I got to this study from this posting by Jim Miller on Politics. It
seems to trouble him as well:
Private Colleges Don't Like Farm Kids: Inside this extensive discussion
of bias in admissions at private colleges was this surprising finding.
But what [Thomas] Espenshade and [Alexandria] Radford found in
regard to what they call "career-oriented activities" was truly shocking
even to this hardened veteran of the campus ideological and cultural
wars. Participation in such Red State activities as high school ROTC,
4-H clubs, or the Future Farmers of America was found to reduce very
substantially a student's chances of gaining admission to the
competitive private colleges in the NSCE database on an
all-other-things-considered basis. The admissions disadvantage was
greatest for those in leadership positions in these activities or those
winning honors and awards. "Being an officer or winning awards" for
such career-oriented activities as junior ROTC, 4-H, or Future Farmers
of America, say Espenshade and Radford, "has a significantly negative
association with admission outcomes at highly selective institutions."
Excelling in these activities "is associated with 60 or 65 percent lower
odds of admission."
The ROTC disadvantage doesn't surprise me, though I think it is
disgusting to discriminate against the young men and women who may be
protecting us all, soon. But the discrimination against farm kids does
surprise me, though, like Russell Niell, I have seen a lot of
discrimination at our colleges and universities.
(The whole article is worth reading, though the extensive racial biases
in admission may shock some readers.)
- 8:56 AM, 12 July 2010
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