The Art and Science Of College Admissions
By Julianne Malveaux
President George W. Bush says he thinks the University of Michigan's affirmative action plan is "divisive" and a "de facto quota system" because it admits students solely on the basis of race. Either President Bush is woefully misinformed or he has chosen to ignore the facts of the University of Michigan admissions policy.
According to Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan, "Race is among the factors considered" for admission to the university. The university also considers things such as geography (for instance, Michigan residents are given preference, and those from underrepresented Michigan counties also are given preference), legacy status, personal achievement, leadership and service, scholarship athlete and other factors. Indeed, in the "miscellaneous" category, through "provost's discretion," a student can earn 20 points, reserving slots for outstanding young people whose grades and scores might not admit them.
Composing a university class is an art, not a science. It's not a matter of just admitting the applicants who have 3.3 grade point averages and 1200 SAT scores. What else do they bring to the table? Should it be recognized? More than a thousand high school valedictorians are rejected from Harvard University each year. Is that a tragedy for them or an opportunity for the university? Imagine the limitations inherent in admitting a class filled only with high school valedictorians.
When I was an undergraduate, I sat on one of my university's admissions committees. I remember the rich discussions that took place about whom we should admit. Some folks were easy acceptances, others easy rejects, but there were those, like the White woman flutist from rural Massachusetts with a C+ average and the sparkling essay, who were more difficult decisions. Why had she earned C+ grades? How could her grades not measure the light that shined through her essay? Could we take a chance on her? After intense discussions, we took the chance, just like colleges take chances on "unconventional" applicants during every admissions cycle.
