EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Harvard uses 'arbitrary and illogical' race criteria in admissions, attorney says
Cory Liu, partner at Ashcroft Law Firm, filed an amicus brief in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
Students for Fair Admissions is arguing that Harvard used race to illegally discriminate against white and Asian applicants.
Cory Liu sat down with Campus Reform to discuss the amicus brief he filed in the case of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, in which the Supreme Court may decide whether or not it is legal for colleges and universities to hold applicants to different academic standards based on their race.
Liu says that Harvard uses arbitrary categories of race that tell admissions officers next to nothing about a student’s life experience and what they could contribute to the school’s community.
”Reducing us down to these categories is unfair, it’s demeaning, and it’s contrary to our Constitution,” Liu said,
Emails revealed during legal proceedings have shown that Harvard has sent letters to students based on their PSAT scores, and that White and Asian male students must score significantly higher than their female peers and peers of other races in order to receive a letter encouraging them to apply. Liu told Campus Reform that this process is evidence that Harvard is “willing to lower the standards in terms of how they recruit based on people’s race.”
In his amicus brief, Liu argues that Harvard is violating civil rights law by awarding “tips” - effectively, bonus points - to students of certain races during the admissions process. Liu told Campus Reform that Harvard also uses a “personal rating” to numerically assess an applicant’s personality and other intangible factors that aren’t captured by GPA or test scores. Harvard found that Asian students systematically scored lower on the personal rating, but they still defended it as “fair and objective.” In the interview, Liu claims this is akin to Harvard admitting that they believe Asian students’ personalities are inferior to those of students of other races.
During the interview, Liu explained his belief that Harvard is using race-based admissions policies to correct an inequity created by their policy that vastly favors legacy students. He says, “If they got rid of legacy admissions, they may be able to actually have the more diverse student body without using racial preferences.”
Watch the full interview above to learn more about Harvard’s controversial practices, plus Liu’s advice for parents and students who want to restore integrity to the college admissions process.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @AngelaLMorabito
