Why diversity?

[WorrieMom]

<p>Can someone please explain why diversity is much emphasized in top universities? I don’t mean to offend anyone, this question just arose randomly.</p>

[molliebatmit]

<p>Here is the explanation the admissions office gives [here](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/recommended_high_school_preparation/index.shtml]here[/url]:”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/recommended_high_school_preparation/index.shtml):</a>

When we admit a class of students to MIT, it’s as if we’re choosing a 1,000-person team to climb a very interesting, fairly rugged mountain - together. We obviously want people who have the training, stamina and passion for the climb. At the same time, we want each to add something useful or intriguing to the team, from a wonderful temperament or sense of humor, to compelling personal experiences, to a wide range of individual gifts, talents, interests and achievements. We are emphatically not looking for a batch of identical perfect climbers; we are looking for a richly varied team of capable people who will support, surprise and inspire each other.

</p>

[boston_man_2009]

<p>It can be extremely intimidating to go to a school were everyone is the same but you. Now I am going to be real, as a black male, it is extremely intimating to go to a school with a lot of whites enrolled. Thats why MIT stress out diversity, so everyone feels comfortable.</p>

[Nato]

<p>Diversity is emphasized because the truth of the matter is that each race and background that exists are all equally smart and such So, stastically speaking, if one were to get the best X kids in an applicant pool, the diversity should reflect the general diversity of the country. And it does at MIT; the percentages of hispanics, blacks, etc are about the same at MIT that it is in the country. Given a large sample size, this makes sense</p>

[cellardweller]

<p>As Mollie quoted MIT’s position on diversity goes beyond racial diversity. It includes gender, economic, geographic, cultural and talent diversity. It is fundamentally a meritocracy and everybody at MIT is there because of their own achievements. MIT trains more than engineers, but also research scientists, economists, physicians, entrepreneurs, bankers, astronauts, lawyers, teachers all sharing a passion for science and technology. This diversity enriches not only the experience of the students but also helps attract the best faculty. It also allows MIT to better serve its mission as a global center of innovation. MIT’s brand name is highly valued throughout the US and around the world in large part because of this diversity. There is no “East Coast” bias attached to MIT as there may with some of the Ivy League schools for instance. Virtually all science and technology advisors in the government under both republican and democratic administrations came from MIT. A graduate from MIT will do just as well in Texas, California, Korea, France or India as he will do in Boston or New York. Every State and country has had some its best technical talent trained at MIT. This would not have happened without MIT’s emphasis on diversity.</p>

[Olo]

<p>You know that awkward feeling you get when you’re in a room with a bunch of girls and all the girls look at each other and you just realize that they just realized that you’ve slept with everyone in that room? By increasing diversity, MIT hopes to minimize the chance of this ever happening to you more than twice.</p>

[molliebatmit]

<p>^Where “you” does not mean “Olo”, because it is difficult to imagine a large enough-sized pool of female students for this to occur in his case. :-P</p>

[Mgccl]

<p>same as gene pool… gene pool with enough diversity can not be wiped out by some unfavorable environmental change…
so a environmental change in the sociality can’t destroy everyone’s future success</p>

[Olo]

<p>

@molliebatmit

^Where “you” does not mean “Olo”, because it is difficult to imagine a large enough-sized pool of female students for this to occur in his case.

I have no clue what you are implying. >_> I am pure as the driven snow.</p>

[kwu]

<p>

Now I am going to be real, as a black male, it is extremely intimating to go to a school with a lot of whites enrolled.

</p>

<p>I was going to ruthlessly attack you, but then I realized that you do have a point.
I found myself not applying to certain schools because their minority populations were laughably minuscule.
And, having experienced mockery at the hands of WASPs myself, I’m well aware of how intensely irritating it can be when you’re living life in a hostile environment.</p>

<p>However, these days, whenever I think of “diversity,” I can only think of “affirmative action” and the death of meritocracy. And that lights a fuse in my mind, I suppose.</p>

[boston_man_2009]

<p>I also would like to point out there are different types of diversity. For an example, say if MIT didn’t hasn’t had a student form North Dakota in 10 years. They see a candidate and they have their stats and EC sub-par, so they accept that person. Thats a way of bring diversity. </p>

<p>Now back to my previously pointed, if I was going to go to a school were their was a lot of people that were not used to too many people that were different from them (race, gender, sexual identity etc) it would be extremely intimidating because you don’t know what can happen in that type of enviorment in any minute.</p>

[River_Phoenix]

<p>

the truth of the matter is that each race and background that exists are all equally smart and such

</p>

<p>truth needs fact</p>