In this corporate-dominated world, having a college degree is imperative if you want to have a decent job in life. It is also a well-known fact that with the cutthroat competition in the education sector these days, getting into your dream college, or just another college that has renowned faculty at least for your major is tough. In this article we shall Do Colleges Have Quotas?
Here is where quotas come into play. Quotas are fixed requirements needed to admit a certain group of students from different racial or even financial backgrounds to ease any kind of personal hurdles they might face in pursuing their careers. Even though it sounds completely on the positive side of things, affirmative actions or quotas have more often than not been the subject of heated debates, as some view it as “preferential” treatment rather than equal. This article might especially appeal to you if you are in the United States of America, or an international student planning to study here, so read on to know more about quotas and to see if you are eligible for one.
What exactly are quotas?
Affirmative actions were first introduced by John F Kennedy back in 1961, and it demanded that minorities, regardless of race, color, and nationality be treated fairly.
Today, diversity in an educational institute plays an important role in the overall growth of its students. Hence, to encourage people from all walks of life to choose their institution, they provide quotas. Also called affirmative actions, these are measures that the universities take in order to reserve seats for students excelling in sports, or those that hail from a minority- religious or racial, or even academic genius. Different colleges have different types of quotas, but the aim remains the same- to have a demographically, racially, and personality-wise diverse group of students.
Students that qualify for these quotas are preferred over other students regardless of their individual performance sometimes, as they are inherently designed to facilitate the active involvement of these sectors.
Advantages Of Affirmative Action
These affirmative actions or quotas are so widespread that there must be irreplaceable advantages. Some of these are:
- Encourages disadvantaged students to pursue higher studies:
It is often seen that students have to put a stop to their education and take up unskilled jobs to sustain their families as they come from disadvantaged or economically oppressed backgrounds. Hence, when colleges provide quotas and grants to these students specifically, it encourages them to grab the opportunity and make a good career out of their lives.
- Uplifts the students’ socioeconomic status:
A person’s socioeconomic status is usually determined by education, job, and income. With quotas being adequately provided, the chances of socioeconomically backward people being provided equal opportunities to climb up the ladder are more. Growth will be noticed first individually, and then as a community.
- It gives way to a healthy environment for diversity to bloom.
The most prominent advantage of affirmative action is that it promotes diversity in a work or educational space, thus encouraging people to adapt to people from different backgrounds, which in turn helps personal growth and mindset. Productivity, too, is at its peak with unique minds coming together in a learning space.
- It puts a stop to offensive stereotypes.
Stereotypes are shattered when one communicates with a person to whom the stereotype is subjected since they are usually based on age-old beliefs or just pure ignorant mindsets. In turn, this promotes healthy communal relations, maintaining peace both at national and international levels.
Disadvantages Of Affirmative Action
- It encourages discrimination in reverse.
Since the ultimate goal is to eliminate any sort of discrimination in society, one cannot go around making special quotas for a certain sector of society. Thus, in some ways, the idea of affirmative action contradicts itself and has been a hot topic for debates and discussions ever since its launch.
ii. It brings out the ugly side of diversity.
Sometimes, diversity does not do what is usually expected. There have been cases where diversity has given way to a sort of group-ism and hatred among the students of an educational institute. On the other hand, just for diversity’s sake, brilliant students from the other sectors might not get admitted, thus lowering their potential.
iii. It downplays the minority students’ merits:
If someone gets into the college under the quota system, they are often bullied or their merits are watered down to just a result of reservation, which is not the case. It brings down their morale, which results in either dropping out or overworking themselves to prove their worth.
State Bans On Racial Quotas
Nine states in the United Nations of America have legally banned quotas based on race because they believe that this reverse discrimination might do more harm than good. Examples include Arizona and California.
On the other hand, even some Ivy League schools have affirmative action to encourage a more diverse and unique community of students.
What Colleges Offer Quotas?
Stanford Uni, MIT, Harvard etc. do offer have an affirmative action policy but it is suggested that you check your desired college’s policies separately.
Conclusion:
Quotas, also called affirmative action, are special reservations for people from backward backgrounds, or preferences given in cases of extreme academic genius or sports achievements. Even though they have been viewed negatively by scholars, they sure have played a major role in breaking down stereotypes and uplifting socioeconomically backward people, in turn contributing to the development of the nation as a whole. Lastly, answering the main question of the article, yes, colleges do have quotas.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs):
- How does affirmation action affect society?
It uplifts the backward sector of society both economically and social-status wise, which leads to better resource allocation as well as the development of the nation as a whole.
- Is affirmative action legal?
It was declared unconstitutional by Justice Elena Kagan, but limited and appropriate use of it in educational settings is overlooked as it ultimately does encourage students who would otherwise drop out to continue with their education.
