Reply to Race in college admissions is back in front of the Supreme Court Oral Argument on Oct. 31 (Monday)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think that the focus on race is outdated, if anything it should be that kids who come from less means; rural poverty, inner city low income situations get a bump in admissions if they have stats that would otherwise put them in the bottom 25 percent of typical admits. That is what will bring real diversity to campuses. A poor white kid from appalachia who worked their butt off in school brings more diversity of life experience than a black kid who went to GDS, vacations on Martha's Vineyard and is full pay. 
Racial diversity was very much needed 20 years ago on college campuses but now they need to focus on economic diversity. The colleges will continue to admit a variety of racial groups because there are thousands "URM" who will still get in without their race being considered. They have the merits.[/quote]

I’m genuinely curious. What exactly do you think has changed in the last 20 years such that things have shifted from focusing on race as being “very much needed” to focusing on “economic means” instead of race?  And, if you’re comfortable answering this, how old are you?  I’d like to know how you’re evaluating these issues, and I’m wondering if your age relative to mine (Black female, 63) might give you perspectives that I don’t have myself.

As to your example, I might agree with you. I do wonder, though, why you’re comparing the poor white kid from Appalachia with the Black kid from GDS — when neither of these is well-represented in elite colleges. The numbers of Black students with elite prep educations and the money to summer in Oak Bluffs is tiny — relative to Black Americans, Americans, or almost any group you might want to choose. It strikes me as odd and problematic to pit those two students against each other when the greater student body — including legacies — likely looks like neither. It’s like they’re fighting over the small percentage of diversity slots — rather than looking at who might add significant perspectives that might be underrepresented in the larger student body. [/quote]

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