Should Race be a Consideration in College Admissions essays

Should Race be a Consideration in College Admissions essays A compelling argument against using race as a consideration in college admissions is that everyone has something different about them, if one looks hard enough, and so anyone could claim minority status in some way. To use individual traits of arbitrary choice does not make sense, as this writer notes, "Individualism cannot be defined via individuating or important traits. The principle of individualism is really meant to capture the completely different idea that people should be judged only by traits they choose. That is why race, an involuntary, immutable trait, is an improper basis for judgment" (Levin, 1997, p. 338). One cannot choose one's race, but one can choose other traits to excel at, and so, traits that are chosen and agreed on should be used as considerations for college admissions, such as GPAs, athletic and social abilities, membership in extracurricular activities, and test scores. These are all attributes that students have some input and control over, and these, not traits that cannot be chosen and acted upon, should be used to ensure everyone gets an equal chance at education and advancement. The weakness here is that those students who do not choose to work on themselves may not gain admission; while the strength is that those students who work hard will have a better Eliminating standardized testing is also a way to eliminate race as a basis for college admissions. Standardized tests measure nothing but standard learning. Each individual is different, and should be evaluated on those differences, rather than what they have in common with everyone else. Standardized testing is also suspect as to really giving a balanced view of actual learning. Another writer states, "The overriding conclusion is neither new nor earthshaking: in crafting a college admissions policy, tests serve as useful, but far from perfect, tools" (Zwick, 1999, p. 320). ...