Is Affirmative Action Still Relevant?

Is Affirmative Action Still Relevant?

By Kayla Ellington 

Need a topic sure to get high school students jumpy? Think college. Most every student seems to love the idea of college living – their real fears come from the application process. After spending so much time collecting letters of recommendation, writing essays and wracking your brain for volunteer hours, most students spend the next few months sweating while waiting for a response as to whether their dreams are about to be made or crushed. After worrying about whether their grades are good enough, students will have to wonder how racially diverse their college is and whether or not they will be accepted because of the “race factor”. Affirmative action, first implemented to increase diversity in university classrooms, may now be inhibiting amply prepared non minority students.

            A New York Times article titled “Class-based vs. Racial-based Admissions” speaks solely on the issue of whether universities are better off selecting students based on class or race in addition to other aspects of their application. They believe that in order “to maintain or build the levels of racial diversity on selective campuses, it is necessary to maintain race-conscious admissions.” The premise of this argument should rather be whether or not it is ethical today – in a more racially accepting society – to continue to focus on affirmative action. Should colleges reject high level students in order to make room for minorities? This touchy subject can easily spark arguments that have valid points in either direction: those who support affirmative action and those who oppose it. Those in support of affirmative action – in the way that it is handled today – would still argue that there is not equal opportunity for many minority groups. They believe the majority of minorities applying to college still reside in inner city areas, and they would also argue that many students wouldn’t have received the same education due to where they were living. They are not wrong, and they are not incorrect to desire an opportunity at college education for inner city minorities, but we must consider the full picture of what is relevant to today. Those minorities who thrive out of a rougher area would receive recognition for their accomplishments without affirmative action because of the racial tolerance of our society today. What is more pertinent to consider is what is done when it comes to minorities that live in well supported suburbs, receiving the same education as non-minorities? Placed side by side, with the same GPA and income status, race seems to be a final decision maker. The online article, “Should race still be a factor in college admissions?” found that in “One study on the subject found that, as of 2004, one-third of public colleges and private institutions claim to consider race in their admissions.” Colleges taking race into consideration, according to the “Should race still be a factor in college admissions?”, claim that they use affirmative action simply “provides a leg-up to some students who might need it.” All in all, we are not the same country in racial tolerance as we were in 1965 when affirmative action was put into motion. Now, more accepting than ever, affirmative action should not be a deciding component in college admissions, because the base of why it was implemented is no longer relevant. If a student has worked hard enough and applies to the standards of the school that they are applying to, they should have an equal chance at acceptance to or rejection from the college without racial consideration.