Marougi and Bittar 1
Vanessa Marougi and Rita Bittar
Professor Hugh, Culik
English 1190
April 22, 2017
Digital Redlining in College Admissions
Digital redlining has been around since the early 1930’s. As generations passed by, digital redlining has taken a toll on students, adults, and others all around the world. It has played a huge part in race, and education. Digital redlining revoked access to schools, libraries, and the different homes you can own. Still today redlining restricts certain things for different types of people. Banks would lend money to lower income whites, but they would not to middle or upper income blacks. Not everything digital redlining restricts us from is for the bad. It protects children in schools from websites or advertisements they may accidentally come across.
Redlining has gotten better by tracking groups, areas, and people that others discriminate against and feel should be denied business, aid or other transactions. This helps our protection and gives those who are not denied a better opportunity to advance. Redlining had a big effect on the housing market and lowered property values around different areas. This encouraged people to abandon their homes, and as abandonment increased the population has decreased. Not only has redlining taken a big part of homes and race, it plays a role in college admissions, too. If colleges did not set certain expectations on what is needed to be accepted, almost anyone can attend the school. But certain requirements are pushed to an extent, and play a huge role in digital redlining. It all starts with the location and type of high school you attend.
The school that is in an area where digital redlining occurs may have a lot of students who drop or must transfer to credit recovery schools. For example, if a student is not receiving enough help or information to help them pass they will end up with a bad grade in the course. Access to libraries, tutors, or other types of help may not be available to those with low incomes because of digital redlining. A student in a school district with greater access to materials that will help them succeed will help students in that school get accepted into 4-year universities.
If I placed myself in a private school, things would be different. The requirements to attend the school, and their school averages are much higher than a public school. Students in a private school also have more competition. Michael Trivette, writer of “Is there a private school advantage in college admissions?” wrote that “a student with a 1300 SAT at a public high school where the average SAT is 1000 will have an admissions edge over an equal student at a private school where 1300 is the average SAT score.” Public school students have an easier chance to advance farther than their classmates over students at a private school. Not only is it more competitive at private schools, it is more expensive and only available to those who can afford it, limiting access to those who wish to attend, but cannot.
Standardized test are there for high schools to see how their students are doing, and colleges to receive a student’s current knowledge level before deciding to accept them into their school. ACT/SAT’s are a test all students must take. Before students take the test, your school gives you the option to automatically send your score to the college or university of your choice. Most universities purchase mailing list of high-scoring students from the College Board, but this means only SAT scores, leaving out any student who has taken the ACT. Sheryll Cashin, writer of “Redlining Education: How Universities Exclude Students Based on Where They Live” said, “Highly selective schools tend to prefer the SAT over the ACT.” and, “selective schools miss more than six thousand very high scoring, low income students each year simply because of their SAT-only search policies.” they are missing thousands of students who could qualify for their school because they only look for SAT scores. The students with high ACT scores will not get the chance to be acknowledged, and their skills are being ignored. In today’s day, all schools are required to give students the SAT only. Making the colleges that only looked for SAT students before, have a bigger variety of students to choose from which will cause higher competition.
In the article, “College Admission Secrets: How The Admission Committee Review Process Works” Amy, a Principal College Admissions Counselor, wrote that “GPA and test scores can be the sole reason you are denied, but at the top universities in the U.S. they will never be the sole reason you are accepted.” So not only are grades and test scores just an advantage, it is your background and how a student spent the past 4 years of high school that matter the most. They look in places where parents are also college graduates. A student with low income parents that have little to no education may never be noticed because they tend to look for students in higher income areas with parents that have some type of education. Some schools try to meet a requirement that 15% of the student population is black. In 2008, The University of Texas was sued for denying a white students admission. Thorin Klosowski, Author of “Should Race Still Be a Factor In College Admissions?” mentioned that “California and Michigan banned the use of affirmative action in admissions decisions at all public colleges.” This means that the schools cannot favor those who suffer from discrimination. Josh Freedman, Author of “Why American Colleges Are Becoming a Force of Inequality” also talks about how a student’s family income will play a significant role in their admission:
In fact, schools are already moving away from a more equitable system. Colleges actively recruit "full pay" students who can attend and will not need financial aid. A 2011 survey by Inside Higher Ed found that about 35 percent of admissions directors at 4-year institutions, particularly public colleges, had increased their efforts to target "full pay" students. Far from wanting to enroll more low-income students, colleges recruit more affluent ones who will pay full price to attend. A follow-up survey of college business officers found that the most common strategy to deal with financial challenges in the next few years was to "raise net tuition revenue." More than 7 in 10 college CFOs cited this answer. In other words, schools are becoming more reliant on the inequality in the system than ever before.
Not only is money a huge factor in your admissions, so many people apply for these schools which makes the admissions offices consider socioeconomic status, and volunteer as a big part in an application. Digital redlining makes it harder for some students to meet these expectations. Someone in a high social class has a much better opportunity to volunteer and talk to known peers that will build their references. In low social classes, there is not much of an opportunity given for those students, even at school. Klosowski also mentions that “Low income high schools do not offer advance placement classes, so a student is limited and could not receive over a 4.0 unlike at other high income schools who offer those classes can receive a higher GPA than a 4.0” (page 2). Because of the area a student lives, their school district does not offer the same as a higher class school district will. The student with the AP credits will most likely be accepted over the student with no AP credits. Some students at low income schools could be accepted in some of America's top universities. Josh Freedman said that “Low-income students outside of major urban centers do not even apply to the top-tier colleges for which they are qualified.” Some students may think that because they don’t receive the same access or help to information, that they won’t stand a chance against other high class students.
College recruiters choose the athletes from high schools. They look for schools that have a good sport reputation, and talent. Attending a school that has a team with neither of those qualities will not get you noticed by colleges of your choice. They look for students that also have videos and such so they can watch their highlights, and a student who has little to no access to someone who can record their highlights, and help them become noticed will not be able to extend their athletics to a 4-year college.
Financial aid is offered at schools, and although the application for aid is separate from the admissions application they still use a certain process to know if a student is qualified or not just like in admissions. Financial aid has access to all our financial information. To see if you are qualified they ask for information like your taxes. Not everyone gets granted aid. For example, I have seen friends who desperately need the grant, but get denied, and others who can live without it and still receive it. Digital redlining denies access to certain people to receive financial aid. Schools offer help to apply for financial aid, others have outside recourses that can help. A student with limited access cannot receive any help to apply for it. Students who see that there is an application process usually do not go through it because of the information needed that the student cannot obtain, or the help they need that they do not have.
Digital redlining in college admissions is much more than just grades. Your background, social class and income also play a huge role. As we looked through the process of admissions, and what colleges typically look for we noticed that most of them are looking for wealthy, smart students that they can count on to graduate, and succeed to pay off their student loans. We have come to believe that most colleges do not give students with good grades in low income families a chance to prove that they are able to do just as much as other students can. Each student, regardless of their race or income, should be allowed to have a chance to show schools the key qualities they have that would benefit the universities.
Work Cited
"Redlining." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Apr. 2017. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.
Thorin Klosowski"Should race still be a factor in college admissions?" 3 March 2010.
HowStuffWorks.com.< 18 April 2017
Sheryll Cashin / Beacon Press. "Redlining Education: How Universities Exclude Students Based on Where They Live." Alternet. Beacon Press, 27 May 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
Trivette, Michael. "Is There a Private School Advantage in College Admissions?" College Transitions. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
"College Admissions Secrets: How the Admissions Committee Review Process Works."IvyWise. Amy, 2017. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.
Marklein, Mary Beth. "Colleges Can Still Use Race for Admissions." USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 24 June 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.
Freedman, Josh. "Why American Colleges Are Becoming a Force for Inequality." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 16 May 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.