Why We Should Attack Admissions Bribery Scandals Instead of Affirmative Action

By: Sumaya Hussaini ‘22, Ann Nguyen ‘22

“They’re taking someone else’s spot.”

For years, the sentence was uttered in reference to affirmative action —  admissions practices that provide equal access to education and are preferential toward groups that have been historically underrepresented, disadvantaged, and/or discriminated against. However, the same sentiment was recently expressed by the general public in response to college admissions scandal, in which the children of wealthy celebrities and prominent business leaders were accepted to USC and other elite universities through illegal means of bribery and fraud. 

While many people wish to do away with affirmative action, if it did not before, definitive proof now exists that a larger issue remains, and it only strengthens the reasoning behind keeping affirmative action in place to some extent. Those in positions of power and wealth — one way or another — are at a predisposed advantage, and so there should be some counter-measure to ensure that lower-privileged students are given an equal chance in the college admissions process, allowing for more diverse campuses and students who are more aware and respectful of everyone’s unique backgrounds. 

Sumaya’s Take:

After hearing about USC’s involvement in the college admissions scandal, I got to thinking about this news’ relevancy to the recent debates surrounding affirmative action, a race-conscious admissions policy process that aims to provide equal access to education for racial groups that have historically been oppressed or underrepresented, and USC engages in this practice due to its strong commitment to diversity.

Affirmative action has begun to spark more controversy, with the Students For Fair Admissions filing lawsuits against prestigious universities like Harvard, calling for the prohibition of race-conscious admissions policies. These cases are likely to end up in the Supreme Court, which has already ruled in favor of affirmative action in numerous cases, but the current conservative majority is likely to overturn past precedent.

However, there is significant backlash against affirmative action, with cases being brought by white and Asian Americans who claim that these policies discriminate against them in favor of underrepresented racial groups.

While these are valid concerns, it’s important to note that ending affirmative action would have devastating consequences on black and brown students, limiting their representation in higher education. Research finds that eliminating race-conscious admissions would cause a substantial decline in minority enrollment, reducing the population of students who are racial minorities by nearly half.

Affirmative action allows racially oppressed groups to start at an even playing ground during the admissions process, given that African American and Hispanic students are predominantly located in schools with less qualified teachers, lack of resources, poor infrastructure, and limited access to college preparatory courses. Other factors like school segregation and harsh discipline policies also are important factors to take into consideration, given that they reduce the educational opportunities for students of color.

Diversity in higher education does not only benefit racial minorities. Diversity is a greater good — it exposes all students to new ideas, alternative ways of thinking, and prepares students to enter the real world and work in a diverse workforce.

Rather than attacking affirmative action programs that are necessary to achieve diversity and increase minority representation in higher education, let’s work towards attacking a corrupt admissions system that favors socioeconomic status over hard work and dedication. Rich celebrities who are buying their children’s way into college are the real culprits of stealing spots at prestigious universities, and it’s time we recognize that rather than attacking hard working black and brown students who simply want equal access to higher education.

Ann’s Take:

Affirmative action has always been a nuanced, touchy subject for me. I think that the motivation of affirmative action is wholly necessary: there needs to be consideration placed on a student’s background and the opportunities such a background exposes. As our country and our world grows more and more diverse, university campuses should reflect the beauty in our differences and our various cultures. Yet I also feel that affirmative action, particularly when paired with the model minority myth — the idea that there is a group of people who have experienced discrimination but who have succeeded based on greater achievement and more prosperous outcomes relative to other minority ethnic groups — does make it harder for many Asian Pacific/Asian American students to be accepted to top universities or to even receive help when they need it.

It sometimes feels as though affirmative action as it stands only allows for a small pocket of actual "diversity.” Because of that, if you are Asian you have to work so hard and be so exemplary that you overcome the stigma of being “a model minority.” It’s a delicate balance that you have to tread when considering all aspects of an applicant, but the news of the college admissions scandal makes the debates over affirmative action “taking away spots from deserving students” (when these hard-working students are not at all to blame) virtually irrelevant.

Lower-privileged students need to be given a chance, which the idea of affirmative action, though problematic it can be, has allowed for. Some of the same people pushing for this necessary consideration to be illegal are the ones committing illegal acts to buy their children into spots that likely belong to another applicant. The hypocrisy of it all is troubling, and honestly the best emotion to express my thoughts is anger. The anger fuels my desire to simply correct the system — to find some better way to bring more justice to college admissions. With scandals like the recent one we face, however, it’s difficult to see some way to level the playing field. But we must… Fight On.

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