There has been increased discussion lately about the impact of race on admissions at Dartmouth and its peer institutions. A recent article highlighted a few very telling statistics and perspectives on the bias that has become part of admissions departments here at Dartmouth and throughout the country. The article points to a 2009 study conducted by Princeton University theology professor Thomas Espenshade, which found that Asian-American applicants must have a score of 1550 out of 1600 on the SAT exam in order to compete with white applicants scoring 1410 and African-American applicants scoring 1100. Dartmouth's former Assistant Director of Admissions Michele Hernandez also confirmed that different admissions standards exist for different races, notably Asian-Americans.
It may be the case that this disparity between SAT scores is not as meaningful as it first appears since it does not take into account other aspects of a student's application, such as extracurricular activities. But this great discrepancy reveals an underlying prejudice in the system. It is true, according to Hernandez ("Race poses challenges to admissions," Feb. 13), that our admissions office and those of other top schools around the nation have different standards for applicants of different races. The purpose of this policy is a worthy one. Universities believe that it is in the best interest of its students to maintain a diverse environment in which learning can occur through dialogue between students who harbor different perspectives. The benefits of such a diverse community are numerous. I doubt, however, that this process as it is currently practiced is truly the best way to achieve such diversity.
The current system of admissions at elite universities depends on an oversimplified method of achieving and portraying diversity. Upon inquiry into the topic of diversity at an American college, one may look toward statistics on the demographic makeup of the student body. But the percentage of Asians, Caucasians, African-Americans and Hispanics at a college is not indicative of the diversity of an institution. It is not the color of one of my fellow students' skin that enhances my learning experience at Dartmouth. In fact, the color of somebody's skin should be of little importance to any of us. I'll bet that each and every Dartmouth student knows more than a few people for whom the stereotypes associated with their race do not apply.
However, there is great value in a wide range of experiences and perspectives among individuals in the Dartmouth community. Our admissions process ought to reflect that sentiment and employ an approach that delves deeper into what each applicant offers to the school with regard to their unique life experiences. It may be that this uniqueness has been shaped in part by a person's background or culture, but those factors are not always directly related to or encapsulated by race. Why not include a short answer or optional essay on the Dartmouth application to identify an applicant's potential impact on the diversity of our community? This would provide a much more comprehensive means of achieving the goal that we have in sight and could help avoid the stereotyping in admissions that this recent study illuminates.
Ultimately, we as a college must reflect on the role that race should play in admissions decisions. I count myself among the majority of students here who value the benefits of interactions between people of different backgrounds. It is when members of our community see past physical differences and come to appreciate the plethora of perspectives at the College that we learn and grow. If we continue to employ our current system of placing people into racial categories, we will only perpetuate the kind of stereotyping that leads to the statistics found in the study. As a student body and a college, we ought to make it a priority to examine what each applicant may bring to campus. We must do so because it is these unique, personal traits and not the color of our skin that defines us.
