From: Brian Phillips (deepbluehalo@earthlink.net)
Date: Wed Aug 08 2001 - 19:47:19 MDT
> Mike Lorrey wrote:
>>
>> Rather, count, for instance, the middle and upper class black kids who
>> get free rides to colleges based on their race while poor white kids
>> just as capable are rejected specifically because they are white.
>>
Alright. Since the thread doesn't seem to be going away.
It's a statistical fact that the mean for persons who identify as
African-American on most (arguably virtually all) standardized
tests are aproximately one standard deviation below those
the mean of those who identify as white. Similarly East Asians
(Chinese, Koreans, Japanese) tend to do slightly better than white.
Everyone who has looked into this knows who is at the top of
the standardized test heap :) The reasons for this are factually
obscure. We don't know "why" this is so..but statistically it
is remarkably sure.
This "discrepancy" in test scores persists even after adjustment
for social status and parental income etc. Look at the mean
of middle class Black kids vs. mean middle class white kids.
Aproximately one standard deviation. Like clockwork.
For those who are in the extremely high percentiles on tests like
the SATs or GREs or the like and are white it is unlikely affirmative
action will negatively affect their collegiate admissions opportunities.
Individuals who are marginal or borderline candidates for admissions
are the ones who are most affected by affirmative action. The number
of seats in a given class is limited. The ethnic admissions generally tend
to bump off marginal (white) candidates.
For the record I got interested in this being a marginal candidate myself.
I had this awful (and well deserved GPA) during my first stint in college
and reality for grad schools being what it is...well regardless of test
scores
you need a certain GPA to get above the cutoffs for "Secondary factors"
(like essays, personability, neato life experience etc.) to be considered in
the admissions process. It's a fact of life that there are spots on the
grad school classes that WILL be filled by candidates who are also marginal
(probably quite a bit more marginal than I am :) but who happen to have
a ethnicity card to play. I tend to view it as richly deserved rewards for
foolishness in my late teen years...but there are those who don't ace
standardized tests who have done everything right..and lost the brass ring
because they were edged out by an EO kid. Who will pass the bar at a lower
rate, who will likely hit lower quartiles on the Step 1 and 2, who will
rate lower in the Match etc. And as it happens honesty about performance
and merit goes the way of the dodo. Granted it's great for the ethnics
who ARE star performers.. they are courted by all sides who wish to
demonstrate diversity (" the cost of doing business"). But the ethnics
who simply can't hit the performance standards just fall back down the
ladder....and place blame on the system. And then the blame game
and the cycle of hate starts all over. And deep in the patchs of
hell that spot America deep troughs of dysfunctionality even
affirmative action can't begin to touch grow and fester. And sometimes
riot (like Cinncinnati recently). On the top of the heap though the
whites quietly practice segregation the american way...by lying.
You can walk the streets of Georgetown in DC and see a picture
perfect world, a rainbow of people hanging at Starbucks. But
it doesn't play well in Anacostia or the worst parts of Prince George
County. I don't even like to think about Cabrini-Green.
I don't know what the answer is..but I think it starts with honesty.
and rigorous inquiry. Both of which can have my ass up in front
of the Old Lady for being a bigot, courtesy of the EO cohort.
Believe it!
regards,
Brian
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