The Secret Quotas In College Admissions

Summary of an article from Forbes Magazine Online by Steve Cohen
Think you know what it takes to get accepted into Ivy or other elite colleges, you don’t know the half of it. That is because the metrics that are available for everyone to see don’t measure many of the things that go into the decision about whether to accept or reject any given applicant. This Forbes article sites a lawsuit against Harvard University brought by Asian-American groups alleging that Harvard discriminates against Asian Americans in their admissions practices. These groups point to superior test scores as a basis of the lawsuit but they are pointing at the wrong target.
In case you haven’t heard, diversity is the buzzword on just about every college campus. Those who have achieved a good mix of ethnic, demographic and socioeconomic students pat themselves on the back and are praised by the government and their peers. Those who have not constantly strive to achieve such a balance. Colleges have cultures that are intentionally nurtured and maintained. That culture is impacted annually by the makeup of the freshman class. Admissions committees are the shoppers and they have a grocery list that is given to them by many factions that make up the University. If the college needs to make guacamole and you happen to be a ripe Avocado, then your scores won’t keep them from scooping you up by responding to your application with an acceptance letter.