Who Gets In? Admissions officers asking race question

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Wednesday, February 15, 2006 | Tim Grant

[untenured]

"The vast majority of our minority applicants have test scores, high school records and teacher recommendations that show they have the academic ability to be successful at Duquesne,..."

The binary fallacy. The question is not whether they "have test scores, high school records and teacher recommendations that show they have the academic ability to be successful at Duquesne," but whether they "have test scores, high school records and teacher recommendations" that are inferior to the students they were admitted in lieu of.

Aff. action proponents usually speak in these all-or-nothing, qualified-or-unqualified terms. They do not accept that qualifications are a continuous variable.

[Zavien Doombringer]

We don't set targets for race, religion or gender. But it is part of our strategic plan to increase diversity on campus," said Paul-James Cukanna, executive director of admissions at Duquesne University.

Diverse = Differing from one another or places

unity = The bringing of diverse opinions, persons, places together

[Mulch]

"Affirmative" is a good word and "Action" is a good word too, so "Affirmative action" must be okay. Similar to "pro choice", the term distorts the reality of the underlying action.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Any college applicant would be advised to check....African-American...in the race box.

If the admissions interviewer questions your race...just stare indignantly.

[new cruelty]

LOL. Good point.

[AppyPappy]

Use Native American or American Indian. When they ask for proof, threaten to sue them.

[jazusamo]

"We're not concerned with the quality of minority applicants. We need more of them. That's why it's nice to know what the race of the applicant is."

That kind of says it all. If race is not indicated on an application, it would assure that no one is being discriminated against.

[Thebaddog]

Do you suppose the writer here actually believes the stuff he writes?

[Tanniker Smith]

Or tell them you can get some cheap smokes at your uncle's casino.

[Gay State Conservative]

My nephew is about to start applying to colleges.In terms of intellect and achievement,he's truly Ivy League material.

I've been trying to convince his mother (my sister) to have him check "Native American" on his applications for he *was* born in and *has* lived his entire life in one of the 50 states of the United States of *America*.

[Strategerist]

The real circus is going to start when people start using the now common and inexpensive DNA tests.....

You'll see some pasty white kid that has one of the Native American markers marking that box and the college having a fit, etc.

That's when I expect the whole system to collapse.

[AppyPappy]

The new regulations coming along allow for multiple boxes to be checked.

[Ohioan from Florida]

The application itself has you fill out your tribal number. You have to be registered with one of the tribes. They don't process the application until everything is filled out, so if you don't have a registered number, the common application will not process until that box is unchecked.

We just went through this with our daughter. My (late) father was adopted so we don't have complete genealogical records for his side of the family. I thought that his birth mother was full or half Cherokee, but we cannot find her name on their registers.

[Ohioan from Florida]

See my post 14.

[LurkedLongEnough]

I mischievously check the "Other" box and write "Human".

Changes are being made. I applied for a scholarship and they asked for a photograph instead of asking this question.

[Tzimisce]

Race IS a factor in college decisions as to who gets in...but it's not a racist thing. (Yeah right.)

[Myrddin]

A couple at church (surnamed MacGraw) spent a few years working in South Africa. Both of their children were born during that extended business trip. The whole family is typical red-headed, fair complexion ethnic Scots.

The family returned to the U.S. and the kids finished their K-12 education in San Diego. When their daughter went off to college, she sought an opportunity to join an "African-American" club. She was born in South Africa to American citizens and is an American citizen. She was rejected. Odd, as she was probably the only legitimate "African-American" by birth seeking activity with the organization.

[Myrddin]

We just went through this with our daughter. My (late) father was adopted so we don't have complete genealogical records for his side of the family. I thought that his birth mother was full or half Cherokee, but we cannot find her name on their registers.

My wife is 1/4 Cherokee. Her grandmother, Mary Jane Pheasant, was orphaned. She lived in LaCygne, Kansas. I think I've found her grandmother in the registry, but frankly my wife really doesn't have much interest in pursuing being an "official" Cherokee.

[Ohioan from Florida]

That's fine for her. We always enjoyed learning about Native Americans and when we found out that we had some in our blood, we thought was interesting. The same way we feel about being part Scottish and part Lebanese. It's just another piece of the puzzle of a melting pot family background.