If you're white, good luck getting into Pomona

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now you know how Asian kids feel...

+1 Some of you white people are completely tone deaf. You want "holistic" approach when it applies to white vs asian, but only want test scores and gpa as factors when it comes to white vs latino/black.

It's called "chameleon syndrome."

[Anonymous]

OP, did you know that in the younger generation, whites are about 30%, maybe even less. So, actually, those numbers reflect the CA demographic. CA does not represent the whole of the US. Please educate yourself:

http://www.kidsdata.org/export/pdf?cat=7

[Anonymous]

So, if you admit that the admitted students are highly qualified, why are you assuming that students of color (particularly in California) displaced "qualified" white students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, if you admit that the admitted students are highly qualified, why are you assuming that students of color (particularly in California) displaced "qualified" white students?

I'm sure the URMs and such are qualified. I just worry that there are equally or more capable white and Asian applicants who are denied at a greater rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you find this "harrowing?" It's a private college, they can admit whoever they like. Maybe the white students weren't up to snuff.

lol yeah right, tell yourself that to justify this sort of thing!!

There is some truth to this. I interview applicants for entry-level jobs that require a bachelor's degree. I'm in Montgomery County. From the pool of applicants I see, women and people of color almost always have MUCH more impressive skill sets and life experiences on their resumes than white men do. (Remember, I'm talking very young recent college grads.) Typically, the recently-graduated white male candidate has a decent GPA in college and has done a semester or a summer internship in some important person's office. That's great. But minority candidates and women bring things like that same GPA, same major, AND being multi-lingual (not just bi-lingual); have created, run, and maintained non-profits; were in the Peace Corps; have much better IT skills than just the generic Microsoft suite; and so on.

It would not surprise me at all if the high schoolers applying for these colleges had similarly-unbalanced applications. I say this as a 50 year old white woman. I've watched the demographics change over the past 30 years, when men used to have the better credentials, to women coming up as equals, and then surpassing them educationally. I'm now exposed to a much larger pool of minority applicants, and see how much more qualified they are.

I'm not saying that's happening at Pomona. I'm saying those of us who are raising white children need to realize the education and employment landscapes are changing. And we can't rest on what our parents did, or what we did.

+1 - I'm cosigning on this as an African-American tiger mom who pushes her kids to over excel because of past injustice and misconceptions.

All the Pomona stats prove is that there are many well-qualified minority students that can land at a school like Pomona.

Really interesting discussion. As the mom of a white 4 year old boy, I can definitely see that he won't be able to rest on his privilege the way his dad did. But honestly it doesn't bother me! I'm excited that he's growing up in a different world than I did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, if you admit that the admitted students are highly qualified, why are you assuming that students of color (particularly in California) displaced "qualified" white students?

I'm sure the URMs and such are qualified. I just worry that there are equally or more capable white and Asian applicants who are denied at a greater rate.

Poor white people. Gosh, it really stings when subjective characteristics are used to give someone an advantage, doesn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ahhhh, the smell and sounds of springtime. Robins, cherry blossoms and parents & students complaining about why their student did not get into the school of their choice.

So true. Op, sorry that your kid couldn't cut it. Why don't you try for liberty or bob jones? I hear those places are most white and have lower admin standards than Pomona.

[Anonymous]

Pomona isn't a state school, and it attracts candidates from all over the nation and world, so I'm not sure why so many respondents are using California demographics to contextualize the admission results.

Moreover, the stats do suggest that the admissions board was actively selecting against white candidates, or actively giving a great deal of preference to non-white candidates.

To suggest that this is merely a sign that white students are finally learning what it's like to live without "privilege" is to suggest that the opposite of enjoying privilege is to be the subject of discrimination. If that's the case, then I'm guessing a lot of people who were decrying privilege in favor of an equal playing field will soon be motivated to rethink their stance and guard what privilege remains to them all the more zealously.

Either way, none of the responses in this thread strike me as reflective of particularly intelligent or constructive approaches to creating a fair society for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, if you admit that the admitted students are highly qualified, why are you assuming that students of color (particularly in California) displaced "qualified" white students?

I'm sure the URMs and such are qualified. I just worry that there are equally or more capable white and Asian applicants who are denied at a greater rate.

Why would you assume that? What, exactly, makes you think that there are equally or more capable white students in the applicant pool. I take it from the fact you are posting here that your white child didn't get into Pomona. Were THEY valedictorian?

[Anonymous]

Why is this surprising at all? My white NoVA public school DCs fall within about a 25% minority (or less) in many of the clubs and activities in which they participate such as Math Honor Society,CTY Summer Programs, Model UN, Intel Science Fair, National Chess Club, Governor's school and most other academically oriented programs in which they have participated over the years. Maybe these aren't the coolest clubs - like lacrosse or whatever else parents go all out to get their kids involved in - but any parent surprised by OPs statistic cannot possibly be from around here and in any sort of serious academic contention for a spot at top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pomona isn't a state school, and it attracts candidates from all over the nation and world, so I'm not sure why so many respondents are using California demographics to contextualize the admission results.

Moreover, the stats do suggest that the admissions board was actively selecting against white candidates, or actively giving a great deal of preference to non-white candidates.

To suggest that this is merely a sign that white students are finally learning what it's like to live without "privilege" is to suggest that the opposite of enjoying privilege is to be the subject of discrimination. If that's the case, then I'm guessing a lot of people who were decrying privilege in favor of an equal playing field will soon be motivated to rethink their stance and guard what privilege remains to them all the more zealously.

Either way, none of the responses in this thread strike me as reflective of particularly intelligent or constructive approaches to creating a fair society for all.

Well OK, so I guess you agree that any disparity in college admissions, employment, housing, arrest rates, etc, indicates discrimination? We can work with that.

But, I don't think the stats at all suggest that the admissions board was "actively selecting against white candidates". We already know from Fischer v Texas that it is constitutionally permissible to seek diversity in college admissions. They're selecting for diversity, not animus against white people. I'm white, my kid will probably "lose" by this policy. But I don't care because I think it makes his world a better place. Get with the times. Also, I agree with PPs who point out that the applicant pool is growing increasingly talented. You can no longer assume (as you seem to do) that the white kids always have "better stats" than the other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you find this "harrowing?" It's a private college, they can admit whoever they like. Maybe the white students weren't up to snuff.

lol yeah right, tell yourself that to justify this sort of thing!!

There is some truth to this. I interview applicants for entry-level jobs that require a bachelor's degree. I'm in Montgomery County. From the pool of applicants I see, women and people of color almost always have MUCH more impressive skill sets and life experiences on their resumes than white men do. (Remember, I'm talking very young recent college grads.) Typically, the recently-graduated white male candidate has a decent GPA in college and has done a semester or a summer internship in some important person's office. That's great. But minority candidates and women bring things like that same GPA, same major, AND being multi-lingual (not just bi-lingual); have created, run, and maintained non-profits; were in the Peace Corps; have much better IT skills than just the generic Microsoft suite; and so on.

It would not surprise me at all if the high schoolers applying for these colleges had similarly-unbalanced applications. I say this as a 50 year old white woman. I've watched the demographics change over the past 30 years, when men used to have the better credentials, to women coming up as equals, and then surpassing them educationally. I'm now exposed to a much larger pool of minority applicants, and see how much more qualified they are.

I'm not saying that's happening at Pomona. I'm saying those of us who are raising white children need to realize the education and employment landscapes are changing. And we can't rest on what our parents did, or what we did.

+1 - I'm cosigning on this as an African-American tiger mom who pushes her kids to over excel because of past injustice and misconceptions.

All the Pomona stats prove is that there are many well-qualified minority students that can land at a school like Pomona.

Instead of living in the past, look at the future. My white son has had far more injustices and loses than yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you find this "harrowing?" It's a private college, they can admit whoever they like. Maybe the white students weren't up to snuff.

lol yeah right, tell yourself that to justify this sort of thing!!

There is some truth to this. I interview applicants for entry-level jobs that require a bachelor's degree. I'm in Montgomery County. From the pool of applicants I see, women and people of color almost always have MUCH more impressive skill sets and life experiences on their resumes than white men do. (Remember, I'm talking very young recent college grads.) Typically, the recently-graduated white male candidate has a decent GPA in college and has done a semester or a summer internship in some important person's office. That's great. But minority candidates and women bring things like that same GPA, same major, AND being multi-lingual (not just bi-lingual); have created, run, and maintained non-profits; were in the Peace Corps; have much better IT skills than just the generic Microsoft suite; and so on.

It would not surprise me at all if the high schoolers applying for these colleges had similarly-unbalanced applications. I say this as a 50 year old white woman. I've watched the demographics change over the past 30 years, when men used to have the better credentials, to women coming up as equals, and then surpassing them educationally. I'm now exposed to a much larger pool of minority applicants, and see how much more qualified they are.

I'm not saying that's happening at Pomona. I'm saying those of us who are raising white children need to realize the education and employment landscapes are changing. And we can't rest on what our parents did, or what we did.

+1 - I'm cosigning on this as an African-American tiger mom who pushes her kids to over excel because of past injustice and misconceptions.

All the Pomona stats prove is that there are many well-qualified minority students that can land at a school like Pomona.

Instead of living in the past, look at the future. My white son has had far more injustices and loses than yours.

We are looking at the future and excelling, despite the past.

[Anonymous]

The top ten kids at DS classgraduated last year3 Asian. 2 Persian. 1 Indian. 2 AA. 1 Caucasian (from Europe ) 1 Caucasian (American born)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, did you know that in the younger generation, whites are about 30%, maybe even less. So, actually, those numbers reflect the CA demographic. CA does not represent the whole of the US. Please educate yourself:

http://www.kidsdata.org/export/pdf?cat=7

Yes! I was going to say the same thing. California schools are very diverse! sorry if this bothers you. Don't go there.

-CA resident.