Thus, the only way Harvard can depress Asian-American admission rates without simply saying “we’re only going to admit this many,” is for the admissions office to rate applicants subjectively, based on their personality. The factors that determine the personality rating are: likability, helpfulness, courage, kindness, positive personality, people like to be around them, the person is widely respected.
Harvard’s admissions office evaluates applicants on these characteristics without the benefit of knowing the applicants or, as I understand it, having spoken seriously with most of them. In lieu of real knowledge, they resort to stereotypes, viewing high achieving Asian-American candidates as insufficiently “well-rounded” or, as MIT’s dean of admissions said of one candidate, “yet another textureless math grind.”
So viewed, Asian-American applicants fare significantly worse than other applicants in terms of personality. How much worse? Just enough to admit the desired number of Blacks and Latinos pursuant to Harvard’s point system.
What is Harvard’s motto, again?
I’m thinking, it’ll be “What-Evs, Bitch” by 2025.