Education Week: 'All the Black Kids at Harvard Are Rich,' and Other Dangerous Myths About Affirmative Action

In an article in Education Week, UMD College of Education associate professor Julie Park provides commentary on why colleges should consider both race and class during the admissions process.

Dr. Park cites recent research at Stanford University suggesting that considering race alongside class during admissions might be the best way forward in expanding low-income students' opportunities to study at top colleges. Referring to a 2016 Urban Institute study on economic inequality, Dr. Park also argues that an admissions system that focuses only on class and not race will struggle to grow racial and socioeconomic diversity.

“Admissions need work, and colleges need more low-income students of all races,” Dr. Park writes. “But boosting socioeconomic diversity is not going to come from banning race-conscious admissions. We have to look at both race and class, and eliminating consideration of race will only threaten our ability to close opportunity gaps for low-income students.”

Dr. Park is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education. Dr. Park’s research interests include racial diversity in higher education, affirmative action, and the college admissions process.