I recently noted (here) that the question of admissions preferences for gay students has come out of the closet.
Now a Princeton student has asked whether or not Princeton gives such preferences.
Princeton’s Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye declined to comment on whether the University will make this move but emphasized the University’s commitment to diversity in all its forms.
“We value students from all backgrounds, and diversity has a broad definition for our work,” she said in an email.
“In terms of the admissions process, we give students every consideration if they have a diverse background including students who are gay, or who may be involved in LGBT groups in their high schools, communities or national organizations.”
A diverse background? Surely a Princeton Dean can be more articulate than that! What exactly is “a diverse background”? Whatever it is, does Princeton want a little of it or a lot of it in the “background” of its applicants?
Interestingly, some Princeton LGBT students don’t want any preferences.
Some LGBT students also are concerned about the effects such a policy could have. “People tend to question your merit when you are a minority or your parents graduated from a school,” said Yujhan Claros ’10, who is gay. “I don’t know if I want that for the LGBT community.”
Perhaps Dean Rapelye would be willing to share with other Ivy League Deans the secret of Princeton’s success in finding and attracting such reactionary students. You know the ones; they’re the students who want only equality, not special treatment.
This recalls an infamous comment President Tighlman made a few years ago that Princeton needed more “blue-haired” students. The implication was that Princeton had a well deserved reputation for preppies and jocks and was losing counter-cultural types to Harvard. A LGBT bonus (if it exists) could also serve to remedy this perceived problem.