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This is what the University High School admissions board has in mind when looking through the applications usually numbering around 750-900 for the next school year to offer admission to only 150 of those applicants. In reality, they divide the applicants into districts according to where they live, then subdivide those into racial groups. After those have been considered is when they look at who has the potential to offer University High the most, in a variety of areas. They have to accept a certain number of students from each district and a certain amount of students of different ethnic backgrounds to be seen as politically correct. The question being posed here is whether or not that is to the benefit of U-High. During the course of trying to answer that question, two sides of the argument are to be considered. The first is that the way that it is being done is the fairest way in making sure that there is no racial or economic discrimination. The second side to the argument is that there might be a larger number of gifted students in a certain group that can not all be admitted into U-High because it could be seen as if they were being favored. Both sides of the argument will be examined more carefully. To begin with, in the past, our country has demonstrated great racial discrimination. There was segregation, and there were also hate groups. There were people that believed that people other than whites were inferior to those of white skin color. However, lately there has been a wonderful realization in our society. The majority of our society views it as wrong to discriminate. It is seen as politically incorrect. Though there are no laws telling people how to think, there are, however, laws that prohibit discrimination in the workforce and most important to this issue, laws prohibiting discrimination in the educational system. To ensure and mostly to prove that there is no racial hatred towards any ethnic groups, U-High adopted a new way to process the applications of possible future students. They now have a quota of students with certain ethnic backgrounds to meet. This ensures that there is no racial discrimination. Though not found to be as frequent, some people believe that the people with more money in society are the most likely to succeed. The lower middle class has often been overlooked when searching for students who would benefit their school the most. To prove this as not a fact, U-High also accepts a certain amount of students from different districts according to where they live and different economic backgrounds as well. This allows every applicant, no matter what their background, to have a chance to get into what some consider one of the best high schools, academically and athletically. A child growing up cultured is also one concern of many of the parents in today's society. They want their children to be exposed to all that life has to offer and to a different variety of people. They do not want their child to grow up blinded to the fact every one in the world is not exactly the same as they are. They want their children to realize and learn tolerance of the many different religions that people have, the different backgrounds that shape who they are. There is no better way to do this, then through the school that they grow up and are educated in. So, in choosing whom to accept, the school has to also consider the parents' wishes in this as well. Accepting a certain amount of different backgrounds seems to be the best solution when faced with this issue. In taking both of those precautions, most would say that gives every applicant the best opportunity to be accepted. This stops racial discrimination and economic discrimination as well. Obviously there are many reasons that appear to be acceptable in structuring the process of admissions at University High School. However, there are many problems that arise and should be considered when looking at whether this is the best way to go about this procedure. The major problem that arises is whether or not the most qualified students are being accepted into U-High. If the qualifications of the applicant are not considered first, there might be some that are over looked. To begin with, the application that the applicants fill out is very important. There are many questions. Some being how much money their family makes, what their ethnic background is, what district they live in, and whether they have family that attended or are presently attending U-High. I will use myself as an example. I come from an upper middle class, white, Christian background. I had an A average in junior high school with three sports, many extra curricular activities, and won many math competition awards. Everyone in my family has attended U-High, ever since it was formed. Obviously, I should have been one of those students who would be on the top of the list to get in. However, this was not so. In analyzing the way that the acceptance procedure was done, I realize that I probably barely made it in. I am in no way in any sort of minority, which are obviously favored by this application procedure. Not being in a minority obviously has its disadvantages in this situation. Being that I was in a much larger category, there is obviously going to be a larger amount of qualified applicants. This makes it harder for a qualified applicant to get accepted into U-High. This is not what the purpose of University High School was intended to be. The purpose is not a melting pot of diversity. The purpose is to achieve excellence. Excellence can only be achieved by having the highest number of academically and athletically gifted students. So, unless the admissions board of University High School has a different definition or route to excellence, they need to take a better look at the way they evaluate the applications. There is also one other problem that has arisen from this situation. Earlier on in the paper it was stated that there used to be a prominent level of discrimination that went on in the past. It is safe to say that a lot of students got into the school of their choice because of their race and ethnic background. In evaluating the applications in the present manner, there is arguably no difference in the prominence of discrimination other than the fact that the roles have been reversed. Ethnic background should not matter when evaluating an applicant's qualifications for acceptance. That is what the majority of the minorities will say. However, if racial discrimination works in the favor of the minorities, everyone seems to be just fine about it. I want to stress a very crucial point. This paper is in no way intended to be racist. I encourage the minorities to continue to fight for equality in society and in the minds of all. I applaud those like Martin Luther King Jr. who dedicated their whole existence to fight and stand up for what is fair, right, and moral. Though I do believe that it is not right to force equality in areas where there might be more qualified individuals in a certain ethnic group, and deny that which should be accredited to them justly so. Now that it has been shown what is being done right now with the application process at University High School, and that there is a definite problem with how the procedure is ran, a solution needs to be shown. Obviously the issue of a person's race should be excluded from being the first step in the application process, as well as excluding their economic status. I do, however, believe that it is an important piece of information that should still be asked on the application. It should be considered last, in the case that the board can not decided which last students should be accepted into U-High and which should not. The students that are in a minority (meaning a minority within the school, being it white, African-American, or any other group) should then be the one that would be accepted. This would still ensure that University High School is as diverse as possible, while still holding the well-earned respect as a wonderful, challenging school with the most qualified students possible. Also, if a student believes that their application has not been given proper review because one of the addressed issues, they should be able to appeal the denial of admittance to a different board that looks at why the student was denied in the first place and whether or not race or economic background was the only quality that had their application denied. In conclusion, it has been shown that there is a definite problem with the way the admission process works at University High School. This has been shown through a careful analysis of both sides of the issue. There are definite problems that the reasons for using this certain admissions process can not address or solve. The solution of moving the issue of race and economic background to the last part of the admissions process has shown to be an almost perfect solution to the issue, in addition to the board that denied applicants can inquire into their denial in certain circumstances. In the main hallway at University High School there is a very large sign; it reads, "Through these walls walk the greatest students in the world." Is that necessarily true, or is the admissions board keeping it from being so Bibliography: Word Count: 1652
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