For the sake of campus diversity, many colleges and universities pass over white and Asian American applicants with better academic preparation, favoring blacks and (to a lesser extent) Hispanics. CEO statistical research (logistic regression analyses) showed that underrepresented minorities (URMs) received significant preference over white and Asian American applicants with the same or better academic credentials.
• Statistically controlling for test scores, grades, in-state residency, gender, and legacy connections, odds ratios1 showed large preferences awarded to blacks over whites in undergraduate admissions at the following universities: The University of Virginia; the College of William and Mary; the University of Wisconsin; the University of Michigan; Miami University-Ohio; and Ohio State. Moderate preferences were awarded at the University of Oklahoma.
• Odds ratios were found to favor Hispanics over whites at many of the same universities, but many were moderate in size.
• Whites also received preference over Asian Americans at several universities.
• At Harvard, being Asian American was the only statistically negative factor among more
than 10 factors considered by the admissions committee.
Racial preference in admissions creates race consciousness and mismatch.
• Admissions committees keep the degree of mismatch secret.
• Mismatched students disproportionately drop out of STEM, change to non-STEM majors,
transfer to other schools, and take longer to graduate.
• The academic disparities from mismatch continue throughout college.
Psychological costs associated with campus diversity and disparities are many.
• Black students experienced greater first-year “grade shock,” greater discounting of
academic feedback, greater alienation, less attachment to the university, and greater
dissatisfaction with their overall college experience.
• Pre-college academic factors were strong predictors of these psychological setbacks.
• Many URMs would have gone somewhere else had they known where they ranked.
In short, where mismatch is significant, those admitted under racial preference programs incur significant costs that flowed from the mismatch in pursuit of racial diversity.
Campus diversity was also correlated with a general sense of campus discontent among non- minority students and faculty, not just URMs.
• Greater campus diversity was correlated with more student unhappiness; less satisfaction with their quality of education; less work effort; and less satisfaction with the college experience.