I'm fully against
discrimination in all its forms and I believe that
affirmative action is one form of it. However, I feel like a
hypocrite because at the moment I'm reaping its benefits. As a female choosing to major in
Computer Science, I am definitely a
minority, and the
university calls my house when I'm in high school. I'm not around, but someone talks to my parents, saying that they definitely want me to come and what can they do to make sure that I come to their university. They added to the already substantial
scholarships I had already earned, because I'm a smart girl who wants to be an
engineer.
One of my good friends in high school was from one of the richest families in my town, and she's also half-Cuban. Her parents have a substantial amount socked away for college, she has no financial need whatsoever. On the PSAT, she scored 10 points lower than I did, and I was National Merit Commended. She now gets to claim the title of National Merit Scholar simply because she's Hispanic.
I can't say anything, since I'm receiving similar benefits myself.
Not that I'm going to turn down money, that wouldn't be smart. At that point in my life, my family was really stretched for cash, I needed all the help I could get. But this kind of policy is unfair. If any kind of affirmative action should be used, it should be based not only skin color or sex, but on financial need and circumstance as well.