"Diversity Applicant"

[Anonymous]

I have to say that I am getting sick and tired or people on this board throwing around the term "diversity applicant" as if it is some communicable disease. I get the sense from this board that the private school application in this town is very tough, but it really concerns that there are parents out there would label every non-white kid in private schools as the "diversity candidate".

[Anonymous]

Look, the reality is that non-whites ARE treated differently in the private school admissions process. They are given a preference, just like siblings and others with special connections to the school. Why does that suggest to you that they're being treated as though they had a communicable disease?!

[Anonymous]

Not all true. We are "diverse", and my dd scored 122 or so on the WPPSI, we did not get into the more competitive schools, it is tough even if you are Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, or any combination of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not all true. We are "diverse", and my dd scored 122 or so on the WPPSI, we did not get into the more competitive schools, it is tough even if you are Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, or any combination of those.

Ditto here. Our child was accepted at one (not all) of the more competitive schools to which we applied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not all true. We are "diverse", and my dd scored 122 or so on the WPPSI, we did not get into the more competitive schools, it is tough even if you are Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, or any combination of those.

Op here, that is exactly my point, these places are so competitive that even people with perceived "preferences" must be exceptional in some way to get offered a spot, so to label any one group is patently unfair and in my view harmful - can you imagine the child's classmate calling her the diveristy applicant - yes, they will be repeating what parents say to home. Also, even if the school did away with "diversity" as a factor (we all know that the sibling and alumni prefernce is here to stay), the vast majority of little white girls and boys would still not get in - there is just not enough supply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, the reality is that non-whites ARE treated differently in the private school admissions process. They are given a preference, just like siblings and others with special connections to the school. Why does that suggest to you that they're being treated as though they had a communicable disease?!

I do not agree that non-whites are treated differently in private school admissions - this implies that separate admission standards are applied. I think that "diversity" is just used as a factor to break a tied in similarly qualified candidates.

[Anonymous]

But here is the point: no one is ever tied. I don't want to get into the affirmative action thing, but attempts at diversity are only a way of saying to admissions directors that they should make a conscious effort to be inclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But here is the point: no one is ever tied.

Huh, the only objective part of the entire application process is the WPPSI (and there are people who would dispute this claim), and I am willing to bet that most of the students who apply get the same scores. Everything else is subjective and can be interpreted different by different people - in my mind that means a tie. If it is ok for the admissions director to conclude that they they will offer a place to Jack and not Jill (they both had the same scores, got got recommendation and did well on the playdate) because Jack's sister is in 3rd grade, then it is ok to offer the spot to Jack is native american and there are no other native americans in the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But here is the point: no one is ever tied. I don't want to get into the affirmative action thing, but attempts at diversity are only a way of saying to admissions directors that they should make a conscious effort to be inclusive.

and that is a worthy endeavor -not all schools do it, but I applaud the one who do.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but there are white plain vanilla kids at these competitive schools with scores lower than minority applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but there are white plain vanilla kids at these competitive schools with scores lower than minority applicants.

Huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but there are white plain vanilla kids at these competitive schools with scores lower than minority applicants.

Don't forget that most of the independent schools are filled with mainly (70%+) white plain vanilla kids.

[Anonymous]

A lot of people don't realize that a minority parent looking for a good school for a bright child does not go about it in the same way that a White family might. White families that live in NW that have kids that score high on the WPPSI and have the means think nothing of sending Sidwell an application. For some minority families with the high scoring kids, and financial means, it's "do I want to put my ds/dd there?" So the pool of minority applicants will be lower and the schools have less to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Don't white families also ask themselves, "do I want my dd/ds to go there?" when deciding where to apply?

[Anonymous]

I can't help but sense that some feel that the minority applicant has some sort of advantage. If it bothers you, then have kids that will be minorities, either through adoption or marriage!