The Black Quest for Higher Education: An Admissions Dilemma

During the past academic year, black students on major college campuses have demanded that institutions of higher learning admit greater numbers of minority youth. This demand has raised serious questions regarding the traditional admissions criteria established by these institutions. As a means of increasing the relevance of the university and of making higher education available to a larger and more representative portion of our society, admissions officers should assess admissions criteria which take into account motivational and attitudinal, as well as the usual intellectual, characteristics of the individual. Colleges and universities that have revised their admissions criteria have found that “high-risk” students can achieve successfully with proper tutorial and counseling services.