Event Title

Racial, Gender, and Socioeconomic Diversity as Factors of Academic Success In Post-Secondary Institutions

Advisor(s)

Patrick Kearney; Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

Discipline

Behavioral and Social Sciences

Start Date

21-4-2021 9:30 AM

End Date

21-4-2021 9:45 AM

Abstract

This paper recapitulates a project that investigates racial, gender, and socioeconomic diversity as factors of academic success in the largest 4-year colleges in each state. By doing so, the project strives to change public perceptions about the role that diversity plays in college admissions. If direct correlations are found, the resulting inferences could have great influence over the future of college’ admissions processes. Although society is becoming more accepting towards various social groups, perspectives surrounding the consideration of diversity in college decisions are lamentably still manifold. These perspectives can be bisected into exceedingly divergent sides. One readily encourages diversity as a factor in admissions, while the other instead believes that true equality signifies being blind to any applicant’s race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Those who believe in the latter believe that unqualified students from diverse backgrounds are accepted into institutions. In their view, this makes the academic performance of that institution significantly lower than what it could have been if “true equality,” in their sense, was observed in the admissions process. In response, this research paper will provide a statistical approach to demonstrating whether different types of diversity hinder the academic success of an institution.

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Apr 21st, 9:30 AM Apr 21st, 9:45 AM

Racial, Gender, and Socioeconomic Diversity as Factors of Academic Success In Post-Secondary Institutions

This paper recapitulates a project that investigates racial, gender, and socioeconomic diversity as factors of academic success in the largest 4-year colleges in each state. By doing so, the project strives to change public perceptions about the role that diversity plays in college admissions. If direct correlations are found, the resulting inferences could have great influence over the future of college’ admissions processes. Although society is becoming more accepting towards various social groups, perspectives surrounding the consideration of diversity in college decisions are lamentably still manifold. These perspectives can be bisected into exceedingly divergent sides. One readily encourages diversity as a factor in admissions, while the other instead believes that true equality signifies being blind to any applicant’s race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Those who believe in the latter believe that unqualified students from diverse backgrounds are accepted into institutions. In their view, this makes the academic performance of that institution significantly lower than what it could have been if “true equality,” in their sense, was observed in the admissions process. In response, this research paper will provide a statistical approach to demonstrating whether different types of diversity hinder the academic success of an institution.