Rapelye: no formula for admissions

Following months of debate about the role of affirmative action in Princeton's admissions process, Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye acknowledged last night that applicants' race does influence her office's decisions.

At a panel discussion organized by minority student groups, including Asian students concerned about the adverse role their race may play in the admissions process, Rapelye stressed that race is one of many factors that influence admissions. "We're looking at, first, academic excellence and intellectual curiosity," she said. "After that, we look at everything else students bring."

The panel, "Who Gets into Princeton? Affirmative Action in Princeton Admissions," was organized by the Consortium of International Student Organizations in the aftermath of Yale freshman Jian Li's civil rights complaint against the University. Li, who scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and had high grades throughout high school, alleges that he was not admitted to Princeton because he is Asian.

But Li's complaint was not discussed. Rapelye said she could not speak about the case because it is still pending in court.

Rapelye did not refer to Princeton's policy as affirmative action, explaining that "race is important" in building a diverse student body.

The thought process behind admissions decisions remained unclear, however, even as audience members probed for more specific information in a question-and-answer period.

When asked why Princeton's admission statistics for ethnic groups are not publicly available, Rapelye said that information "doesn't seem constructive." She emphasized that admissions decisions are not made based on a specific formula and that all applicants are given equal consideration on their individual merits.

She called diversity the "bedrock" of the University community and said that Princeton would continue to take race into consideration during the admissions process.

"What we're doing here is really important for the future," Rapelye said. "I think we are on the forefront of working out how to live and work together."

Three other panelists, all leaders of ethnic student groups, said they support affirmative action as a way to increase diversity on college campuses.

One panelist, Asian-American Student Association (AASA) president Katherine Chiang '08, said that Princeton's diversity allows her to learn about "cultures I knew nothing about before I came to Princeton."

The student panelists — Accion Latina president Peter Varela '08, Black Student Union executive member Danny Scotton '09 and Chiang — described affirmative action as a necessary tool for remedying perceived inequalities and prejudices.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

But when an audience member asked if Princeton students are actually engaging each other across the borders of race and class, the panel members hesitated before mentioning the University's financial support for intergroup collaboration and the student group Sustained Dialogue as resources available to students.

An audience member doubted the diversity of opinions among the student panelists. Belda Chan '07 expressed dismay that all three students seemed to support affirmative action. "I would have actually liked to hear different viewpoints," she said.

Eva Leung '08, the event's main organizer, said she conceived of the panel after learning about Li's civil rights complaint.

Leung said she hoped the panel would facilitate discussion of Li's grievances, which she said many Asian-Americans share. "We thought [Li] raised a lot of good points" that should be discussed publicly among Asian-American students.