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Some Asians' College Strategy: Don't Check 'Asian'
YahooNews ^ | December 03, 2011 | JESSE WASHINGTON

Posted on 12/03/2011 2:53:51 PM PST by Steelfish

Some Asians' College Strategy: Don't Check 'Asian' JESSE WASHINGTON

Lanya Olmstead was born in Florida to a mother who immigrated from Taiwan and an American father of Norwegian ancestry. Ethnically, she considers herself half Taiwanese and half Norwegian. But when applying to Harvard, Olmstead checked only one box for her race: white.

"I didn't want to put 'Asian' down," Olmstead says, "because my mom told me there's discrimination against Asians in the application process." For years, many Asian-Americans have been convinced that it's harder for them to gain admission to the nation's top colleges.

Studies show that Asian-Americans meet these colleges' admissions standards far out of proportion to their 6 percent representation in the U.S. population, and that they often need test scores hundreds of points higher than applicants from other ethnic groups to have an equal chance of admission. Critics say these numbers, along with the fact that some top colleges with race-blind admissions have double the Asian percentage of Ivy League schools, prove the existence of discrimination.

The way it works, the critics believe, is that Asian-Americans are evaluated not as individuals, but against the thousands of other ultra-achieving Asians who are stereotyped as boring academic robots. Now, an unknown number of students are responding to this concern by declining to identify themselves as Asian on their applications.

For those with only one Asian parent, whose names don't give away their heritage, that decision can be relatively easy. Harder are the questions that it raises: What's behind the admissions difficulties? What, exactly, is an Asian-American — and is being one a choice?

Olmstead is a freshman at Harvard and a member of HAPA, the Half-Asian People's Association. In high school she had a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and scored 2150 out of a possible 2400 on the SAT..

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: affirmativeaction; california; carolliu; lacanadaflintridge; lelandyee; prop209; proposition209; quotas; racenorming; sanfrancisco; sca5; tedlieu; torrance
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To: LibWhacker

>>I have a bachelor’s in math and a master’s in statistics from a good university.<<

On the Internet, no one knows you are a dog.

>>You’ve shown yourself to be naive among other things and I don’t give a fig what you think. I do KNOW that grading on the curve does indeed come into the picture in some classes even at the graduate level and even in the sciences. <<

You said math. You’re busted. And your story doesn’t jive with NOT taking math classes. Double busted.

>>You want to compete with cheaters? Be my guest.<<

So I can’t go after a degree in something I am already a professional at because it would be cheating? Like I said — dumbest thing I have ever read.

>>I always loved getting the highest grade in class, as I did many, many times. <<

Hey, repeat your sophomore year in HS enough times and eventually you’ll come in near the top of the class. Clearly that is as close to college as you got.


81 posted on 12/03/2011 4:57:25 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Spoiler Alert! The secret to Terra Nova: THEY ARE ALL DEAD!!!)
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To: LibWhacker

Educate me.


82 posted on 12/03/2011 4:58:25 PM PST by TankerKC (Welcome to the age of "I Meant to Do That" Diplomacy)
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To: LibWhacker
You have to compete with them in the real world - assuming they are staying here. If they are going home, what difference does it make?

When I was in college, some students would drop the class because I was in it raising the curve. I am not bragging. I went to college to get an education - it was expensive - I wanted all I could get for my money. I did not care what anyone else wanted for their money.

83 posted on 12/03/2011 4:59:47 PM PST by Aevery_Freeman (Rights begin where power ends!)
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To: freedumb2003

I agree with you.

Online potheads and other rabble tend to always be doctors, or know someoone that is.

Libwacker doesn’t appear to be a college type to me so far. Let’s see the transcripts.

Actually, I’d say lets see yours too. Otherwise this is all nonsense to boast about degrees.


84 posted on 12/03/2011 5:00:04 PM PST by Tolaei1
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To: Tolaei1

>>Actually, I’d say lets see yours too. Otherwise this is all nonsense to boast about degrees.<<

I didn’t boast — just mentioned. And I have complete support for my statements so far.


85 posted on 12/03/2011 5:02:48 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Spoiler Alert! The secret to Terra Nova: THEY ARE ALL DEAD!!!)
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To: freedumb2003

Have you posted credible support of you degree online? If you are going to claim one, I think it’s best to back it up with a trancript from the university. It’s hard to do, but it should be hard to make the claim.


86 posted on 12/03/2011 5:04:44 PM PST by Tolaei1
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To: Mr. K
Lies!? The answer is NOYFB!

Lying to tyrants is an honorable act.

87 posted on 12/03/2011 5:06:01 PM PST by Aevery_Freeman (Rights begin where power ends!)
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To: Tolaei1

Again, my degree is not at issue here.

I have made statements about when courses are graded on a curve (math=NOT) and indicated a probability to pursue a degree in my chosen profession, which some people say would make me a cheater. THAT is the issue.

Others claim degrees in support of statements that are clearly not factual.

And no one on the Internets knows my RL infforation and a sideliner like you ain’t gonna get it because you don’t understand the argument at issue.


88 posted on 12/03/2011 5:08:22 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Spoiler Alert! The secret to Terra Nova: THEY ARE ALL DEAD!!!)
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To: muawiyah

LOL


89 posted on 12/03/2011 5:09:39 PM PST by LibWhacker
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To: morphing libertarian

ROFLOL!


90 posted on 12/03/2011 5:13:16 PM PST by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis (Want to make $$$? It's easy! Pimp your blog for hits on Free Republic!)
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To: PanzerKardinal
We’re just going to work harder. In fact the harder it gets, the better.

Please don't think I hate Asians. I actually love Asians (I even married one of them) and admire their work ethic. If they achieve lots of things through honest hard work, more power to them!

91 posted on 12/03/2011 5:14:25 PM PST by LibWhacker
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To: freedumb2003

What an imbecile.


92 posted on 12/03/2011 5:20:28 PM PST by LibWhacker
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To: MrEdd

I always use mixed. Is there anyone who is certain they
do have pure ‘breeding’? However many generations back?


93 posted on 12/03/2011 5:21:34 PM PST by jusduat (probably lost)
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To: TankerKC

I have no obligation or desire to educate you.


94 posted on 12/03/2011 5:23:04 PM PST by LibWhacker
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To: morphing libertarian

Eritrea.

Italian East Africa. Look it up. :)


95 posted on 12/03/2011 5:23:20 PM PST by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman! 10 percent is enough for God; 9 percent is enough for government)
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To: LibWhacker

>>What an imbecile.<<

Excellent rejoinder and not undexpected.

Tough when you make a line in the sand and a cliff behind you, eh? One small push and there you go.


96 posted on 12/03/2011 5:25:48 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Spoiler Alert! The secret to Terra Nova: THEY ARE ALL DEAD!!!)
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To: Steelfish

Reverse discrimination against whites and most definitely Asians continues all in the name of political correctness. But it is the bain of the US and European countries only.

Asian nations do NOT practice affirmative action. If you are white and live in Japan or South Korea, do you really think you can get into college based on your race? NO! They strive for competition there...only the best of the best get into the best schools, the best jobs.

But here in the US, our demand for “diversity” and political correctness has forced us to stress skin color over excellence. Race over ability. We do not prioritize quality and productivity, like in Asia, instead, we reward mediocrity.

How are we supposed to compete against other countries where only the best of the best get the highest positions.

Affirmative action and political correctness got us this current president. If we don’t stop this nonsense, we will continue to spiral this beautiful America into the pits of uselessness.


97 posted on 12/03/2011 5:26:18 PM PST by DecentAmerican
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Comment #98 Removed by Moderator

To: sickoflibs
RE: "The whole system could break down if this continues."
I'll toss in some dittos on that one.
99 posted on 12/03/2011 5:32:42 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned.)
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To: A'elian' nation
Here's why you would take Latin ~ so you can learn Spanish, French, Italian, Rumanian, Portuguese and Gallo well enough to read source documents written or printed in the Middle Ages. You learn Old West Gothic or Old Pre-Norman English so you can do a bit of study on Scandinavian languages ~ again to read Medieval source documents.

Then there's Latvian ~ they have some really hot chicks!

100 posted on 12/03/2011 5:33:32 PM PST by muawiyah
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