<p>UCLA Band Mom makes a point that the University just tries to do window dressing to provide racial preferences. I strongly doubt that UCLA would take an illegal immigrant from, oh lets say, Eastern Europe, who was white, who did not meet the criteria for other white, legal residents.</p>
<p>It has been discussed over and over so I am not going to do it again here.
But it hurts that your own D couldn’t get in because of it.
Life challenging stories only apply to URMs.
(Asian are excluded and my D is eurasian)</p>
<p>Actually, Anothermom, UCLA and other universities do not look at the legal status of prospective students. The only place it becomes a problem is with funding that requires proof of legal residence. That policy is no different than the way this is treated in elementary, middle and high school. It would be a departure in policy to suddenly be concerned with this status at college level. This young lady in this thread at UCLA has gone through the US educational system with her illegal status.</p>
<p>not quite correct, cpt. </p>
<p>The UCs do in fact look at legal and residency status of any student who has not graduated from a California high school in which s/he attended for 3+ years. In essence, anyone who attends a Calif HS for 3 years and graduates from a Calif HS is presumed instate for residency purposes.</p>
<p>Update.
My D was accepted by Cal and Pomona and she chose cal considering my
financial situation. She is happy over there although
she still dreamed about being a UCLA student.</p>
<p>One thing that may not have been mentioned yet is that UCLA, which could fill its entering class with high scorers from all part of the state excluding the LA area, makes an effort to provide outreach to kids in the poorer areas in LA. This same student, if applying from the Bay Area, for example, may not have gotten into UCLA.</p>
<p>UCLA Band Mom: Point of order: I am not, nor have I ever been, Dad II.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Your statement is accurate but misleading. From the current UCLA profile: 34 percent white, 38 percent Asian. 15 percent Hispanic and 3 percent African American, both of which waaaaaay under-represent their presence in the overall complexion of the state. As far as UC admissions is concerned—and as I’m far as I’m concerned—the legal status of the young woman is irrelevant. </p>
<p>Note: discussion of immigration policy belongs in the “Politics” section of the Cafe. I won’t be there.</p>
<p>Somehow 5000 parents & students seem to feel that “their” spot was taken by this one girl. Sense of entitlement anyone?</p>
<p>It’s not that folks think that their spots were taken by this one girl. She represents a category of students who are below the media radar. There is resentment that someone who is illegally in this country, who academically is not up to the standards of the university has gotten a spot over those who are clearly heads and shoulders superior academically. It all comes down to the affirmative action debates. </p>
<p>Some folks still don’t get it that there are factors other than academics that colleges consider in admissions. They are resentful of the athletes and legacies who gain admission, but they can see the added value these categories bring to the student population. They do not see the value of diversity in experience, race,ethinicity, challenges. Those are the issues that gave this young woman her seat at this college, and many schools who feel they are underrepresented in those areas are giving those things weight in the admissions process.</p>
<p>Cpt, I do see added value in diversity, but the US can not afford to educate everyone who comes over the border. The other question I keep asking is how is an undocumented person going to get a job, other than a nanny or gardner? Any job that actually uses an education is going to check documents. People should first get legal, then go to school. IMHO.</p>
<p>
The charter of the UCs isn’t to admit a cohort of students who meet some representative demographics based on race or most other factors - their charter is primarily to accept the top academic 12.5% of students from California high schools. It’d be great if the racial and other demographics were distributed representatively among this 12.5% but they aren’t and the reason they aren’t has nothing to do with the UCs.</p>
<p>“Students considered eligible for UC admission must meet subject, scholarship, and examination requirements, which place them in the top 12.5 percent of California’s graduating senior class.”</p>
<p>When a student’s admission essay focuses on the hardships of being in the country without documentation, it is fairly easy for any admissions committee to figure out that this is an undocumented person; no need to specifically ask about it. I find it absolutely not credible that UCLA just happened to take this particular applicant, without an inkling of undocumented status in their collective heads. If this does not smack of social engineering, and a end run around the admissions criteria, I don’t know what is.</p>
<p>Being a state run school, UCLA really flouts the laws that prohibit admission based on race. Diversity may be a compelling interest, but race may not legally become the deciding factor.</p>
<p>6/30/08 MindingtheCampus.com: “Is There An Asian Ceiling?”</p>
<p>[Statistics</a> on Reverse Discrimination](<a href=“http://www.asianam.org/statistics%20reverse.htm]Statistics”>http://www.asianam.org/statistics%20reverse.htm)</p>