Diversity concern at liberal arts schools

[Anonymous]

DD would like to look at liberal arts schools but I am concerned about the lack of diversity. Majority of these schools are 70-75% white with as low as 1-5% asians. Any input from asian parents who have kids at liberal arts schools with relatively less asian population please share your and your childs experience. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD would like to look at liberal arts schools but I am concerned about the lack of diversity. Majority of these schools are 70-75% white with as low as 1-5% asians. Any input from asian parents who have kids at liberal arts schools with relatively less asian population please share your and your childs experience. Thanks

It's a legitimate concern for sure. But please note these schools are where racial balance in admissions will help an Asian applicant.

[Anonymous]

Apply to Ivys. They offer liberal arts education and have 20% - 25% Asians.

[Anonymous]

I hear you. We are a bit spoiled in this area, because there is strong diversity. My child is more in the minority at her SLAC than she was in Montgomery County... but that is actually more realistic, in terms of the whole US demographically. No one treats her badly, and since she takes Chinese, she continues to be exposed to Asian culture (which is respected and celebrated on her campus)

[Anonymous]

Part of the problem is that Tiger Moms view their kids applying to LACs as bottom fishing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of the problem is that Tiger Moms view their kids applying to LACs as bottom fishing.

I am uncertain if this is true. I am certain it is unhelpful.

[Anonymous]

Some are better than others in terms of diversity.

Williams - 51% white; 12% Latino; 12% Asian, 5% Black (ouch)

Swarthmore - 40% white; 12% Latino; 16% Asian and 7% Black

Pomona - 35% white; 16% Latino; 15% Asian and 10% Black

Generaly the higher ranked and better endowed schools have more diversity

[Anonymous]

It will widen her social group and prevent her from making mostly Asian friends at college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some are better than others in terms of diversity.

Williams - 51% white; 12% Latino; 12% Asian, 5% Black (ouch)

Swarthmore - 40% white; 12% Latino; 16% Asian and 7% Black

Pomona - 35% white; 16% Latino; 15% Asian and 10% Black

Generaly the higher ranked and better endowed schools have more diversity

We had this concern when looking at midwestern SLACS.
Looking at Midwestern LACs in general there's less racial diversity than these top schools listed above, but there's also quite a bit of variation with "rank" not seeming to correlate with diversity any more. Here's the schools we looked at. Interestingly, though we didn't pull these stats while visiting, DC's comfort/interest/sense of fit seemed to align with them fairly well--roughly if a school had 65% or > white students it often seemed like less of a good fit.

Kenyon: 72% white, 7% Latino, 3% Black, 3% Asian
Oberlin: 66% white, 7% Latino, 5% Black, and 4% Asian
Wooster 68% white, 8% black, 5% Latino, 5% Asian
Denison: 65% white, 9.5% Latino, 6.5% Black, 4% Asian
Kalamazoo: 56% white, 13% Latino,8% Asian, 8% Black
Carleton: 62% white, 8% Latino, 7.5% Asian, 4.7% Black
St. Olaf: 73% white, 8% black, 6 % Asian, 5% Latino
Macalester: 64% white, 6% Asian, 6% Latino, 3% Black

[Anonymous]

Diversity is just a marketing gimmick in many SLACs. Students often still self-segregate on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Diversity is just a marketing gimmick in many SLACs. Students often still self-segregate on campus.

Diversity can just as well mean the ability to find people with similar cultural backgrounds at a school. It doesn't necessarily mean everything is one happy melting pot - even though most of us wish it all were.

[Anonymous]

My friend’s son wanted to attend a university, public or private, with fewer than 50% white students. His was not a long list.

[Anonymous]

My child graduated from Swarthmore. It seemed pretty diverse to me especially compared to their high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some are better than others in terms of diversity.

Williams - 51% white; 12% Latino; 12% Asian, 5% Black (ouch)

Swarthmore - 40% white; 12% Latino; 16% Asian and 7% Black

Pomona - 35% white; 16% Latino; 15% Asian and 10% Black

Generaly the higher ranked and better endowed schools have more diversity

My DD does not have the stats to get into the above somewhat more diverse SLACs. The ones she can get into are around 75% white

[Anonymous]

This is a SLAC issue?

OSU 69% white
Mich 61%
IU 70%
PSU 67%
Wisc. 75%