College Admissions Vs. Affirmative Action - 1536 Words

College Admissions Race â€Å"Congratulations! You have been granted admissions to one of the most prestigious universities in the world and have been chosen from among hundreds of thousands of applicants to attend our university.† These are the sentences that every high school senior dreams of seeing, however, it has become a more difficult task as the college admissions process has become increasingly competitive. Complicating the admissions situation is the fact that most elite universities give extra weight to underrepresented minorities in the admission process, creating a so called â€Å"uneven playing field† (Introduction to College). Middle and upper-class non-minority students and parents have protested the use of affirmative action in†¦show more content†¦All four times, the Supreme Court upheld affirmative action policies (Snyder and Lai). Because there are a greater number of applicants competing for a very limited number of admissions slots, worried parents and students a re trying to find any loopholes in the selection process and many are now turning their attention to the debate on whether affirmative action should be kept or banned. Racial preferences in university admissions compensates for our history of institutionalized discrimination and extends educational opportunities to those who conventionally could not access them. From Jim Crow laws to Brown V. Board of Education, the United States has had a history of disenfranchising minorities (Jenco). Historical discrimination, especially against people of color, has created social imbalances and inequalities. The consequences of that history are clearly seen with the presence of achievement and wealth gaps. Between whites and blacks the wealth gap is a whopping 10:1 and between whites and Latinos, the gap is more than 8:1. (Wise). African American students were the lowest-scoring racial subgroup on standardized tests and on average only about 29.6% of black students met or exceeded state standards in math at Waubonsie (Jenco). Gaps in education and wealth are due to many factors including parents unable to help their kids with schoolwork, low expectations, and l ack of role models (Jenco). Educators have been hesitant to enact reform toShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action And Its Effects On College Demographics Essay1389 Words   |  6 PagesDue to strong racial tensions, colleges believe admitting individuals in accordance to race is a positive liberal act, however affirmative action is evolving into quite a social strain. Colleges that endorse affirmative action are alleviating racial pressures based on college demographics but creating repercussions that are impacting all races and ages. If we continue burying the issues with affirmative action, we will not only be lessening the meaning of education but creating isolation betweenRead MoreDebate, Suspicion and Controversy Created by College Admission Policies1275 Words   |  6 PagesThe Silence is Over College admission policies have caused tremendous controversy, debate and suspicion in the eyes of Americans today. Causing students to stress out even more and call into question the merit and validity of such policies. Because students feel certain admission policies are preventing their chances of admissions. The most controversial admission policy is affirmative action. Since whites and other non-minorities feel that this admission policy doesn’t benefit them, so they attackRead MoreIs Affirmative Action in Higher Education Outdated?783 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Is Affirmative Action in Higher Education Outdated? Affirmative action policies have been in place since 1957 (Rubio 144). 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Affirmative action is controversial due its issue of whether the generation of today should pay for the past injustices done to certain ethnicities. It questions the constitutionality of its existence and whether it perpetuates racial discrimination. Although affirmative action greatly promotes diversity and exposes diverse perspectivesRead MoreThe Issue Of Affirmative Action Essay1667 Words   |  7 Pagesthe content of their character† for this reason affirmative action in higher education admission should be altered for it creates a perpetually racial preference in admission. Affirmative action is controversial due it s issue of whether the generation of today should pay for the past injustices done to certain ethnicities. It questions the constitutionality of its existence and whether it perpetuates racial discrimination. Although affirmative action is a great start in promoting diversity and exposingRead MoreAffirmative Action and Higher Education Admissions Essay1664 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Known as one of the biggest obstacles in higher education to date would arguably be the use of affirmative action within the higher education admission process for both private and public institutions (Kaplin Lee, 2014; Wang Shulruf, 2012). The focus of current research is an attempt to either justify or deny the use of affirmative action within current practices through various higher education institutions, and though any one person could potentially be swayed to side withRead MoreEssay on Pro-Affirmative Action1059 Words   |  5 PagesPRO-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION What is it? Well affirmative action is, in plain text, the consideration of your class, race, gender, color, ethnicity, national origin, and disability when deciding who gets a certain job or admission into a school. If you are amenity applying for a job and there are other people that are applying as well then you will be considered for the job over one of the other people, even if they have more experience. It is not only for jobs, it is also used in any situation