Should affirmative action continue to be a part of college admissions into higher education? More importantly, is it fair to take into account a student’s race, gender, or ethnicity when creating a decision about acceptance? Hopefully, after this article you will be able to decide for yourself.
The main purpose of affirmative action is to push aside barriers, giving everyone an equal opportunity that they may not have received on their own. This country is not equal economically or socially, just yet, so programs like these are a step in that direction. It guarantees an equal chance of opportunity, not equal results.
Those who take that opportunity and run with it are going to be on top. We all have the chance to make things better for ourselves and better our own situations. That’s what affirmative action is meant to provide when it comes to higher education.
When corresponding with the Vice President of Admissions at Lake Forest, David Bennett, I asked, “Is affirmative action used in the admissions decision process here at Lake Forest? If so, how big of a factor is it?” He wrote back explaining how this year the college had applicants from over 60 countries and around 1,700 high schools from the U.S. and around the world. “Our admission process is designed to enroll students that represent the breadth of the world.
“While many colleges and universities have to create active programs to attract students from different backgrounds we have had a long history of enrolling students from diverse backgrounds. So, the short answer is that our diversity happens much more organically than at other places,” he said.
There is a continuous debate about this topic. Arguments against affirmative action state it’s outdated, since its primary purpose was to make amends for years of racial discrimination and gender inequality. Arguments for the policy include the fact that graduates who benefitted from affirmative action were able to create better lives due to the opportunity given.
No matter what, education is earned and gained through hard work Affirmative action is a step towards gender and racial equality in higher education. Maybe skin color, gender, or any disability shouldn’t matter in this case, but since we are not there yet, the fact is it only helps, not hinders. The diversity our schools gain through affirmative action can create a variety of independent thoughts and opinions. I think affirmative action is a chance for new minds to enter the field of higher education and stretch the boundaries and beliefs that we have been born into.
“Lake Forest College is beautifully diverse, intellectual, and special. What did all of these admitted students have in common when their acceptance was being considered?” I asked Mr. Bennett. His response was, “While students come from different environments to the College, we try to identify some common qualities among our applicant pool.
“We seek students with academic potential, have independent spirits, want their voices to guide their college experiences, live balanced academic and extracurricular lives, and show us that they will thrive in our setting. The process of admissions is part science, part art. We overlay grades, test scores, and academic records with qualities that show us that students have grit, ambition, and character.”
