The issue of affirmative action policies in university admissions across the country is becoming increasingly scrutinized by the legal system, which is not too surprising given the importance most people place on selecting a college to attend. While I disagree with the methods many universities use in terms of racial admissions practices, let me emphasize that I do value diversity in an educational setting very highly. I firmly believe there needs to be a strong minority representation in all universities, but I also think most admissions committees are using unfair selection processes to ensure diversification.
The main problem I have with current admissions policies of many schools is that they almost blindly add value to the quality of minority applicants. The main problem with this lies in the overlooking of where the potential student grew up and went to high school. I feel these aspects of a person's background are far too important to be skipped over and are the main cause of what I perceive to be an unfair situation.
One of the questionable policies some universities have in place is the quota system. I believe the ethnic diversity of a student body can be developed in a more supportive manner and should not need to be forced into place by our educational administrators. I also think this is a problem because it doesn't act to improve the quality of incoming classes, because there is less pressure on a student if they are aware that a guaranteed number of applicants from their ethnic background will be accepted. Once again, I respect that universities are working toward change, but I think some critical issues are not being addressed.
For example, there is one hypothetical scenario in particular that really makes me cringe, especially since it is an entirely possible case in my very own hometown. I grew up in a predominantly white and wealthy suburb, and the quality of our public education system was outstanding. Minority students who grew up in the area and went through the same school system as I did would be given a higher value in an application process that blindly accepts race as a criterion for admission.
Let me once again emphasize that I do value diversity in education, but there is an underlying problem here that extends beyond racial boundaries. There is definitely a situation of inequity when one student is viewed as less or more qualified than another based on their race when they have the same potential to learn, the same resources available to them and the same high quality public education system in place. This problem alone demands at least further analysis by all institutions into their admission criteria.
The increasing number of court cases challenging race-based college admissions is an indicator that a change needs to be considered. One plausible alternative developed by an economist at the United States Department of Education would select students based partially on how well they achieved in relation to the other members of their school. A policy like this would still allow for diversity (and prevent the grossly unfair example I previously discussed), because it would allow the top performers in each school to be accepted to the top universities regardless of their race.
While I do not believe there will ever be a process that will be viewed as totally fair by all involved parties, the current methods of many admissions committees need to be restructured. I think a shift in the design of admissions criteria that will allow for ethnic diversity and promote a situation of fairness among applicants is possible to achieve, and the increasing amount of publicity surrounding some universities' actions makes the attainment of this goal a very high priority.
