as being very well represented by Latino and Black students. Each minority group does have its own group, and segmentation does happen, but there are a lot of moments in which common cause brings individuals together regardless of political/ethnic backgrounds.</p>
<p>Whereas the MRC’s historic role was one of expanding the presence of underrepresented groups in the late 70s until today, most students hold dual affiliations in many cultural groups on campus and work closely with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, there is a lot of linkage there.</p>
<p>As a student of color on campus, I found the community to be very open and supportive, but I found especially at my time at Columbia it didn’t feel as if it closed itself off to white or asian individuals and groups that cared about developing a supportive university experience. Especially of late the LGBTQ community has been especially part of a larger consortium of groups that tackle questions of developing a supportive community atmosphere.</p>
<p>Thanks Admissions Geek.</p>