t**g
发帖数: 784 | 1 http://www.wsj.com/articles/harvard-cites-weaker-teacher-recommendations-for-asian-american-applicants-1539721051
Harvard Cites Weaker Teacher Recommendations for Asian-American Applicants
Teacher input contributes to Asian-American applicants’ lower personal
ratings, a central point in the university’s discrimination trial
BOSTON—Harvard’s admissions dean testified Tuesday that weaker teacher and
guidance-counselor recommendations are one reason why Asian-American
applicants as a group score lower than white applicants in the “personal
rating” portion of the school’s admissions process.
The rating, which assesses an applicant’s personal qualities, has been a
central focus for the plaintiffs in a trial that began Monday accusing
Harvard of intentionally discriminating against Asian-Americans. Harvard’s
own data show Asian-American applicants as a group score higher than white
applicants in academics and extracurriculars, but lower in the personal
rating.
William Fitzsimmons, who has been Harvard’s admissions dean since 1986,
said in federal court Tuesday that the lower rating wasn’t due to Asian-
American applicants having fewer attractive personal qualities than white
applicants. He said one reason for the gap could be due to “somewhat
stronger” teacher and guidance-counselor recommendations given to white
applicants.
He said he didn’t know if Asian-American applicants had weaker
recommendations than African-American or Hispanic applicants. The plaintiffs
say Asian-Americans have the lowest personal scores of any racial group.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, an Obama appointee, will decide after
the three-week trial whether Harvard’s admissions practices violate
federal civil-rights law. Whether the judge accepts Mr. Fitzsimmons’s
explanation could play a role in her decision. Harvard says its policies
adhere to Supreme Court precedents.
The trial stems from a lawsuit filed in 2014 by Students for Fair Admissions
, a nonprofit whose members include Asian-Americans rejected by Harvard.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have pushed Harvard to explain the racial gap in
personal ratings, which they say is evidence of intentional discrimination.
Harvard has said admissions officers don’t consider race in the personal
rating.
The rating, according to Harvard, uses teacher recommendations, alumni
interviews and student essays to consider whether an applicant will be a
good roommate or could contribute to the campus community. Harvard’s
admissions procedures ask readers to look for “consistent testimony of an
applicant’s unusual effervescence, charity, maturity, or strength of
character.”
A chart displayed during Harvard’s opening statement showed teacher
recommendations and alumni interviewer ratings matter much more in
admissions decisions than race does.
The school has stressed throughout the litigation that each applicant is
reviewed independently, and patterns across racial or ethnic groups aren’t
the result of any broader discriminatory practice.
The gap between white and Asian-American applicants’ personal ratings was
also cited in a 1990 report by the Education Department’s Office for Civil
Rights, which investigated Harvard for similar complaints. The report,
referenced at length in Tuesday’s testimony, found Harvard didn’t
discriminate against Asian-American applicants, but flagged racial
stereotypes reflected in admissions officers’ comments.
Harvard’s admissions readers, who evaluate students’ applications, “quite
often” described Asian-American applicants as shy, science- and math-
oriented, and hard workers, the report said. One reader, for instance, wrote
of an applicant: “He’s quiet and, of course, wants to be a doctor.”
A lawyer for Harvard said the decades-old remarks reflect only a fraction of
admission reader comments. Mr. Fitzsimmons testified: “We abhor
stereotypical comments. This is not part of our process.”
A plaintiffs’ lawyer asked Mr. Fitzsimmons whether he raised concerns about
any improper use of race in the admissions process with individual readers
after the 1990 report. Mr. Fitzsimmons said the admissions staff studied the
report carefully to ensure they “did not engage in any racial stereotyping
but rather looked carefully at the evidence in each application.”
In a June court filing, the plaintiffs said some admissions readers still
make such comments. “Asian-Americans are described as smart and hardworking
yet uninteresting and indistinguishable from other Asian-American
applicants,” they wrote.
The plaintiffs also used the Office for Civil Rights report to accuse
Harvard of ignoring for decades the possible influence of race in the
personal rating.
The 1990 report pointed to discrepancies in how readers considered an
applicant’s race—whether it was considered only as a potential bonus
during committee discussions, or throughout the admissions process in all
ratings. Mr. Fitzsimmons testified Tuesday that the role of race in Harvard
’s admissions process has been generally unchanged since the report.
“There are no formulas or specific criteria for measuring or assessing
ethnicity, nor are there instructions for determining how much weight is
given to ethnicity, or where the weight is to be applied in the admissions
process,” the report said.
Mr. Fitzsimmons said every admissions officer “is always vigilant” that
race and ethnicity are “used in the proper way.”
The plaintiffs said race is the “determinative factor” for approximately
half of African-Americans and one-third of Hispanics admitted. They pointed
to Harvard’s own report that showed eliminating the consideration of race
would cut the percentage of African-Americans admitted to 6% from 14% and
the percentage of Hispanics admitted to 9% from 14%.
Mr. Fitzsimmons said race “made a difference” in whether some of those
applicants were admitted, but it is never used in isolation from other
factors in the admissions process. | a**e
发帖数: 8800 | | N*******M
发帖数: 3963 | 3 这是无耻的借口
【在 t**g 的大作中提到】
: http://www.wsj.com/articles/harvard-cites-weaker-teacher-recommendations-for-asian-american-applicants-1539721051
: Harvard Cites Weaker Teacher Recommendations for Asian-American Applicants
: Teacher input contributes to Asian-American applicants’ lower personal
: ratings, a central point in the university’s discrimination trial
: BOSTON—Harvard’s admissions dean testified Tuesday that weaker teacher and
: guidance-counselor recommendations are one reason why Asian-American
: applicants as a group score lower than white applicants in the “personal
: rating” portion of the school’s admissions process.
: The rating, which assesses an applicant’s personal qualities, has been a
: central focus for the plaintiffs in a trial that began Monday accusing
| r**********f
发帖数: 2808 | 4 effervescence, charity, maturity, or strength of character － 黑墨穆在这些
方面真的出色吗？ | p****x
发帖数: 1376 | 5 谁信谁傻逼
and
【在 t**g 的大作中提到】
: http://www.wsj.com/articles/harvard-cites-weaker-teacher-recommendations-for-asian-american-applicants-1539721051
: Harvard Cites Weaker Teacher Recommendations for Asian-American Applicants
: Teacher input contributes to Asian-American applicants’ lower personal
: ratings, a central point in the university’s discrimination trial
: BOSTON—Harvard’s admissions dean testified Tuesday that weaker teacher and
: guidance-counselor recommendations are one reason why Asian-American
: applicants as a group score lower than white applicants in the “personal
: rating” portion of the school’s admissions process.
: The rating, which assesses an applicant’s personal qualities, has been a
: central focus for the plaintiffs in a trial that began Monday accusing
| a******5
发帖数: 2062 | | m******m
发帖数: 644 | 7 啥升学顾问的，是搞笑的和赚懒人钱的。好点学校的counselor都很好用。主要是要有
自己的思想。
【在 a******5 的大作中提到】
: 不願意花錢請人幫忙的結果。去找升學顧問吧！
| m******c
发帖数: 1202 | 8 这个理由也信？老师都爱成绩好的，根本不会因为是亚裔把推荐信写差点。 | B*Q
发帖数: 25729 | 9 习国经验吧
不会来事只会做题的
老师根本不记得是谁
【在 m******c 的大作中提到】
: 这个理由也信？老师都爱成绩好的，根本不会因为是亚裔把推荐信写差点。
| r***i
发帖数: 1 | 10 你这个大傻逼
你以为能去申请哈佛的，会手里没有强推荐信的？
以为人人都和你一样是煞笔？
【在 B*Q 的大作中提到】
: 习国经验吧
: 不会来事只会做题的
: 老师根本不记得是谁
| B*Q
发帖数: 25729 | 11 像你这样的煞笔太多了
【在 r***i 的大作中提到】
: 你这个大傻逼
: 你以为能去申请哈佛的，会手里没有强推荐信的？
: 以为人人都和你一样是煞笔？
| r***i
发帖数: 1 | 12 你看，叔指出你是大煞笔的同时，给出了论证
你呢， 只会吃屎， lol
【在 B*Q 的大作中提到】
: 像你这样的煞笔太多了
| m******c
发帖数: 1202 | 13 你娃肯定不是美国长大的，美国的老师认识每一个学生。
美国的学校，成绩好的，可不是只做题，presentation，discussion 占很大比重。
【在 B*Q 的大作中提到】
: 习国经验吧
: 不会来事只会做题的
: 老师根本不记得是谁
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