In favour of affirmative action for university admissions.
Intelligence is not limited to race, sex or class. It crops up in every social group. And yet, statistically, the higher the intelligence, the rarer it is. No nation can afford to squander its most talented assets.
However, having worked in the sector, I've seen that there is a higher dropout rate for those who get admitted without first passing the basics qualifications - much more common for those who are the first in their family to get tertiary education - which is code for an under or non-privileged social and familial background.
This drop out rate doesn't mean we should abandon affirmative action. Rather, it means there is a need for bridging courses of 6 months to a year to train such students in the skills they need in order to be successful at uni. These skills include: formal vocabulary, grammar using active voice and direct style; critical, analytical, comparative and synthetic (creative or combining) thinking; how to research; how to compose an essay (including students of maths and the sciences); how to interpret a rubric; how to plan and organise their life around the coursework starting from the week before the first classes; and how to handle the (always) antiquated internal university website.
Of course, all this means added expenses for the universities and their benefactors, but the benefit to the nation is the opportunity to get the largest numbers of the most intelligent students. Their opportunities to earn well-paid careers end up as blessings for us all.
This post was edited by inky at June 30, 2023 3:05 PM MDT
I don't know where I stand on the issue. So few of the people I know have attended college and I'm not sure whether affirmative action had anything to do with that. In most cases, I'd attribute it to an individual's choices and lack of money.
I don't think college admission should be based on race alone. The student should be able to pass all of the required courses and tests that any other student would have to pass to be eligible. Putting unqualified kids in college guarantees their failure and wastes a seat for someone who is more qualified.
Perhaps you didn't see the word "alone" after "I don't think college admission should be based on race ..." Race could be considered a factor in achieving student diversity, if all other criteria are met equally.
I was talking about your other argument re setting up kids for failure. You want to discuss everything except what this case actually says and does. I suggested you read the case twice now and am finished here.
This post was edited by Thriftymaid at July 1, 2023 10:02 AM MDT
The one who participated in most extra curricular activities. If that is the same then the one who did all that with a job. If they all had a job then who submitted their application first.
Race should not apply. Schools should not be "committed to diversity," they should be committed to admitting the best students and to giving them the best education possible.
Cornell University president Martha Pollack made a statement against the ruling, but she also said that the university will continue to strive for diversity in the admission process.
Given that Cornell has approximately 22,000 students and seven undergraduate colleges plus the graduate school of veterinary medicine, I have no doubt they will.
It may be more of an issue for smaller, less academically diversified institutions.
Thriftymaid 