The university’s demographics resemble the elite New York City public high school Stuyvesant, which relies on the results of a single standardized test and focuses on math, science and technology. Three-quarters of Stuyvesant’s students are Asian American. It recently admitted only seven black students for 895 spots, creating an uproar and renewing calls to change its admissions practices.
Harvard -- which like most elite colleges, says it uses a holistic method for admissions -- recently said 15 percent of those accepted to this fall’s freshman class were African American.
Emotional Intelligence
Schaeffer and others say fill-in-the-bubble exams ignore many other forms of intelligence such as emotional and creative. None other than Steve Jobs, who attended liberal arts college Reed, stressed how humanities disciplines contributed to his triumphs at Apple.
And then there’s the other reason to go to college: social connections and, well, fun. The University of Southern California, about 14 miles from Caltech’s campus, has been at the center of the admissions scandal.
Regardless, USC remains a hot national ticket in part because of its ties to Hollywood and its vibrant social life and spirit, fueled by its successful Division 1 Trojans sports teams.
“When I think of a typical college student, I associate it more with things like frats, sororities, games, big parties and constant drinking and just kind of goofing off for four years after you move out from your parents,’’ said Richard Dargan, a 20-year-old Caltech sophomore majoring in computer science. “I don’t think anyone here would really fit that because everyone here is just really hard working and very passionate about what they do.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.