AA: More harm than good?

[Matthew]

I found this article interesting:

http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010522

I don't know how sound the research is, but I've never thought Berkeley was doing anyone a favor by admitting someone with an 880 SAT.  As flawed as the test may be, it seems to me that an inability to attain an average score would be indicative of an inability to perform in a top school  I think the same of law schools.

Any thoughtful criticism or thoghts on this?

[ColdBlue]

Just look at the entire country of South Africa if you want to see how stupidly retarded and outright racist AA is.

[Lindbergh]

Just look at the entire country of South Africa if you want to see how stupidly retarded and outright racist AA is.

How do you mean?  (Honest question.)

[Lindbergh]

Excellent article, and really just common sense.

"The Commission's deeper purpose is to remind those who support and administer affirmative action polices that good intentions are not enough. Consequences also matter. And conscious, deliberately chosen ignorance is not a good-faith option."

"The reason is simple: While some students will outperform their entering academic credentials, just as some students will underperform theirs, most students will perform in the range that their academic credentials predict."

[PNym]

I heard that the UC system's rate of Black graduation skyrocketed a few years after it abolished affirmative action. When underqualified Blacks stopped enrolling at Berkeley and UCLA, but began enrolling at lower-tiered schools, they began to be able to keep up with the pace of coursework.

Of course, the qualified Blacks were still able to both enroll and graduate at Berkeley and UCLA.

[Lindbergh]

I heard that the UC system's rate of Black graduation skyrocketed a few years after it abolished affirmative action. When underqualified Blacks stopped enrolling at Berkeley and UCLA, but at lower-tiered schools, they began to be able to keep up with the pace of coursework.

Of course, the qualified Blacks were still able to both enroll and graduate at Berkeley and UCLA.

I don't know if it skyrocketed or not, but this would stand to reason, and I do believe urm enrollment at least held steady.

Moreover, minority enrollment overall increased, and white enrollment actually decreased.  Those must hurt by AA (and helped by ethnic-blind policies) are asians, not whites. 

[PNym]

NOTE: I erred in composing my original post The sentence of error should read "When underqualified Blacks stopped enrolling at Berkeley and UCLA, but began enrolling at lower-tiered schools..."

Fixed.

[ANBUDOM]

The worst part about AA is that as a minority you can NEVER feel that you truly earned your accomplishments.  This application cycle I was constantly thinking about whether or not I truly deserved to get that screening interview, to get invited for a callback, and to receive an offer.  I'm always wondering if the firms gave me all these opportunities to fill a quota or to look PC for their clients. 

Another bad feeling is that others won't ever give you full credit for your accomplishments.  "Ah that f-ing kid got his interview/job because of AA."  That statement might sound ignorant but let's be perfectly honest here, I can't be 100% sure that I got to where i'm at solely because of my talents and hard-work... I think my credentials are quite good but it's annoying that a lot of ppl may look at me and not think about my qualifications but wonder which quota i'll be filling. 

However, before we jump on the "AA is unfair" bandwagon i'm seeing TONS of law students (whites and minorities) getting all kinds of interviews and offers that they don't deserve solely because their mommies and daddies know the right people. 

wow i'm watching american beauty right now and the dude just got shot in the back of the head... whoa this movie is crazy...

[Lindbergh]

The worst part about AA is that as a minority you can NEVER feel that you truly earned your accomplishments.  This application cycle I was constantly thinking about whether or not I truly deserved to get that screening interview, to get invited for a callback, and to receive an offer.  I'm always wondering if the firms gave me all these opportunities to fill a quota or to look PC for their clients. 

Another bad feeling is that others won't ever give you full credit for your accomplishments.  "Ah that f-ing kid got his interview/job because of AA."  That statement might sound ignorant but let's be perfectly honest here, I can't be 100% sure that I got to where i'm at solely because of my talents and hard-work... I think my credentials are quite good but it's annoying that a lot of ppl may look at me and not think about my qualifications but wonder which quota i'll be filling. 

However, before we jump on the "AA is unfair" bandwagon i'm seeing TONS of law students (whites and minorities) getting all kinds of interviews and offers that they don't deserve solely because their mommies and daddies know the right people. 

wow i'm watching american beauty right now and the dude just got shot in the back of the head... whoa this movie is crazy...

The first issue can be addressed by not checking the box.  The 2nd issue, unfortunately, cannot. 

[Def Leppard]

I just posted about this same article.

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php/topic,64541.msg2399924.html#msg2399924

A University of Michigan professor found the same sort of statistics at Michigan.