New Diversity Criteria for Admission...what to make of that?

[luv2yoga]

OK all, I just got a letter from my school last night that states they are instituting a new criteria of "diversity" for admission to all programs. I am applying for ADN in August for the January class. The letter states basically that they are modifying their criteria to focus on more than just the previously stated criteria of grades/pre-requ.s/essay/test scores to include factors to increase the diversity of the school. Please don't start a flame war on this with political opinions, this is what I want to know -- do any of you have any experience such that you can advise me on how this will play out in selecting candidates?

Of course, I'm worried about my specific chances of getting in. I don't have much to offer in terms of diversity...except that I'm older than average. But I'm a married white female and can't cite a disadvantaged background. I have good grades etc. You can see where this is going, right? My school last year had 180 applicants for 100 spots. Lowest GPA admitted was I believe a 3.1. I have a 3.4 right now and am working hard to get A's in the 2 pre-requ.s I lack.

Please share your specific experience with this issue in your school. Thanks, all.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

How so? Give some examples.

Programs in this area that i live in that are JUST for one minority. It doesn't matter what they are or who they're for, the point is, it's excluding others, and how that's not discriminating is beyond me.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

To suggest that scholarships have not been, or are not, available to non-minorities truly highlights how uninformed you are.

I am quite informed, thank you.

I question all sides. I try and look at things from all points of view before forming my own opinion or belief.

I will not be replying to you anymore.

[Lambert5883]

Historically, yes.

Now - I'm not so sure.

If this country is so racially biased, how do you explain the Kenyan and African doctors I've met that hold high faculty positions at UNC? Why do immigrants literally in some cases DIE to come here? (These are rhetorical questions - please take it as such.)

This is an excerpt from a book I am reading called, "The End of Racism." It describes incidences that have happened that have led some to claim "racial bias":

(I do not subscribe to many of the thoughts brought forth by this author because, in turn, some of his analysis are ill-thought-out in nature. But he does make some interesting points.)

- Rodney King was excessivlely and sadistically beaten by LA policemen.

- Blacks were harassed, brutilized, and killed in Bensonhurst and Howard

Beach.

- Each year Skinheads and white supremacist groups threaten and harm

African Americans.

- Susan Smith blamed a black man for kidnapping her two children and later

confessed to drowning them herself.

- Black families in certain parts of the country have witnessed crosses

burning on their front lawns.

My own additions:

- A man in Denver was shot and killed while waiting at a bus stop because

he was black.

- A man in Texas was dragged to his death because he was black.

My point being that one man's justice is another man's injustice.

[Lambert5883]

I am quite informed, thank you.

I question all sides. I try and look at things from all points of view before forming my own opinion or belief.

I will not be replying to you anymore.

Please accept my apologies if I've offended you. These type of settings lend themselves to situations in whch people act and behave in a manner in which they otherwise would not.

[Ayvah, RN]

Also, even with AA, most elite colleges are still mostly white. According to the annual college guides published by some magazines, blacks only make up between 6 to 9 percent of the student body at schools, such as the Ivy Leagues, and other elite schools. This doesn't seem like that blacks are doing better than whites in college admissions to me.

While this percentage may seem low, when you consider that blacks make up only 12-13% of this country, that percentage on the student board doesn't seem too bad.

source: http://censtats.census.gov/data/US/01000.pdf

[MJJFan1, BSN, RN]

Actually, that is not true at all. My husband was turned down for flight school back in 94 and 95 even though his packet was absolutely perfect! He had extremely high scores, but other people did get in because of their race even though they had much lower scores. These were people dh worked with and when they compared scores they realized that even though the minoritis had lower scores they got in when my husband didn't. The other guys went to the same boards at the same time as my husband. The other guys felt embarrased and bad for my husband because they knew my husband was actually more qualified, but, what can you do? My husband wanted to be an apache pilot his whole life, now when the military really needs more pilots, my husband is too old to even go to the boards anymore. Sad.

That is a lie! Sweetie, I am in the U. S. Marine Corps and even before joining the armed forces you must take a test. His packet may have seemed perfect to you and him but not perfect to those board members. They put you in your occupational specialty based upon your ASVAB score and Officer selection scores. Not anyone can go to flight school there's a lot of issues that surround flight. You must have clearance, the right scores, be of a certain rank, no office hours and everything else. Actually when I was in school for aircraft mechanic, so many of the "perfect score/packet" guys failed out of school because of failing 3 tests, dropping screwdrivers and so on. I know you're like "dropping screwdrivers?" yes if you drop a screwdriver, you're sent for a urinalysis and everthing else. My point is you can't just have the perfect packet you must be the right candidate all around. And also if you guys knew he wasn't accepted for that reason why didn't he go see the Equal Opportunity Rep? I've had to see them twice and believe me, they get down to the nitty gritty. They will come back with the right results. If he didn't see the EO that's his fault. Now maybe you and your husband would like to believe that he wasn't accepted for that reason because maybe that's the only thing that's gives you guys comfort but truth is he just wasn't cut out for the job and that's what the board members saw. I'm not trying to be mean, that's not my intentions I just don't like people saying untrue things about my Armed Forces. I take my service to this country very seriously.

[MJJFan1, BSN, RN]

Myreign1, Not sure where you are getting your information. I'm a white woman and a Veteran. Every advancement test I took in the Navy had 2 passing scores - 1 for minorities and one for the rest of us - white females were NOT considered minorities and I know that for a fact - it was a totally unfair process. My first shot at the E-5 Exam I had to make a 165 - I got a 163 and wasn't advanced. A minority co-worker got a 140 and was advanced in rate - is this fair to you? In the military being advanced in Rate is the same as a "salary promotion" in the civilian world - it's more $$ each month and trust me, we didn't make much so any extra money was a BIG Deal. It's absolutely unfair for someone to get a lesser score on an exam and be advanced into a higher pay rank because they are considered a "minority" than someone who studied more and scored higher than you - that's crazy.

That's why I love the Marine Corps, we don't go by tests, it's straight Rifle Score, Physical Fitness score, Education (off-duty and Military), leadership skills, recruiting points and how long you've been doing what you do. Can't go wrong there, can't discriminate like that. I really don't believe The Navy promotes based on race, if so, you should say something about it. If not, you're only hurting yourself.

[smk1, LPN]

I don't.

When was the last time you heard of any Caucasian-specific scholarships?

I'm not EVEN thinking that minorities are up to their ear in financial aid of any kind, but i think that any aid based on race, ethniocity, gender, is ridiculous and far from equal.

You have to look at the history. There are many scholarships for those whose parents were of a certain occupation, or went to a certain school, were part of a certain club or organziation. Many of these Jobs, clubs and organizations didn't allow people of color within their ranks either formally or informally. These are essentially "caucasian-specific" simply because by virtue of past discriminatory actions, people of color weren't in a postion to set their kids up for the scholarship now. Sort of like the black history month thing. In general you don't need a white history month because it is taught all year long anyway. Noone is saying it is "fair", but then all of the other disadvantages that racial minorities are subjected to in this country are fair either, neither is it fair for the kid whose dad went to Stanford to get in with a "C" avergage over the kid with the 4.0 without the benefit of legacy admissions. Whenever people get really upset over the "minimal" at best affects of AA, but don't mention or seem to care about the other unfair college admissions practices, I do have to wonder why...

[SraKristina]

i didnt read all of the replies so im my 2 cents is being repeated my apologies.

I have long been very against Affirmative Action, have studied the program pretty thoroughly but since transferring to my VERY diverse community college my ideas are changing.. somethings are changing my beliefs and others are reinforcing them.

i went to an ALL WHITE high school. We had one Black student, 3 Mexicans and a Korean girl, who was adopted and raised by a White family. Yes, so not divers that i can count the Minorities on ONE HAND... so anti affirmative action was prevalent as was anti diversity and there is a huge difference. I am still very against affirmative action and any program that rewards/penalizes you for something you were born with/without. But having moved from my hometown and lived in neighborhoods that were majority MidEastern, Hispanic and Black and going to school with people from ALL WALKS of life (age, gender, sexual orientation, marital/parental status, socioeconomic, etc... not just race) i now see how beneficial exposure to other lifestyles is.

so anyways.... I commend the "diversity" programs that some universities have implemented recently. These include programs that require students to take a class where they will, basically learn something about other ppl not just themselves. i.e. Men taking Women's Studies, Women in Lit, Christians taking classes in Islamic religions, Blacks taking Spanish.. and so on... I personally think these requirements should be universal.. they should not have any effect on GPA, admission, anything like that you should just have to take, say, 1 3 credit class... or something like that. I'd even go out on a limb and say that most students, although they would groan about having to take them, would find them interesting.

[SraKristina]

ok,... now i've read all the replies so im saying more... forgive me if this thread was sposed to be dead :chair:

another complaint with racially based AA. It assumes all minorities are poor by stating in various terms that they come from predominately low socioeconomic classes, while this is true in most instances, in those few instances where it is NOT true it could (potentially) make or break a students chances at being admitted (or able to afford) higher education.

Take for instance the minority of white students in predominately black/hispanic/middle eastern/ etc neighborhoods. These students have recieved the same education (or lack thereof) that their fellow students have, yet gov't and admission boards assumes they have had the same opportunites as students (of all colors) in more affluent areas. Or the minority students who have gone to predominatley white schools but are assumed to live in "poorer" districts or come from "more hardships" simply because of the color of their skin - an insult to parents who in their generation had a much harder time working to overcome the past.

and all in all the more we reinforce the differences the less we will ever accomplish. I can understand why, for example, a woman from Yemen would want an Arabic doctor to deliver her baby, but wouldnt it be nice to live in a society where ALL doctors and ALL patients felt that the fact that we are ALL human brought us closer together than the fact that we may be of different races/upbringings pulls us apart.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

all the more we reinforce the differences the less we will ever accomplish.

100% agree.

[Plagueis]

While this percentage may seem low, when you consider that blacks make up only 12-13% of this country, that percentage on the student board doesn't seem too bad.

source: http://censtats.census.gov/data/US/01000.pdf

I know that blacks are a minority in general, but some supporters of AA claim that since blacks are 12-13 percent of the population, they should be 12-13 percent of college students. Since most elite colleges have less than 13 percent of their students as African Americans, in this sense, blacks are still underrepresented, even those some believe AA gives them a tremedous advantage.