Thernstroms’ argument re: affirmative action

Prestige of Ivy league

the quality of the student body, which was selected on merit

Jewish exclusion

Before WW2, Harvard and Princeton limited Jew applicants and held their standards higher than every other applicant

Subjective criteria

“deep love of learning”; “a capacity for high academic achievement”; “will contribute later in life to society”

Objective criteria

Test scores and grades

Alternative proposal for increasing diversity

improve K-12 schooling so that people can earn a spot on their own merit.

Diversity

Proportional racial mix

Merit

Intellectual excellence

Asian exclusion

Asain people would be held to a higher standard and rejected even though they had higher scores

Value of SAT and GPA

best predictors of student success and retention

History of SAT

Balances the race admission profile