Spring Break
Top 10 percent past its prime
Not only does the rule not achieve its purpose, it works against it. It's time to cut our losses and make a new system.
By: Michael Cox
Issue date: 6/25/09 Section: Opinion
Reading the article about the Texas Legislature amending the top 10 percent rule, I had to chuckle to myself. The state government's affirmative action bill is backfiring on itself. The bill was originally passed in 1997 to increase the geographic and ethnic diversity of students admitted to a state universities by automatically giving admission, regardless of the high school in which they graduated, to students who were in the top 10 percent with respect to grades. The problem is caused by the fact that the majority of the students utilizing this bill are white and middle class.
The top 10 percent rule is not achieving its intended purpose simply because the legislature failed to foresee who would make use of the rule. Students are much more likely to attend a college in state than out of state due to in-state tuition being more affordable and because of the closer proximity to home (something parents usually like). Therefore, of students in the top 10 percent of their high school, middle- and upper-middle-class students are just as likely to apply to state institutions and gain automatic admission as are poorer students. The difference is, though poorer students may gain admittance to these institutes of higher learning, the bill does not offer financial means to attend school, and many of these students may not be able to attend due to financial reasons. Even with outside scholarships and other financial aid, it still may not be enough.
So, the majority of students being admitted under the top 10 percent rule are white upper-middle-class students, and the bill's purpose is not being fulfilled. Also, with the number of high school students admitted growing faster than the space at public universities and with so many students taking advantage of this bill, the University of Texas' latest freshman class was made up of 80 percent of top 10 percent students. The bill is now preventing them from diversifying their incoming class.
Forcing universities to admit top 10 percent is no way to increase the school's diversity. It's far too vague! If universities really want to diversify their student population they can't just automatically admit the smartest students, that can't work. They need to go out of their way to make sure students of "geographical and ethnic" diversity are given an advantage and have a better shot of getting admitted. Here's my plan: I will create a point system for admittance. GPA>3? 20 points. Sports? 5 points. Extracurricular activites? 5 points each. Ethnic minority? 30 points. Out of state? 25 points, and so on down the list of attributes of applicants. Then admit the 8,000 students (for Texas A&M) that have the most points and viola! You have your "geographic and ethnic" diversity you wanted. Congratulations!
While my system is shocking, I believe it makes more sense than simply admitting students because they managed to get enough As to be in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. At least my system takes into account activities and achievements outside of the classroom. In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court prohibits quotas, but allows race to be a "plus factor." How much of a plus factor? Now that it's a hot topic, how beneficial is it to be a minority when applying to college? How much of an advantage do minorities receive? Right now, it's up to each university to decide; at least my system gives you a number.
My Plan
I will create a point system for admittance. GPA greater than three: 20 points. Sports: 5 points. Extracurricular activites: 5 points each. Ethnic minority: 30 points. Out of state: 25 points, and so on down the list of attributes of applicants. Then admit the 8,000 students (for Texas A&M) that have the most points and viola, you have your "geographic and ethnic" diversity you wanted.
Michael Cox is a guest columnist and a senior mechanical engineering major.
The top 10 percent rule is not achieving its intended purpose simply because the legislature failed to foresee who would make use of the rule. Students are much more likely to attend a college in state than out of state due to in-state tuition being more affordable and because of the closer proximity to home (something parents usually like). Therefore, of students in the top 10 percent of their high school, middle- and upper-middle-class students are just as likely to apply to state institutions and gain automatic admission as are poorer students. The difference is, though poorer students may gain admittance to these institutes of higher learning, the bill does not offer financial means to attend school, and many of these students may not be able to attend due to financial reasons. Even with outside scholarships and other financial aid, it still may not be enough.
So, the majority of students being admitted under the top 10 percent rule are white upper-middle-class students, and the bill's purpose is not being fulfilled. Also, with the number of high school students admitted growing faster than the space at public universities and with so many students taking advantage of this bill, the University of Texas' latest freshman class was made up of 80 percent of top 10 percent students. The bill is now preventing them from diversifying their incoming class.
Forcing universities to admit top 10 percent is no way to increase the school's diversity. It's far too vague! If universities really want to diversify their student population they can't just automatically admit the smartest students, that can't work. They need to go out of their way to make sure students of "geographical and ethnic" diversity are given an advantage and have a better shot of getting admitted. Here's my plan: I will create a point system for admittance. GPA>3? 20 points. Sports? 5 points. Extracurricular activites? 5 points each. Ethnic minority? 30 points. Out of state? 25 points, and so on down the list of attributes of applicants. Then admit the 8,000 students (for Texas A&M) that have the most points and viola! You have your "geographic and ethnic" diversity you wanted. Congratulations!
While my system is shocking, I believe it makes more sense than simply admitting students because they managed to get enough As to be in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. At least my system takes into account activities and achievements outside of the classroom. In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court prohibits quotas, but allows race to be a "plus factor." How much of a plus factor? Now that it's a hot topic, how beneficial is it to be a minority when applying to college? How much of an advantage do minorities receive? Right now, it's up to each university to decide; at least my system gives you a number.
My Plan
I will create a point system for admittance. GPA greater than three: 20 points. Sports: 5 points. Extracurricular activites: 5 points each. Ethnic minority: 30 points. Out of state: 25 points, and so on down the list of attributes of applicants. Then admit the 8,000 students (for Texas A&M) that have the most points and viola, you have your "geographic and ethnic" diversity you wanted.
Michael Cox is a guest columnist and a senior mechanical engineering major.
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