Race’s role in college admissions process

Imagine a classroom filled with students from only one racial group. Everyone looks the same, speaks the same, and views the world the same. That was a reality in the United States not too long ago. Students from similar backgrounds tended to live in the same neighborhoods which resulted in predominantly groups with similar racial backgrounds.

To prevent homogeneous classrooms, colleges were allowed to openly consider race when reviewing an applicant to achieve diversity in the court case, Grutter v. Bollinger, but that has caused controversy. In the recent Supreme Court case, Fisher v. University of Texas, the discussion of race was reopened. Abigail Fisher, the plaintiff in the case, sued the University of Texas because she claimed that she was denied admission because she was white. Fisher believes that she was racially discriminated during the admissions process because she would not help the University create more diversity. Since then, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower courts for further decision.

Although it would be fair for college admissions officers to not consider race, that is just the way things work. Colleges are required to present statistics of their student body’s demographics. If a college had only one or two races predominantly, that would also cause controversy. The amount of diversity at a school affects its reputation, which is everything for a college nowadays.

If a college has two applicants on the same level, but one is white and the other is from an underrepresented group, then the student from a minority group would probably get the spot. Statistics collected as part of Duke University’s Campus Life and Learning project reports that Asian-American students averaged 1457, 1416 for whites, 1347 for Hispanics, and 1275 for blacks out of 1600 for the reading and math portions of the SAT. There may be a clear statistical difference between students of distinct races at elite universities, but those students have earned their spots there. There is more to a student than scores and ethnic backgrounds; students of color also provide diversity and perspective to the college community. It may seem wrong to consider race, but the efforts to close the gap of underrepresented minority students is helpful. If race did not play a part in the admissions process, there would be thousands of students without the proper resources to pursue a college education.

Although the college admissions process is flawed, Kerr students should not worry. The vast majority of the student body at Kerr is part of an ethnicity that benefits from race preference, but at the end of the day their outstanding academic foundation is what will get them a spot in their dream school, not their race. Students that work hard will receive the opportunity of a college education.