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Zachary M.
Raimi Smoke & Mirrors |
But things have changed, thanks in part to educators' drive to diversify the student body, both racially and socio-economically.
A few weeks ago, the University undertook another attempt to ensure diversity. The admissions office decided to extend the undergraduate application deadline for minority and exceptional high school students. The University made a wise decision to extend the deadline - its pursuit of diversity benefits the entire community.
The extension
Administrators were concerned with sharp drops in the number of applications from minority students, particularly members from the black, Hispanic and Native American communities. Applications were down between 14 and 18 percent for these groups. Overall, the University received about 4 percent fewer applications this year than previous years.
The University decided to extend the application deadline by a few weeks, to March 1, for 4,000 of these high school students.
Specifically, the University targeted minority students with minimum grade-point averages of 3.4, American College Testing scores of 24 and Scholastic Assessment Test scores of more than 1,000. And, the University also targeted top scholars with minimum grade-point averages of 4.0, ACT scores of 30 and SAT scores of 1,480. In addition, the admissions office granted these students permission to send in their essays later, under separate cover.
Diversity
The decision to extend the deadline caused a stir among some members of the University community, local media and Michigan residents. Many critics claim that this move gives certain groups preferential treatment and that the pursuit of diversity has ended up undermining the University's desire to treat everyone equally. But these critics are misguided. Such criticism overlooks many important aspects of the decision, both on a macro and micro level.
The overall benefits of a diverse student body cannot be underestimated. The University is comprised of students from all different racial, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. Professors and administrators are trying to create a community where its members explore their similarities and respect their differences. From this vastly diverse population, people can expand their minds, ideas and points of view. It brings more voices to the table and enriches our intellectual exchanges. It better equips all students for a diverse work force.
When diversity is threatened, the University has a responsibility to combat the problem. Its decision to extend the application deadline is an important move to protect one of the University's valuable resources: its diverse student population.
A misguided debate
Not only do critics overlook the benefits of diversity, they fail to see that the deadline extension is harmless. No one was hurt by the University's decision, and everyone stands to benefit. No group was barred from applying to the University. No quota systems are in place to keep certain groups out. The University is just trying to expand and enrich the applicant pool.
It is also important to note that the academic standards for the potential minority applicants are quite high. A common misconception surrounding affirmative action is that institutions routinely enroll or hire underqualified minorities and discriminate against relatively more qualified white people. These numbers demonstrate otherwise. A minimum 3.4 GPA suggests that a student has at least some natural intelligence and a solid work ethic.
Moreover, a 1,000 or higher on the SAT is above the national average and a respectable score. (It's certainly above mine.) To say that these students are unqualified, as some critics have charged, is wrong and harmful to the public discourse.
It is also unfair to say the University could have prevented the drop in applications. This school runs several important outreach programs for middle and high school minority students. For example, the King/Chavez/Parks program annually brings minority students to look at the University. And, the University sends representatives to schools with large minority populations to encourage them to apply.
The deadline extension reveals a responsible attempt by the University to create a community where all its members benefit.
- Zack Raimi can be reached over e-mail at rmz@umich.edu.