Why Do Many Applications Ask About Race and Ethnicity?

[flyingpig]

Why is it that on many applications there is a section that asks whether you are a native american or some type of minority? Are they able to get into the university without working hard like many average Asians and Caucasians?

If so why do they get this privilege?

 

[mgb_phys]

Generally there are NOT different standards
But the institute is required to keep statistics of the number of applicants from each group and the number of admissions - especially if they get state funding.

A black taxpayer might be a little annoyed at a state funded uni that hasn't admitted any black students in the last 10 years - but the institute might want to show there were no black applicants

 

[flyingpig]

Generally there are NOT different standards
But the institute is required to keep statistics of the number of applicants from each group and the number of admissions - especially if they get state funding.

A black taxpayer might be a little annoyed at a state funded uni that hasn't admitted any black students in the last 10 years - but the institute might want to show there were no black applicants

Oh okay, so it is just for statistics. Because I thought it was weird that a friend of a friend of mine who is black go into Harvard with only three AP courses/exams.

I was a bit in awe when I saw the stats on Berkeley, like less than a percent are native americans.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Meh, I say give it a couple more years and Caucasians will be the minority

 

[DukeofDuke]

Why is it that on many applications there is a section that asks whether you are a native american or some type of minority? Are they able to get into the university without working hard like many average Asians and Caucasians?

If so why do they get this privilege?

Um...its called affirmative action...are you sure you're not a troll?

Oh okay, so it is just for statistics. Because I thought it was weird that a friend of a friend of mine who is black go into Harvard with only three AP courses/exams.

I was a bit in awe when I saw the stats on Berkeley, like less than a percent are native americans.

Well less than a percent of all americans are native american...

 

[DukeofDuke]

Generally there are NOT different standards
But the institute is required to keep statistics of the number of applicants from each group and the number of admissions - especially if they get state funding.

A black taxpayer might be a little annoyed at a state funded uni that hasn't admitted any black students in the last 10 years - but the institute might want to show there were no black applicants

Really? I'm pretty sure affirmative action is an established policy. If we are taking about undergraduate education at least, I am pretty sure most state schools have had black students every year...for a while now.

 

[mgb_phys]

Really? I'm pretty sure affirmative action is an established policy. If we are taking about undergraduate education at least, I am pretty sure most state schools have had black students every year...for a while now.

Who said the OP was in America?
Even in America (racial) affirmative action is not now officially allowed in most states.
Anyway - the reason for gathering the stats is standard public sector admin CYA.

Only time I had to do this was a government contact - we were based in an area with an interesting history (=they were still busy fighting 16th century religious wars). We had to submit a racial/religious profile to show we were balanced - the team consisted of an American a Russian a Brit and an Isreali - they returned the form asking us to fill it in 'properly'

 

[DukeofDuke]

Who said the OP was in America?
Even in America (racial) affirmative action is not now officially allowed in most states.
Anyway - the reason for gathering the stats is standard public sector admin CYA.

Only time I had to do this was a government contact - we were based in an area with an interesting history (=they were still busy fighting 16th century religious wars). We had to submit a racial/religious profile to show we were balanced - the team consisted of an American a Russian a Brit and an Isreali - they returned the form asking us to fill it in 'properly'

Huh, to the best of my knowledge strict quotas are not allowed in most places but affirmative action definitely is. If you could cite a source...I can't seem to find a list of states where affirmative action is banned. To my knowledge its still a major political issue that the conservatives complain about quite a bit...

How do I know OP is American? He talks about Harvard, black guys getting affirmative action, and asian and white guys as the standard candle university student. To the best of my knowledge, there are a lot more Asian university kids in the Americas than there are in Britain, Australia, or Europe. Same with black university kids. The minority issue is a bigger deal in a mixed society...