Asians at top colleges

stiffcelery
Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:45:01 +0000

No, I don’t think that’s an accurate assumption. Out of the 15% that did not report their race, not all of them are necessarily Asian.

Also, the study I think you are referring to was a research project conducted by some professors at Princeton. They found that an Asian applicant received a disadvantage comparable to a 50 point decrease on the SAT, while other minority groups received nearly 100-200 point increases during the admissions process. Because researchers only took into account those applicants that reported their race, then it would be the opposite of data exaggeration. If they considered Asians who didn’t report their race as well, they may have seen an even lower admit rate.

Finally, 15% may be a big pool compared to other minorities, but you have to take into account socioeconomic factors. Although conditions have improved throughout the decades, many more African-Americans and Hispanics live in abject poverty when compared to Asian-Americans. Because many do not have the same social background as Asians (since many that are able to immigrate to the U.S. come here to pursue higher education) nor the same social resources, Asians are more prepared for postsecondary education in comparison. The reason why there is a higher percentage of Asian-Americans in American universities is due to the fact that these schools believe more Asian-Americans are more likely to succeed there.