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Getting into Harvard and other ultra high level universities should be a strict meritocracy. I have zero problem with it being 100% Asian if that is who wins the race. In any area outside of social sciences, "diversity" is bovine scatterings.
Here's your answer:
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
Merit is subjective. Harvard has a right to determine merit based on its own desires.
Exactly.
You (ottomobeale) must never have applied to college if you think admissions are based solely on grades.
Getting into Harvard and other ultra high level universities should be a strict meritocracy. I have zero problem with it being 100% Asian if that is who wins the race. In any area outside of social sciences, "diversity" is bovine scatterings.
I think Asians are not as ruthless in business as Americans.
But then we also have Nadella cleaning up Ballmer's mess or a Jack Ma both of who are "quiet" right.
So glad I have my degree behind me. That never ending looming of having to study was such a bummer. Now I get to sit back & laugh at the whining of people who never in their wildest dreams would get even close to being accepted into Harvard.
Harvard tries to represent America the best it can. The U.S. is less than 5% Asian, Harvard is 20% Asian. Harvard is already stretching itself as it is.
so is NBA racist as well? How many Africans vs Asians in the NBA?
Wait. I thought Republicans were fine with discrimination by private companies?
A university can and should be able to set any admission criteria they like, even one that takes into account race. They do it to promote racial diversity in their school which is a big plus for them. Depending on their viewpoint, one person's racial equality can look like another's person's racial discrimination. It's just the nature of the beast.
According to this source, these are the 15 colleges in the United States that do not accept any federal money.
As far as I'm concerned, they can set whatever admissions requirements they like. If they want their student body to consist solely of people whose fathers were Lithuanian dwarfs and their mothers were Amazonian acrobats, that's on them.
But the rest of the colleges in this country -- including Harvard -- accept federal money. In other words, I help to pay for them. And I don't want my money to be used to discriminate against Asian people simply because there are "too many" of them who would be admitted purely on the basis of academic qualifications.
As far as I'm concerned, they can set whatever admissions requirements they like. If they want their student body to consist solely of people whose fathers were Lithuanian dwarfs and their mothers were Amazonian acrobats, that's on them.
But the rest of the colleges in this country -- including Harvard -- accept federal money. In other words, I help to pay for them. And I don't want my money to be used to discriminate against Asian people simply because there are "too many" of them who would be admitted purely on the basis of academic qualifications.
I don't know, man.
Unlike race, dwarfs and Amazonian acrobats are not protected under Civil Rights Act of 1964
For clarification, "racist history" here refers addresses the university being built on or having a long reputation of having policies, rules/laws, and teaching that disparage against non-White people. Some universities overall may not have such a history, but a staff, faculty, or student of that university might have such views. All one can really do is figure out how to address those racist folk that is within reason and legality.
As far as I'm concerned, they can set whatever admissions requirements they like. If they want their student body to consist solely of people whose fathers were Lithuanian dwarfs and their mothers were Amazonian acrobats, that's on them.
But the rest of the colleges in this country -- including Harvard -- accept federal money. In other words, I help to pay for them. And I don't want my money to be used to discriminate against Asian people simply because there are "too many" of them who would be admitted purely on the basis of academic qualifications.
This isn't about you. It's about what's best for Harvard and their students.
I can see both sides to this argument so I'll present them and efficiently anger as many people as possible.
Side 1: Certainly, there is much much more to a candidate than grades and scores.
Kids in some parts of the country, especially the east coast are extremely focused towards SAT scores and prep endlessly for them plus focus on the extras to try to get their admission. A lot of these kids parents are professionals with advanced degrees etc.
Other kids might score a little less but don't have the piles of prep hours either. They may also work jobs and participate in a other activities that are shunned by the majority of the herd preparing their Ivy resumes.
Imagine you have an applicant whose parents are both doctors, 1600 SAT, etc. etc. 1st chair violin, debate club....all the usual crap.
Then you have the applicant with 1500 SAT, worked at the grocery store 10-15 hours a week to help family out with $$$. Neither parent went to college. From a regular non-magnet public school.
I can absolutely see why taking someone that didn't have the perfect (or near perfect) SAT score but still quite a high one if they weren't in the position to be prepping for it for 5 years lol and have some more unique life skills and experience than just one more private school tiger mom progeny from the east coast.
Side 2: There is indeed a slippery slope between diversity and merit.
I've posted before that if you go to the local math competitions they are absolutely dominated by the Pak\India\China kids of professionals that work at area tech and communications companies. On those days if you walk over to the basketball clinic in the gym or a soccer clinic outside you won't see that...you'll see mostly white & black kids.
This is not because of ethnicity but rather selection bias. Those people are here because they are highly educated in STEM fields and as such are going to have a household environment putting education near the top as well as some family genetics towards intelligence and efforts put towards that and NOT sports.
It's galling for people to have no problem with top college basketball being packed with white and black people and hardly anyone from east asia and that's due to "merit" but when those kids kick butt in academics it's "well that needs to be balanced out for "diversity".
You (ottomobeale) must never have applied to college if you think admissions are based solely on grades.
Actually, I got in on grades and SAT scores.
Nice try tho.
Edit clarity. I did not go to Harvard. Graduated a selective school that I knew a 1260/1600 SAT was good for. IIRC acceptance rate was ~40% MOL. Did not apply to Harvard.
Last edited by ottomobeale; 02-26-2019 at 10:52 AM..
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