The Yale Daily News reports that some “advocates” want Yale to aspire to fill its incoming classes with people who couldn’t get into state colleges (H/T):
States that have enacted constitutional amendments banning the use of racial preferences in public college admissions have seen acceptance rates for minority applicants go down. As more states consider such measures, civil rights advocates said, private colleges may inherit those students who can no longer get into public schools, or who no longer want to attend public schools with increasingly homogenous student bodies.
In a small sign of sanity – or, more likely, of the tribute vice pays to virtue – Yale officials aren’t buying this logic:
But Yale Dean of Admissions Jeff Brenzel said the ripples might not make it to New Haven. Since Yale typically competes for applicants with only a small number of universities, almost all of which are private, the University’s applicants and admissions officers are insulated from the shock that the recent bans have had in California and Michigan.
“With respect to achieving diversity at the most competitive schools, I think the key is always to evaluate students as individuals, in light of whatever opportunities and challenges they have been presented,” he said. “Race and socioeconomic class are relevant aspects of an applicant’s context, and to the extent we do a good job overall of weighing context, we will sustain a diverse undergraduate body with exceptional talent and promise.”
Good for Yale. Granted, these are elite state colleges we are talking about, and granted, the Yale admissions office, like many in academia, is undoubtedly doing its bean-counting on a retail basis these days and learning to keep quiet about it. But even the necessity of driving race-consciousness and what is increasingly its open embrace of mediocrity underground is a victory of sorts.
Anyone remember Senator Hruska’s comment about Clement Haynsworth, when Nixon nominated him for the Supreme Court?: “Even if he is mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren’t they?”
Like all idealogues on either the left or right, Yale will stick to its ideals, until it, uh, requires some sacrifice on their own part.
Could one possibly devise a better example of how out-of-touch with reality the forces of political correctness are? It’s impossible to imagine that they can believe their own words:
“As more states consider such measures, civil rights advocates said, private colleges may inherit those students . . . who no longer want to attend public schools with increasingly homogenous student bodies.”
Go ahead. SHOW ME. SHOW ME the high-school student who will turn down the college of his choice because the student body isn’t “diverse” enough.
The whole diversity thing was supposed to be a sham to get the Supreme Court to swallow racial quotas. Nobody was supposed to actually BELIEVE that crap!
Someone needs to show me where it is a “right” to attend college in the first place. A slot in a college class should be earned and based on nothing except the students academic standing.
No one, including the student, is served by putting an unqualified student into a competitive college situation. Marginal students, regardless of color etc…, should be attending junior colleges, trade schools or some other institution to hone their skills to either advance into a “mainstream” college or university or the work force.
The solution is not to force the round peg into the square hole. If we raise the standards at the elementary school level today and hold both the students and teachers accountable, there is hope for the next generation of students.
Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a race issue. This is a lack of accountability issue that starts in preschool and works its way through the school system. The way to solve it is to stop crying about how students are not being given preferences based on their color and start teaching those students what they need to know to successfully advance in the school system.
Why is there no outrage to the fact private elite schools have increased the amount of developmental admissions? There is currently one elite private school that has 42% of the student body made up of legacy and developmental admissions. But I guess it is easier to go for the low hanging fruit and not try to address the entire problem.
Javaman — I too am outraged by developmental admissions. They must be stopped. Just one question — what are developmental admissions?
Simply put they are when a wealthy family child does not even the minimum standard to get into a school. But, the school actively recruits the kid and family on the premise the family will donate a certain amount of cash annually. It is borderline selling admissions, then you ask yourself what are the chances the kid will be tossed out of school for poor grades.