Should Race be a Factor In Your College Application?

Kai Farley and

For 35 years, race has been used on college admissions to keep people of minorities admitted at a constant rate, called Proposition 209. Affirmative action, a process created in the 1960’s to reverse racial discrimination in jobs, colleges, and universities, has become a strategy used to boost diversity in college communities; this is one way to solve problems from previous racial issues and discrimination. Unlike in the past, students of all ethnicities have the opportunity to pursue a college education. If the United States has improved this much in the last 52 years, why do we still have rules limiting our abilities to admit students?

Besides focusing on GPAs, class ranks, and SAT scores, race was also factored into college admissions. If two people with similar qualities on an application applied for the same university but were of different races, there is a chance that the minority would be more likely to be accepted in the college. I don’t believe this is fair for everyone who applies. Colleges are currently moving towards an application system that doesn’t involve race when choosing future students. Scholars around the globe compete to be the best in education, sports, skills, and professionalism. If people were accepted to boost minorities rather than for their qualifications, they could have trouble keeping up with school work, and soon drag down the college’s rank. You can’t pick what race you are, so why should others be rewarded for something they didn’t earn?