# Harvard and Princeton Targeted in U.S. Asian-American Discrimination Probe **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 3, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-and-princeton-targeted-in-u-s-asian-american-discrimination-probe/611636 "2012-02-03T06:06:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 17
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-and-princeton-targeted-in-u-s-asian-american-discrimination-probe/611636/17 "2012-02-03T20:14:08Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-02/harvard-targeted-in-u-s-asian-american-discrimination-probe.html](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-02/harvard-targeted-in-u-s-asian-american-discrimination-probe.html) > … > Wow. Basically perfect SAT and denied admission to all four. So - do you think Harvard/Princeton and others discriminate based on race? And if so - do you approve? > > My solution would be blinding those who decide on admissions to the race/name/other such information on applicants. Remove all such information from the applications before they are reviewed. First of all over 100 kids get a perfect SAT score every year. Used to be 5 to 10 perfect scores every year but the SATS has suffered from grade inflation and a perfect score isn’t what it used to be. Second, if we made entrance to ivy league schools race blind we would see Asians even MORE over-represented than they are now and noone wants that besides the Asians so fuck em. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > While there may have been racism against the Chinese back in the Gold Rush era, and against the Japanese during WWII, in modern day I can’t think of any examples of _negative_ racism towards East Asians in the US. On average, they’re doing better economically and in schools than whites. > > So what’s the odds that FOUR different schools all employed a significant number of anti-East Asian racists? :dubious: > > My guess would be that the kid scores well, but otherwise he’s an asshole and that became clear to the schools when they interviewed him. We are not talking about racism but discrimination. In an effort to maintain diversity, a college doesn’t worry about having over 50% white students but it worries when their Asian population approaches 20%, its time to put an informal cap on the Asian population. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > We did a thread on this a few months ago. > > Colleges and universities look at a lot more than test scores when admitting students, so you can’t look at that one factor (even if it’s a perfect score) and assume the student should be admitted. > > But I expect most universities try to have a balance of students from different ethnic backgrounds, and if one ethnicity was significantly overrepresented using a certain suite of acceptance criteria, then they would tweak the criteria to correct for that. Not saying this is the case here, but I suspect it does happen at times. It happens all the time. I know they do it in their law school, presumably because a diversity of viewpoints and life experience is important to the discourse. > [@Algher](#): > > Scores are only one part. What clubs did he RUN (not be a member of, run). How did his essays read? Was he an idiot in the interview? Does he do anything other than study? Did his teacher’s like him, or did he get slammed on his LORs. > > Here is Stanford’s application page: > [Application and Essays : Stanford University](http://admission.stanford.edu/application/freshman/apply.html) > > When all of these schools reject you, maybe it is you… > > A hell of a lot more than SAT scores is asked for there. How much would you bet that a white student with perfect SAT scores and mediocrity in all other areas gets into at least one of those schools? Do you think its just superstition that makes Asian students fail to self identify as Asian? > [@FixMyIgnorance](#): > > As a Harvard grad (also accepted at Princeton and Stanford back in the day), I can tell you test scores aren’t everything. High scorers get rejected all the time. Scores are only one component of the application … you still need a top rank in your toughest courses, great recommendations, and stellar essays/awards/extracurriculars in order to to stand out.. And like someone else mentioned, bombing the interview isn’t all that helpful, either. It also helps if you aren’t Asian. Or do you think there isn’t a quota system in place? > [@](#): > > When it comes to the top schools, scores only get your foot in the door. Doesn’t mean you’ll be able to actually walk through it. It does if you are black or hispanic. > [@](#): > > I should also note that getting 800’s on SAT2 Math and Physics is really easy. At the Ivy level, such scores are a dime a dozen. Schools want to admit people who are more than just test-grinders. Students need to not only have good scores, but excel in other areas, too. Yeah I agree the AP test scores are a throwaway fact. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Without looking at the metrics and extracurriculars for the students who did get in, I don’t think one rejection tells us anything. I’m pretty sure you have in fact looked at the demographic breakdown of acceptance by race and test scores. Do you really think that Asians in today’s day and age are at THAT much of a disadvantage in extra curricular activities and interpersonal skills? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-and-princeton-targeted-in-u-s-asian-american-discrimination-probe/611636)._