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<p>Highly disagreed. Even Asians get boosts in admissions for being low-income/first-gen.</p>
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<p>'Cept, Stanford’s firmly against that. It cares much about context, and will easily take a disadvantaged student over an advantaged one. Ever heard of QuestBridge? It was founded at Stanford, and has close ties to it. Search the Daily Stanford on articles relating to the issue.</p>
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<p>You’re really overestimating the power of ethnicity in Stanford’s admissions…</p>
<p>“Ever heard of QuestBridge?”</p>
<p>Of course, and one of the 4 main criterias considered by Questbridge is ethnicity. It struck me that so few asians were accepted at the match process, compared to the regular decision process. I believe that only 1 out of the 12 matched to Stanford was asian this yr. There is one possibility: asians tend to perform at a lower academic level than other races, asians tend to be advantaged on the socioeconomic level (probably not because they actually were selected for finalist standing, which takes in account your income range etc…), or asians tend to suck at EC’s (highly questionable again), or asians have the wrong skin color (viable reason).</p>
<p>“You’re really overestimating the power of ethnicity in Stanford’s admissions…”</p>
<p>Actually, if Stanford truly downplayed ethnicity for admission, I don’t see the use for the race/ethnicity question for the application anymore. As I said, if someone had such an important connection with their race/ethnicity, they can always vow their knowledge in the essay. </p>
<p>Now if your assertion that race is minor in admission decisions, then great, I have nothing to really complain about. Note that by minor, I mean that it’s less important than GPA, SAT, talents, leadership, background of parents or family income, intellectual vitality and promise (in no particular order)</p>
<p>^ That’s exactly why I didn’t choose to be matched and opted to instead have QB assist me in RD. I found it a bit discouraging. I think they only match those who are at very low income levels. </p>
<p>Myabe kyledavid can provide a better reason…</p>
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<p>Absolutely not. Here are QuestBridge’s criteria:</p>
<p>[National</a> College Match - Selection Criteria](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/cmp/criteria.html]National”>http://www.questbridge.org/cmp/criteria.html)</p>
<p>Do you see ethnicity anywhere? I don’t.</p>
<p>QuestBridge is expressly NOT necessarily for minorities, but for high-achieving, low-income students, who may or may not be minorities. They have even stated this explicitly:</p>
<p>[National</a> College Match Program: FAQ](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/students/faqs.html#s1q6]National”>http://www.questbridge.org/students/faqs.html#s1q6)</p>
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<p>QuestBridge has said that one of the main reasons for students being deferred from the Match round to the RD round is that their income is too high (notice that nearly all finalists have incomes under $60,000; financial aid policies vary). In 2007, roughly 15% of the Match recipients were Asian, and about a third in the RD were Asian; so roughly half of the students who were finalists and who were accepted to a QB-affiliated college were Asian.</p>
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<p>I think you’re assuming too much.</p>
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<p>As I said, that’s actually most likely the reason. Also, finalist standing does not necessarily mean your income is sufficiently low to warrant a full, four-year scholarship at all of QB’s partners.</p>
<p>(Really, I know more than a little about QB.)</p>
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<p>Take that up with the Common App–Stanford doesn’t use its own application.</p>
<p>Furthermore, simply because it doesn’t emphasize it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a factor in admission. (I don’t think anyone–even I–has attempted to claim that.)</p>
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<p>My claim–as the dean of admissions has emphasized as well–is that an applicant’s context is more likely to play an important role in admissions. That includes income, disadvantages overcome, opportunities offered, and so on, as well as how the student took advantage of those opportunities. Thus, Stanford would reject a qualified Hispanic student who has all the advantages in life as any white student, in favor of a high-achieving, equally qualified white or Asian who overcame disadvantages (such as low income, first generation status, single parent household, etc.). In fact, this happens much more often than you seem to think.</p>
<p>However, demographics will even show you that Hispanic, black, and Native American students are most typically the lowest-income group. Those groups are considered “underrepresented” (hence, underrepresented minority). What’s more, the most underrepresented group in colleges is low-income students (at the 146 most selective colleges in the U.S., just 3% of the students came from families that ranked in the bottom 25% in income, while 74% came from the top 25%). There is, if you can believe it, a reason that both groups are underrepresented. (There’s a high, but not perfect, correlation.)</p>
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<p>Now why in the world would they do that, Olive_Tree?</p>
<p>I meant that they only match those whose incomes are low, under $60,000. I didn’t mean that their finances would be the only factor. They have to be high-achieving as well.</p>
<p>Well, yes, they only match those whose incomes are low; these are the students who can’t pay for college at all, so a full scholarship is necessary. Now, that’s not to say that those who are just above $60k have to pay full-freight (it’s gradual).</p>
<p>“Absolutely not. Here are QuestBridges criteria:”</p>
<p>My mistake. Nevertheless, the ludicrous match rate for asians, who tend (I think it’s reasonable to assume this) to be overachievers, make me rather wary of the evaluation criterias.</p>
<p>Secondly, Questbridge actually asks for ethnicity on the application, not just Stanford. Stanford application also asks for ethnicity, not just the common app (the application sent by mail to many students).</p>
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<p>There is no empirical evidence that the Asians applying through QB are necessarily “overachievers.” Never go on stereotypes for support for your argument.</p>
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<p>As QB says on the application, the partner colleges wish to enroll “diverse students,” so that’s why ethnicity is a question. QB itself does not give preference to any race.</p>
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<p>The point is, the Common App is the main application, so even if Stanford were to become “race-blind,” ethnicity would still be asked on the application.</p>
<p>Very, very few students use Stanford’s paper application–the director of admissions has to approve it.</p>
<p>[Freshman</a> Requirements & Process : Stanford University](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/freshman/index.html]Freshman”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/freshman/index.html)</p>
<p>this could NEVER happen to an international</p>
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<p>Haha in complete agreement. Hehe.</p>
<p>wow. looks like you took a lot of affirmative action and was involved in many leadership activities. good job!</p>
<p>■■■■■. he had amazing ECs and lots of leadership. his rank and GPA were good. it seems that the only “low” part was his SAT.</p>
<p>I see nothing wrong here, his application stood out, I guess.</p>
<p>wow… it’s been a long time since this, lol.</p>
<p>How’s Stanford treating you, gman?</p>
<p>stanford has been absolutely AMAZING. in one week, i’ll be halfway done with my undergrad here–the last two years have been really awesome. </p>
<p>i’ve met amazing students from around the globe that i now consider great friends and very much like family; i’ve been mentored by distinguished professors on ideas and projects of my own; i’ve attended lectures where people like condi rice, bill gates, gavin newsom, and linda darling hammond have inspired me to work even harder to affect change in the world; and i’ve made countless memories during my freshman and sophomore years here.</p>
<p>but most importantly, being here for the last two years has made my passions for learning and for public service stronger. with the help from other passionate students, the mentorship of faculty members, and awesome grants and research opportunities, the program i started back home has flourished into a great success–be on the look out! currently, i’m keeping busy as the program director of a start-up nonprofit that has already raised over $20,000 in the last year and has been given awards for excellence in service from the stanford and palo alto communities. and i’ve been able to my academic interests with my public service all along the way!</p>
<p>overall, stanford is an amazing place. reading over this thread brings back a ton of memories–in particular, the moment i checked my email address at 5:43pm and was congratulated for my admissions. during my time here, i bike to and from classes, and everytime i bike by the quad and contemplate the awesome buildings here, i can’t help it… i have to pinch myself to remind me that i’m awake–that i’m actually here.</p>
<p>coming from the central valley of california–a VERY different place from here–i KNOW that i have been blessed with an amazing opportunity to succeed. but more importantly to succeed so that in the near future, i too can help others succeed by being an inspiration for them to succeed for themselves. my plan is to pursue a Masters co-terminal degree in education and a teaching credential from the STEP program here at the school of ed., and to go back home to teach for a while. eventually, i would love to get an Ed.D and to start my own school(s) in the central valley.</p>
<p>looking over this thread, the first thing that comes into mind is my favorite political philosopher, John Stuart Mill. i’m a polisci major here, concentrating on political theory, and i’ve had to read Mill’s “On Liberty” about four times now for several of my classes. looking over the diverse, sometimes opposing comments, i think of one of Mill’s ideas: “only through [the] diversity of opinion is there, in the existing state of human intellect, a chance of fair play to all sides of the truth.”</p>
<p>your many, diverse, sometimes opposing ideas have resulted into a fruitful conversation. about what? well, you decided… is it about affirmative action… hmm, perhaps. is it about a normative idea concerning what college admissions ought to entail… umm, maybe? </p>
<p>for me, i think this conversation is one about this truth: stanford admissions looks beyond an SAT score; they look beyond an AP exam grade; they look beyond a class rank. and i for one, like many others who are here, are extremely grateful to be given this opportunity–an opportunity that of course comes with personal success and growth. but more importantly, it’s an opportunity to be the agent by which to affect social change in the near future. </p>
<p>think about why the university was founded. consider the primary goal that leland and jane stanford had in mind when founding this school: “to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization.” i try my best to remind myself everyday that i was admitted here to help fulfill that mission. i have been blessed and extremely humbled to be given this opportunity to help promote public welfare and to have some influence on society. </p>
<p>i can’t wait to continue here for the next two years :)</p>
<p>^ gman, affirmative action or no affirmative action, let me just say that Stanford made absolutely no mistake in admitting you, no matter what previous posters on this thread may have said. Seriously.</p>
<p>^+1 to that. Judging from your recent post, I would also guess your admissions essays were superb in content and form. Congratulations on your many successes.</p>
<p>Damnit… I have everything needed to get into Stanford, yet my race keeps dragging me down. I am shameful to be of Chinese blood.</p>
<p>I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. It’s always nice when posters follow up.</p>
<p>race isnt a reason to be rejected
its just an excuse</p>