<p>Um guys, I don’t think the low diversity rates among African-Americans at certain schools is an AA issue. Certain schools will receive more applications from high achieving minority students because those are the schools that they are told to shoot for. From my own experience, most of the people that I knew told me to shoot for ivy league and similar schools, and I assume from the Admitted Stats Post that most of the other high achieving minority students on CC followed these urgings when they were choosing schools to apply to. Aside from a school’s academics and overall bumper sticker recognition, minority students, like all students, look for a lot of things in a school like:</p>
<p>-Extracurriculars
-Job Opportunities
-Financial Aid (which most public universities like the UCs and some LACs give very little of)
-A School’s Graduation and Retention Rate
-And finally, Diversity.<br>
Diversity is a huge deal because it means that there will be some type of support group on campus that, if you want it, will help you adjust. Most of these Black Student Unions help to nurture new students and provide them with the help during the shock that college is for ALL students, while helping with issues that pertain specifically to the African-American population on campus. Diversity does not tell us how generous they are with AA, but how likely we are to feel that comfort that only comes from seeing someone of your own race. While you may not be the best of friends, their presence makes you feel like you are not alone. While Whites and some Asians (Chinese, Japanese) may not feel like this is important, but to most minorities, who of course will live their lives as the minority in almost every situation, having this glimpse of someone that we can relate to is important. Diversity also suggests that the school is open to differing viewpoints, which helps everyone learn better. Since everyone loves to research AA so much, why don’t some of the bigger talkers on this board research what the OP was actually talking about: what can happen when people are emboldened by the lack of diversity at a school and allow their own racism to be put on display. It is incidents like this, not the lack of AA that makes the UCs and other schools with similar incidents so unattractive.</p>
<p>On a personal note, The UCs are overrated to me… 62,000+ applications for what? Let’s be honest, if the UCs didn’t have the California weather, they would not get that many apps. Especially when you could get the same quality education in the east or at some midwestern schools. Just sayin’. :)</p>