Admitting by Character

Office of Undergraduate Admissions StaffTHE SANTA CLARAFebruary 25, 2016

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s concerned staff members in the Office of Undergraduate Admission, we wanted to reflect on statements made in Andy Hudlow’s op-ed piece “Colleges and Universities Are Still Racist.” This is not an official statement, but rather a reflection from a group of individuals who care deeply about the work we do.

We are fortunate here at Santa Clara University to live in one of the most diverse areas of the United States. Our student population should reflect this diversity.

Jesuit values call on us to use our resources and knowledge to build a more just and sustainable world. So in admissions, we make equitable decisions by taking a look at the student as a whole person, not just their numbers.

We evaluate what we believe to be the most important parts of “the content of their character,” which is often reflected in a number of different factors (in no particular order): race, grades, gender, family, school attended, personal experiences and socioeconomic status. In our careers, we have learned that there is no perfect story for the perfect applicant.

Unfortunately, in national studies, researchers find many underrepresented students face challenges that make their college path more complicated than majority populations. However, not every underrepresented student has had the same experiences. For the process to be fair, we evaluate every application individually and take all accounts into consideration.

This way, we build a campus environment where students can learn from perspectives similar and different from their own—where “the content of their character” will be challenged everyday.

Ultimately, we believe in a diverse campus because the world is diverse. But we will never admit a student who does not deserve to be here. We look at race as one of many factors in our decision-making process, but this is never the sole factor.

Underrepresented students get admitted to this university based on their hard work, dedication, and excellence. That’s what makes our school such an amazing intellectual community. By evaluating the entirety of each story, we create a Santa Clara of which we can all be proud.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is located in the Schott Building.

Articles in the opinion section represent the views of the individual authors only and not the views of The Santa Clara or Santa Clara University.