<p>Who has a better chance of getting into an Ivy League, as opposed to…let’s say a high average asian?</p>
<p>They’re not an National Merit Scholar or Intel finalist, and doesn’t possess a 2300+ SAT. Just a regular well-rounded, good GPA, award-winning leader…not a genius. And they got into an Ivy League because they were a URM.</p>
<p>Which group do you think is the most underrepresented? </p>
<p>African-American males? Hispanic males? Native Americans in general? African-American females?</p>
<p>Last time I checked the data, I believe seeing that Hispanics were the most under-represented at top colleges relative to their prevalence among the US population in general. I get the impression that Hispanic males are more under-represented than Hispanic females, so I would say Hispanic males are the most under-represented group.</p>
<p>Ahhh…Spongebob. Those were the days. Whenever I’m with someone or I hear something in the woods, I never hesitate to say that it is the HASH SLINGING SLASHER hahaha. “I ate a bowl of nails for breakfast” “so?” “Without any milk!” I agree with the hispanic males URM being the least represented at top schools although a featured thread on here said that a Princeton prof. thought that african americans got a greater advantage through being an URM in regards to test scores.</p>
<p>just throwing this out there, what about impoverished whites? they don’t get the boost of a URM but have to overcome many more challenges than the average white person.</p>
<p>Low-income Whites are likely under-represented as well, though probably not nearly to the extent of low-income racial URM’s. And low-income students generally do receive a modest boost at holistically-reviewing colleges.</p>
<p>African American Males from inner-city public schools, low income. (myself)</p>
<p>Honestly, what’s the purpose of this thread?</p>
<p>And what if I just happen to be an Intel Finalist with a low SAT score? Why do I feel that the OP’s post is insinuating that URMs aren’t capable of achieving stellar awards and achievements without a high SAT score? What if that URM was a National AP scholar with 5s on 17 APs, while the “high average asian” was of the contrary?</p>
<p>(and yes, I know that no one has blatantly said that. But that’s the general feeling I get out of threads like these.)</p>
<p>Statistically speaking, the asian is much much much much much much much much much much much more likely to get that Intel Finalist spot, the National AP scholar spot, and these stellar awards and achievements. The “what if” situations are anomalies.</p>
<p>@Jason: perhaps the reasons why these URMs get accepted into elite schools is not primarily based on the race and gender they mark down on their applications, but by the achievements and prestigious awards they have earned, which may have set them apart from other URM applicants with the same numerical stats as them.*</p>
<p>These URM may have had amazing research opportunities or may have won competitive scholarships to go abroad during their summers to participate in an academic excursion. Perhaps these URMs may have started extraordinary and successful programs within their schools and communities to combat poverty, gang warfare and educational defects that plague inner city schools. The applicants that get accepted into these schools are generally on the front lines of *battling the worsts of adversities in our society and *therefore, their actions should be applauded and held to the same status as the typical high average Asian or white male with high SAT scores or an intel finalist title. (I’m speaking for low income inner city URMs, not those from suburbia). And when a URM is capable of being a good test taker despite the socioeconomic and racial odds against them, that says a lot more to college admissions officers compared to the average student selected out of elite applicant pools. *</p>
<p>It’s not like there’s nothing exceptional or extraordinary behind inner city URMs, and that admissions officers will just accept someone because of their race or gender. Obviously, these schools see something in them to want to accept them and I’m quite sure they’re aware of their low drop out rates … Wouldn’t you suppose that they would want to maintain those rates? They wouldn’t be admitting students who wouldn’t be able to handle the quantity and quality of work they require of them. These URMs, no matter how “unqualified” people think they are, are the very students who, given the opportunity of a world class education, will flourish.</p>
<p>Who cares if URMs aided by affirmative action will flourish at elite universities? Those who were denied with better ‘credentials’ (in the loosest sense of the word) so that these URMs could be accepted would have flourished just as well if not more. </p>
<p>And all of your examples related to poverty could be applied to a poor applicant of any race. The defensive attitude you have taken up is understandable but inappropriate. You are simply ignoring the facts that being a minority is a rather large advantage in college admissions (based on my readings of books such as “The Gatekeepers”… I am no way completely educated on the topic but I understand the basics).</p>
<p>I don’t think that I insinuated anything towards a specific race. I’m speaking for URMs from inner-city public schools, as I clearly stated in my previous post.</p>
<p>I also don’t see how I implied that being a minority wasn’t an advantage; of course it is. The extent of that advantage is NOT “rather large,” since it does take brains to get into elite schools. The URMs that are admitted are just as exceptionally bright, promising and talented as their counterparts. You seem to be neglecting the fact that “credentials” include much more than a test score, especially with those elite schools that have holistic admissions processes. It appears that those against AA have SAT/ACT scores as their general platform against URMs. Otherwise, URMs compete with ORMs on an equal level in all other facets of the application process. So I hope that you aren’t using score differences as your argument.*</p>
<p>For the record, I support socioeconomic affirmative action and not race, as I’ve acknowledged the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the poor of any race can offer a university more diversity than (an example) a black, upper middle class student who has assimilated into a predominately majority community. Low income URMs, specifically, have many experiences and backgrounds to offer to a campus that other students might have not necessarily had in their lives. This would therefore enhance the learning experience of all students on campus, which mostly takes place outside of the classroom anyway.</p>
