Should Race Be a Factor in Admissions to Universities

Racial bias in college admisions and universities has been a controversial issue that has led the globe causing heated debates. Unfortunately, some individuals have argued that race should be considered when admitting students to various colleges and universities across the globe. My position on this debatable issue is that race should not be considered as a factor in university admissions and colleges across the universe.

 Firstly, universities should promote diversity because it benefits students of all races. Creating diversity in colleges enhances educational experiences for all students across different backgrounds. Research done by the century foundation shows that classrooms with students from different races reduce race biasness which enhances self-confidence and improves leadership skills (Maxwell and Garcia, para.2). Also, students gain the skills to work and relate with different people from different backgrounds or races across the globe. The initiative on creating diverse universities and colleges would improve the efforts towards allowing students from different races to be admitted without considering race as a factor.

Secondly, affirmative action has provided a platform where there is equity in the admission of students. This affirmative action has contributed towards not considering race as a factor in admission. Most students of color have gone through some hindrance in accessing the American education system. Some of the barriers they have encountered are such as underfunding, fewer resources, and segregation. Affirmative action is the mechanism to allow the excluded student to attend various colleges and universities. Therefore, practices such as affirmative action have considerably attempted to eradicate these inequities by allowing students of a different race to be admitted without being judged by their race.

Thirdly, race-based admission has made many assumptions that are not right. In most cases, the universities using race-based admission have portrayed white individuals as the most wealthy and high-class while others are poor and lower. However, different race across the globe has their riches. Therefore, the argument has no meaning because it makes no sense to prefer a wealthy black over a poor white (Drake, para.7). A study conducted by hoover institute showed that most of the minorities who benefited from the race-based admissions were either wealthy or of the middle class (Drake, para.7). Therefore, race should not be considered a factor, but it should be the goal of each university to become more diverse and offer a chance for the disadvantaged in society regardless of skin color.

Fourthly, despite the barriers that students of color face to get admission to universities, studies have shown that once they get a chance to study at the universities, they complete their degree with excellent grades and still earn the same as the other students. This finding affirms that all students, regardless of color, will still do well as the other white students. Therefore, regardless of color, all students should get admission to universities across the globe, and thus race should not be a factor in admission. Currently, most universities in the united states have become more racially diverse than before in the 1960s. This change results from affirmative action, an initiative initiated by President John F Kennedy (Klosowski, para 1). This initiative made public universities and colleges restructure their admission process without considering race as a factor in admission.

To sum up, some college and universities have been closing their doors to students of color because of race base admission. Affirmative action put in place has helped the universities and colleges during the admission of their students. Also, students of color have benefited from the initiative because they have secured a chance in various universities. Therefore, race should not be a factor in admission.   

Work cited

Drake, Jordan. 2018, https://www.universitystar.com/opinions/race-should-not-factor-into-college-admissions/article_98e2804d-b518-5b0b-a6f1-943845a16f99.html.

Klosowski, Thorin. “Should Race Still Be A Factor In College Admissions?”. Howstuffworks, https://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/college-planning/admissions/race-college-admissions.htm. Maxwell, Connor, and Sara Garcia. 2019, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-reasons-