Yes, Asian Americans value education highly, more so than other racial groups. However, the United States is a melting pot society. I believe that my parents placed too much pressure on me to succeed in school. I do not wish to raise my children in the same way... but I MUST because an Asian college applicant is judged on how he performs with respect to other Asians and not other people.

Insulating groups from competition never yields good results. Insulating Asians (who currently place significantly more pressure on their children with respect to schools) from competition from others racial/ethnic groups (and vice versa) through affirmative action will only serve to perpetuate stereotypes by CAUSING Asians to be "overly competitive." If you were a high school student of Asian decent wanting to go to a top 20 school, wouldn't you spend all your time on maintaining a 4.00 GPA and trying to get a perfect SAT score after seeing the data points year after year demonstrating discrimination against Asians?

Also, need I remind you of discrimination against Asians in the workplace?

Yes, Asians have average incomes that are higher than that of whites. But this is because Asians are much more likely to be 1099ed as opposed to W2ed (more risk more average profit) and because Asians work more hours than whites. Do you really think Asians are well represented in the corporate world? Obviously not. Do you really think that Asians want to graduate college and work for their parents in their nail salons, Chinese restaurants, or dry cleaners? Obviously not. Do you really think discrimination against Asians in academia doesn't translate to the professional realm? Obviously not.

Being able to say "I went to a good university" is the one of the only things an Asian-American can say that will help them break into the high paying world (of medicine, engineering, corporations, or wherever). We do not have friends and family with big-time connections. We also look different and are subject to our own stereotypes. For instance, Asians in entertainment (movies) today play the same role as little people did in Medieval times--we are something to be laughed at. We need to make it on our own. The only way to demonstrate that we are "qualified" is to go to a good school. Unlike blacks and Hispanics, there is no sympathy towards Asians. The presumption is that all Asians are well-off and don't need help.

People like to say that Asians should value test scores less and their "well-roundedness" more. However, how do you expect us to value test-scores less, when year after year admissions officers require more from us than any other group. And if the method is truly "holistic", is there anyone here on this blog that believes that if the last names and the race identifying information were redacted from applications, the number of Asians at the top schools would remain the same?

Lastly, I hear a lot of "fairness" arguments such as African Americans being disadvantaged because of the atrocities of the past deserve help. Albeit this is true. Who committed and benefited from these atrocities? Whites or Asians? Its Whites. But who pays for the cost of affirmative action at top schools? Asians and only
Asians.

If you do not believe me, take a looks a UCLA and Berkeley's admissions over the past 20 years (after prop 209--no affirmative action bill). The percentage of Asians at these schools back in the early 90s were about 17%, today (without Affirmative Action) Asians make up over 40% of the student body. At comparable private schools Asians have remained at about 17% of the student body for the past 20 years, despite the college aged population more than doubling.

Finally, is it fair to help a wealthy African American or Hispanic applicant over a underprivileged Asian? The answer is NO. In America people who are born rich die rich, and people born poor, die poor (no matter the color of your skin). Black or not, if you are rich, fairness should mandate you receive no help.

I have heard there is a lot of cheating over at TJ, and they are not real good at sports which will hurt you app. to a lot of colleges

You don't have to be good at sports for the kind of colleges that TJ kids apply to, you just need to participate! No, the sports teams at TJ are not taking home state championships every year, but lots of kids participate on teams and learn all the valuable lessons that kids learn from working together on a team with the added bonus of being physically fit. Highly ranked colleges like to see sports participation because it shows an applicant understands the importance of teamwork and it also shows that a student can achieve high grades while engaging in team practices for 2 hours/day x 5 days/week plus meets or games.
Don't worry, TJ kids who are sports team members are not at all hurt by TJ's sports reputation when they apply to colleges. Colleges like to see athletics participation, whether the team wins or loses.

the 400-500% increase in applications is astonishing. Did not realize we had completely lost control of the H-1b visa program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Studies have shown that even after accounting for ECs, community service/volunteering, leadership positions etc, (meaning similar type of ECs, community services, leadership positions) Asians had to show 120 to 160 points higher SAT scores compared to white applicants at top colleges. In fact, top colleges except Caltech and UC Berkeley (which tend to be more merit based) have a quota on Asian enrollment of about 16% to 19% (which has been in place for the last 20 years and do not change much from year to year) even though the Asian population increased dramatically and the number of Asian applicants to the top 10 universities have increased by some 400% to 500% during that period.

So the usual arguments that white applicants have better ECs, more volunteer hours or more leadership positions etc. are not valid.

Or, one might challenge the accuracy of the controls in the studies. The studies aren't necessarily dispositive. But I do suspect that, for better or worse, the admissions practices at some selective schools reflect a desire not to alienate the alumni base, which could have an adverse impact on fundraising if HWCUs went the way of TJHSST and turned into super-majority Asian schools.

I have heard there is a lot of cheating over at TJ, and they are not real good at sports which will hurt you app. to a lot of colleges

Anonymous wrote:Studies have shown that even after accounting for ECs, community service/volunteering, leadership positions etc, (meaning similar type of ECs, community services, leadership positions) Asians had to show 120 to 160 points higher SAT scores compared to white applicants at top colleges. In fact, top colleges except Caltech and UC Berkeley (which tend to be more merit based) have a quota on Asian enrollment of about 16% to 19% (which has been in place for the last 20 years and do not change much from year to year) even though the Asian population increased dramatically and the number of Asian applicants to the top 10 universities have increased by some 400% to 500% during that period.

So the usual arguments that white applicants have better ECs, more volunteer hours or more leadership positions etc. are not valid.

link?

Anonymous wrote:Studies have shown that even after accounting for ECs, community service/volunteering, leadership positions etc, (meaning similar type of ECs, community services, leadership positions) Asians had to show 120 to 160 points higher SAT scores compared to white applicants at top colleges. In fact, top colleges except Caltech and UC Berkeley (which tend to be more merit based) have a quota on Asian enrollment of about 16% to 19% (which has been in place for the last 20 years and do not change much from year to year) even though the Asian population increased dramatically and the number of Asian applicants to the top 10 universities have increased by some 400% to 500% during that period.

So the usual arguments that white applicants have better ECs, more volunteer hours or more leadership positions etc. are not valid.

Or, one might challenge the accuracy of the controls in the studies. The studies aren't necessarily dispositive. But I do suspect that, for better or worse, the admissions practices at some selective schools reflect a desire not to alienate the alumni base, which could have an adverse impact on fundraising if HWCUs went the way of TJHSST and turned into super-majority Asian schools.

Studies have shown that even after accounting for ECs, community service/volunteering, leadership positions etc, (meaning similar type of ECs, community services, leadership positions) Asians had to show 120 to 160 points higher SAT scores compared to white applicants at top colleges. In fact, top colleges except Caltech and UC Berkeley (which tend to be more merit based) have a quota on Asian enrollment of about 16% to 19% (which has been in place for the last 20 years and do not change much from year to year) even though the Asian population increased dramatically and the number of Asian applicants to the top 10 universities have increased by some 400% to 500% during that period.

So the usual arguments that white applicants have better ECs, more volunteer hours or more leadership positions etc. are not valid.

Anonymous wrote:Whites complain that affirmative action is unfair and discriminatory and that AA and Hispanics should be evaluated on their merits in college admissions but they do not mind the overall preference they receive over Asians in college admissions and I am not talking about athletes, legacies and large donors' applicants either.

What happened to everyone should be treated equally and on their merits? You can't have it both ways?

Depends on what you mean by "their merits." Some colleges, rightly in my opinion, care about more than just grades and SAT scores when deciding who to accept.

Whites complain that affirmative action is unfair and discriminatory and that AA and Hispanics should be evaluated on their merits in college admissions but they do not mind the overall preference they receive over Asians in college admissions and I am not talking about athletes, legacies and large donors' applicants either.

What happened to everyone should be treated equally and on their merits? You can't have it both ways?

Asians are very competitive and competition causes everyone around them to work and try harder which is good

Anonymous wrote:What is your concern? You kid can't have friends with different backgrounds? There are very few "white" people in DC - if you need more white people move to the midwest.

I'd be more worried about the economic background than their ethnic background.

Here's an older article discussing "white flight" at some California schools in the last decade where the Asian students were getting all the accolades. The old "there goes the neighborhood" got replaced with "there goes the scholarship."

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB113236377590902105

What is your concern? You kid can't have friends with different backgrounds? There are very few "white" people in DC - if you need more white people move to the midwest.

I'd be more worried about the economic background than their ethnic background.

Anonymous wrote:What if there are majority Asian middle schools? Do you have a problem with majority black middle schools or majority Hispanic middle schools? Do you have problem with majority white middle schools?

What is the point?

I have no problem with it. It is what it is.

What if there are majority Asian middle schools? Do you have a problem with majority black middle schools or majority Hispanic middle schools? Do you have problem with majority white middle schools?

What is the point?

My child goes to GBW. Is there a strong Korean community? Yes. But so far, I haven't noticed a huge issue for my caucasian child. I am just getting involved in the PTA, and there seems to be a good mix of backgrounds involved. The president is Asian, several of the higher ups are Indian. Now we haven't made it to the aap grades yet, so maybe it does get more divided then. So far, I haven't noticed a divide, but my kid is a social child who gets along with just about anyone. Trust me, the cattiness I have personally dealt with has NOT been committed by the Asian moms...