The Texas Top Ten
In 1996
federal courts ruled against affirmative action
programs declaring race-based admissions policies to be
unconstitutional.
Side note: Yeah,
haven`t really followed that legislative
fiasco—affirmative action "law" seems to
change more often than my
hair color. So I just take it day to day, you know,
like my hair color.
If at first you don`t
succeed…the
Top Ten policy was introduced for Texas public
universities.
The plan allows the
top ten percent of high school graduates, regardless
of grades, test scores or social achievement to gain
admission to any Texas public University.
Basically, if you graduate from a high school in a
traditionally low-scoring school district with identical
SAT scores to that of a professional mime but you did
better than 90 percent of the mimes-to-be, you get
automatic admission to such state schools as the
University of Texas in Austin.
Now lawmakers are arguing whether the Top 10 plan should
be repealed, or revised in order to tackle the
increasing number of students "automatically"
admitted to UT.
Two thirds of last year`s freshman class was made up of
Top 10ers, making it increasingly hard for non Top
10er`s to gain admission.
CBS`s 60 Minutes took a closer look at the controversy.
[Is
the "Top 10" plan unfair? June 19, 2005]
The story focuses on two female students:
The first was a
white girl, Elizabeth Aicklen. She had a 3.9 GPA,
advanced placement credits and family legacy. Every
member of her family attended UT.
I
am not suggesting that legacy be a factor for admission
to any public university. Still, for Aicklen, attending
UT was likely a life-long dream.
Unfortunately in her school, this stellar record did not
rank her in the top ten percent of her graduating class.
Her problem was, according to CBS:
"… (She) went to
Westlake, the most competitive public high school in
Austin, filled with overachievers from upscale
families."
The second was a Latino girl, Laura Torres. She had a
3.4 GPA without any advanced placement courses.
Again, according to CBS:
"Torres` high school,
Fox Tech, was vastly different. There were fewer
challenging courses, less competition, and many kids
from
poor families."
If Torres had attended Westlake (Aicklen`s school) she
would have scored at best in the top 50 percent of the
graduating class.
Here`s the kicker: In the SAT test (you know—for those
still in the dark ages—this is what Universities use to
gauge a potential students`
scholastic aptitude) Torres scored hundreds
(yes, hundreds) of points
less than Aicklen.
Torres now attends UT—Aicklen does not.
Can we say….discrimination?
Of course not!
Discrimination can only
occur against someone if they are a certain
color…meaning everybody but
white people.
The law was not enacted to
preclude certain students from attending State
Universities, but it does make it more
difficult—sometimes impossible—for more qualified
students to gain admission to popular Universities such
as
UT.
60 Minutes asked the girls how they felt about the Top
10 policy.
"I think it`s a great
way to give an opportunity to someone who would not
otherwise have it. But at the same time, I didn`t get
what I wanted,"
says Aicklen. "I
felt like I didn`t get what I deserved."
However, after being informed of the GPA and SAT score
discrepancy, Miss Torres had this to offer:
"I`m kinda
questioning it. I don`t know what to think. I guess it
is kinda unfair. …It`s a very complicated issue. Now I
feel really bad."
If the Top 10 program is designed to
promote ethnic diversity, and any student in their
respective high school`s top 10 percent can get admitted
to UT, how does that have anything to do with race or
ethnicity?
I
see only confused young adults who are questioning their
own (or lack thereof) admission to higher learning.
Can someone apply the law of common sense?
Where is
Thomas Paine when you need him?
Bryanna Bevens [email
her] is a political consultant and former chief of staff
for a member of the California State Assembly.


