The Shape of the River

An analysis of the histories of over 60,000 white and African-American students who attended academically selective universities between the 1970s and the early 1990s. The text shows how the findings affect arguments used to attack or defend universities' use of race in admitting students.

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Across the United States, in courts, classrooms and the media, Americans are divided over the use of race in admitting students to universities. This book is intended to change that. It brings a wealth of empirical evidence to bear on how race-sensitive admissions policies actually work and what effects they have had on students of different races. The heart of the book is an analysis of the academic, employment and personal histories of more than 60,000 white and African-American students who attended academically selective universities between the 1970s and the early 1990s. The authors argue that only by examining the college careers and the subsequent lives of these students - or, to use a metaphor they take from Mark Twain, by learning the shape of the entire river - can we pass an informed judgement on the wisdom of university admissions policies. They begin by examining the historical context for race-sensitive admissions and how race affects the chances of being admitted to selective colleges. They analyze students' academic records and whether black students overachieved or underachieved in relation to their precollegiate records.
The authors follow students to graduate and professional schools and into the marketplace. They explore students' community and family lives after university and the students' reflections on their university experience. In the final chapters, they show how their findings affect the arguments commonly used to attack or defend the use of race in admitting students to the most competitive colleges and universities.