March 27, 2009

Affirmative-Action Programs for Minority Students: Right in Theory, Wrong in Practice

By CAMILLE Z. CHARLES, MARY J. FISCHER, MARGARITA A. MOONEY and DOUGLAS S. MASSEY

The use of race-sensitive criteria in admissions continues to be controversial, and critics have leveled three basic charges against it.

For one, opponents say the practice constitutes reverse discrimination, lowering the chance of admission for better-qualified white students. They also contend that it creates a mismatch between the skills of minority students and the abilities required for success at selective institutions, setting those students up for academic problems. And they