Reply to Asian American student with 1590 SAT score blames affirmative action for rejections from 6 colleges

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Here's the solution.

Set a filter with X GPA and Y SAT scores.  Throw all people who make it into the pool and use a random computer algorithm to pick people.

Totally the fairest way to choose. All of the extraneous stuff is nonsense.  Schools should decide where they want to set the bar for quality, then have a completely race agnostic system for selection.  Drawing straws is fair after the cutoff is met.[/quote]

Except, there are so many problems with this supposed fair solution and how the algorithm will work:

1.  Who is a better engineering candidate...a kid with a 1400 SAT that is 800 Math / 600 Verbal, or a kid with a 1500 SAT that is 700 Math / 800 verbal?  Flip that example around for someone applying as an English Major?
2.  Who is a better college applicant...the kid that was one of the 10 Regeneron finalists with a 1550 SAT...or a kid that did nothing but has a 1590 SAT?
3.  If you are applying to Yale for drama...how does any of this apply?
4.  Again, who is the better candidate...the kid that had to work 30 hours per week during the school year to help support his family and got a 1500 SAT with no test prep help, or the rich kid that received 50 hours of paid test prep and scored a 1550?

The list could go on and on...how will the algorithm figure this out?
[/quote]

You have to draw the line in the sand somewhere.

There are too many people with perfect qualifications, as this thread goes on and on about, so most of your points are moot.

Set the limit for quality than randomly choose. End of story. No more fluff garbage like saving infants in 3rd world countries, no more sob stories of growing up without running water, no more BS my dad is an alumni and contributes a lot of money, no more ID crap.

Random selection. Donezo.[/quote]

OK...so basically there is no algorithm.  I mean, even people that may generally agree with your overall argument, will likely fall away as they peel back in the onion on your idea.

You do realize of course is if this all you do for college, then you will now have likely 10x - 20x the number of kids with a perfect GPA and perfect or near-perfect SAT scores.  BTW...the rich kids will easily figure out a way to buy these scores.

And again, how will Yale drama or the equivalent pick their applicants?

[/quote]

Who would want their kid at a school where students were picked solely on SAT/GPA/# of APs taken?  where everyone got 1580+ and perfect GPA and took 12+ APs?  
There is more to life than just doing well on tests.  Harvard (and the likes) want top students, leaders, intellectually curious students who want to go out and change the world.  Majority of the kids I've known who gained admissions to T20 schools have something "extra" beyond just the 1500+/4.0---they are leaders, highly motivated, intellectually curious, etc.  Yes, some get there because of wealth/privilege that helped them curate a resume for college, but majority would have done 75% of what they did even without being told to, it's just their natural being.

A kid who will be best fit for Harvard is very different than one for CMU and same for Yale and Columbia, etc.   Each school is very different and if you visit and talk to students you can easily see that.  That comes from the admission process.

And yes, the music, art, drama, etc departments are filled with students in a very different manner than the CS dept.  But even there, the CS dept will be a better group of students if you have kids who have other interests than just CS and exit their rooms/labs more than 1 hour a day---you want kids who also want a philosophy minor or who play in the orchestra or nurture their artistic side along with the STEM side.

If you want schools that select solely on gpa/test scores, there are plenty in Europe to meet your needs.

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