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The Impact of Admissions Practices on Race Relations on Elite University Campuses in the United States and Britain

Sun, August 13, 10:30am to 12:10pm, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Floor: Level 5, 511B

Abstract

When deciding which applicants to admit, most elite universities in the United States consider campus “diversity,” in order to improve the campus experiences of all students. They also cali-brate evaluations according to the opportunities an applicant has had. In Britain, evaluations of merit in admissions primarily depend on performance on state and university exams and on evaluations of “academic abilities” and “aptitude” through a campus interview. In this paper I discuss the impact on campus race relations of these discourses around who are the most wor-thy students to admit. In the United States, admissions discourses lead many white students to fear accusations of racism, sometimes spilling over to racial resentment. Paradoxically, this fear can lead to social distancing between whites and students of color on campus, despite a desire by most students for inter-racial dialogue. In contrast, most white British students reject claims of racism and racial inequality altogether, despite some minority students’ reports of racism on campus. Overall, the paper shows that systems of evaluation shape (and reflect) individuals’ meaning-making in other domains; in this case, I emphasize the impact on meaning-making re-lated to race in campus life. The paper is based on 143 in-depth interviews with undergraduates on Ivy League campuses in the US and Oxford University in Britain.

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