Comments on: Weekend Question 2: Who Is Being Hurt by the Diversity Movement?

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 18:01:23 +0000

#7, no doubt.

By: Jill

Jill — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 17:51:19 +0000

What I find fascinating about the approach is how transparent it was – I mean, I’m glad they didn’t try to hide it, but it is rather audacious, don’t you think?

Eh – you know, I remember what it was like in the Yale Development office during the times when admission letters were going out and how the program directors assessed the impact of which legacies got in and were rejected.

Working in a college admissions office is not for the weak.

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:37:06 +0000

#4, don’t give ‘em any ideas. :–>

#5, Okay, I’ll agree with that. It does seem quite cynical and manipulative, and the kids who are quoted at some of the links you sent (thanks!) were seeing through it.

By: Jill

Jill — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 15:04:02 +0000

Well, now, let’s not misrepresent what was going on. They weren’t looking for ethnicity per se – they were looking for the numbers that came with the Jewish students and how those numbers would pump up the school’s attraction to others. In other words, they almost wanted to take as short a route as possible to make it look like they do in fact attract talent, without having to work so hard to get talented kids with the school’s profile, but inflating the profile with some kids who happen to have really good scores, and are Jewish. That’s how I read Vanderbilt and the other schools’ efforts.

By: meep

meep — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 14:10:12 +0000

If you want to increase scores, why not just admit people based on scores? That’s a big old -duh-.

Of course, one wouldn’t get the properly diverse mix in the student body. And certain departments would lack for students (aw, poor tenured profs).

Which reminds me, shouldn’t they have quotas by department? I think various representatives of underrepresented groups should be drafted into the undiverse majors, such as physics, elementary education, mechanical engineering, women’s studies, etc. It’s only fair.

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 04:53:30 +0000

The situation with proactively recruiting Jews just shows you how crazy the pretzel-twisting logic gets when you start looking for ethnicity instead of talent.

By: Jill

Jill — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:16:04 +0000

Tom – I might have gotten the html wrong on that last comment – feel free to fix! Sorry. :)

By: Jill

Jill — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:15:23 +0000

Tom - I am not sure how you would spin this in, but are you aware that starting a few years ago, schools worked hard to recruit more Jews because out of all the subgroups that take the standardized admission tests, Jews ranked second and raise the school\'s average score for incoming classes?