A recent study says “Not Really” according to an article in Inside Higher Ed.
If only standardized test scores were used to admit students to the most selective colleges, Asian enrollments would increase by just two percentage points, researchers say.
Insider higher ed
The debate over affirmative action has been framed in part (by opponents of affirmative action) as a matter of protecting the rights of Asian Americans. These students are outperforming other groups on the SATs and ACT and would earn many more spots at top colleges if admissions focused on academics, the argument goes. After all, the enrollment of Asian American students has become stagnant at many of the leading colleges and universities (although it is far more than their share of the U.S. population). And the admit rate for Asian American students is lower than for other groups at these colleges.
But what if bias doesn’t explain those realities?
A report being released today by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce finds no “strong evidence” of discrimination against Asian American applicants in admissions to the 91 most selective colleges.
