At 2 Elite Colleges, Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ban {Amherst and MIT}

New York times ^ | 30th August 2024 | Anemona Hartocollis and Stephanie Sau

[Cronos]

A drop in the share of Black first-year students at two elite colleges this school year has provided an early sign that the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action could have an impact on racial diversity, at least at some of the nation’s more selective schools.

At Amherst College the share of Black students decreased sharply — by 8% — for this year’s entering class. It decreased more moderately at Tufts University. At the University of Virginia the percentage of Black students also dipped, but only slightly.

Amherst’s data showed that the percentage of white students enrolling rose sharply, while the percentage of Asian American students rose slightly.

The percentage of Black students entering Amherst this fall dropped to 3 percent from 11 percent last year, and at Tufts, it dropped to 4.7 percent from 7.3 percent. Black students at the University of Virginia declined to 7 percent of the entering class compared to 7.9 percent last year.

White students entering Amherst rose to 39 percent of the class from 33 percent, and those entering Tufts went up to 49.3 percent from 46.8 percent. The percentage of Asian American students rose slightly to 20 percent from 18 percent at Amherst and slipped to 19.7 percent from 20.3 percent at Tufts.

The percentage of Hispanic students dropped to 8 percent from 12 percent at Amherst, and there was a similar decline at M.I.T. But confounding the picture, the share of Hispanic students actually rose slightly at Tufts and the University of Virginia. And at U.Va., the percentage of white and Asian students declined very slightly.

M.I.T.’s data showed a sharp drop in the percentage of Black students, to 5 percent of incoming students from 15 percent, and a sharp rise in Asian American students, to 47 percent from 40 percent.

[SunkenCiv]

• Three More Schools Show Enrollment Shift After Affirmative Action Ruling [08/30/2024]

[Cronos]

There was a detail in the numbers M.I.T. released last week that might seem surprising: Even as Black and Latino representation in this year’s entering class fell sharply, the number of lower-income students rose modestly. About one quarter of M.I.T.’s first-year students come from the bottom half of the U.S. income distribution.

https://news.mit.edu/2024/qa-undergraduate-admissions-in-wake-of-supreme-court-ruling-0821

Together, this data suggests that the Supreme Court’s decision may have most hurt upper-income Black and Latino applicants at M.I.T. — and most benefited lower-income Asian applicants. (The number of Asian students rose significantly.)

[pepsi_junkie]

In the days before the ruling...

[Governor Dinwiddie]

If the mission of MIT were to turn out basketball players, the halls of MIT would be lined with wall to wall Negroes.

However, the mission of MIT is to turn out scientists and engineers.

[Cronos]

That’s why nearly half of the class are of Asian extraction

[Chode]

i’d like to see the numbers on blacks dropping out simply because the material in 101 level classes was way over their heads???

getting in is one thing, staying there another...

it’ll save everybody in the long run

[thinden]

Heads up

[algore]

I had a boss once who was very dark skinned and went to MIT

I can guarantee you that he was not DEI or affirmative action in any way.

Unlike Kamala he was not part .Indian either.

[Jonty30]

In the long-term, I think it will help blacks. Not everybody can be a doctor, I can’t. I’m very bright, but not that bright. However, there are still occupations within the health sciences that are within reach of non-doctor students, like nutrition or physical therapy that you can make a very good living in. If the end AA keeps some blacks from taking up space in doctor, they might take stock and enter something that is within their reach.

[Cronos]

It will help blacks.

Now a black person from MIT always has that question over his head. In the future he or she will be just an mit graduate.

[Uncle Miltie]

Diversity sucks motivation and encourages sloth.

Excellence increases motivation and achievement.

Leftists reward sloth.

[FrankRizzo890]

How about Fisk and Tennessee State University?

[Governor Dinwiddie]

For at least 30 years, Asian-American candidates have been severely discriminated against in order to make room for you-know-who.

[Fai Mao]

Advanced degrees are not about being bright. They are about following the rules and knowing how to play the game.

I found the MS easier than the BA and PhD easier than the Master’s.

Maybe I just got better at studying.

[Feckless]

What they won’t tell you is that the number of Black graduates hasn’t changed.

[Jonty30]

It is definitely a learned. I’m honestly jealous of kids of scholars, because they get primed for education from a very young age and have years to hone their craft in studies.

[Jonty30]

You’re right. Unqualified blacks are subsidies for liberals in keeping the costs of their education down.

[ifinnegan]

“ i’d like to see the numbers on blacks dropping out simply because the material in 101 level classes was way over their heads???”

That is what happens.

Whereas they will do fine at a different school that is a good fine school but not at the elite level of an MIT.

It helps these students in real life.

[alexander_busek]

Together, this data suggests that the Supreme Court’s decision may have most hurt removed discriminatory practices most benefiting upper-income Black and Latino applicants at M.I.T. — and most benefited removed discriminatory practices hurting lower-income Asian applicants.

There, fixed it!

Regards,