21 Oxbridge colleges took no black students last year

[MaeMobley]

Here is an article in the Guardian:

www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/dec/06/oxford-colleges-no-black-students?dm_i=D9F%2CBP8Z%2C2P0DKY%2CX1T9%2C1

My son was totally put off the whiteness of Cambridge when he went to look round last year. He applied to Oxford. It was a battle to get the school to support him as it wasn't a science/maths/economics subject and as he wasn't white his face didn't fit. At the Oxford faculty open day (History) there were two non white sixth formers attending out of over 500 or so. Him and one other. This was an outreach event primarily to encourage students from state schools all over the country. At one of his two interviews he was asked much fewer questions than others interviewed (as he found out later). He froze when faced only with questions about gender discrimination in France at the turn of the century. He knew a lot about loads of other stuff. He scored very very highly in the entrance exam. He was rejected. He goes to London which he loves because he is comfortable and very happy indeed there.
I am happy he is happy but unhappy about the possible race dimension of it all - it is as if outside London, academia (not just Oxford) especially in non science subjects is getting more racist, not less. I and my daughter have not faced this to such an extent. Or it could be because males are more discriminated against and we chose sciences so were in the expected mould. He thinks it is because he wasn't clever or articulate enough and stopped wanting to go there as he didn't like the college anyway- thought it was all too rarified and wasn't allowed by his school to apply to the college he wanted where he had got on with the tutor at the open day. Actually he is the brightest in the whole family.

So does this particular experience mean Oxford is racist?
No, because the history faculty open day was for all.
And no, because an interviewer can ask questions on a range of unfamiliar issues to see how the candidate responds.
But does racism affect the admissions rate: yes it does. Racism and poverty.

But does racism affect the admissions rate: yes it does. Racism and poverty.

Wouldn't academic ability also affect the admissions rate? There is about a 1 standard deviation difference in group scores.

Gottfredson, L. S. (2005). Implications of cognitive differences for schooling within diverse societies. Pages 517-554 in C. L. Frisby & C. R. Reynolds (Eds.), Comprehensive Handbook of Multicultural School Psychology. New York: Wiley.

www.udel.edu/educ/gottfredson/reprints/2005cognitivediversity.pdf

CP019 only give the poor academic children a chance - that might work!.