College Admission: Tough Times For Girls?

More Female Applicants Miss Out As Schools Try To Maintain Gender Equilibrium

(U.S. News & World Report)  The University of Richmond, like many small liberal arts colleges, has its roots in single-sex education. The campus, which sits on a picturesque 350 acres of woodland a few miles outside the Virginia state capital, was once two schools: Westhampton and Richmond colleges, on opposite sides of a small lake.

The campuses merged around the turn of the 20th century, creating the coed institution that exists today. The delicate balance between men and women at Richmond has always been a tricky thing to manage.

These days, the student body is 49 percent male and 51 percent female, a ratio that the college insists is determined by the availability of on-campus housing. Maintaining that equilibrium, however, means rejecting many more female applicants than male ones. In the past decade, female applicants have faced an admissions rate that averages 13 percentage points lower than that of their male peers just for the sake of keeping that girl-boy balance.

"From a philosophical standpoint, we've really discussed the benefits of keeping it about equal," says Marilyn Hesser, a senior associate director of admissions at Richmond. "The board of trustees has said that the admissions office can go as far as 55-45 [women to men]." Male and female applicants have test scores that are virtually the same, she says. "Was [the male applicant's] high school GPA a little lower? Perhaps."

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A thumb on the scale. The University of Richmond is not unique in its effort to keep the number of men and women enrolled roughly equal in the face of a dramatically changing pool of applicants. Nor is it the school where the gap in admissions rates is the most pronounced. Using undergraduate admissions rate data from more than 1,400 four-year colleges and universities that participate in its rankings, U.S. News has found that over the past 10 years many schools have maintained their gender balance by admitting men and women at drastically different rates.

The schools that are most selective - think Harvard and Princeton - have so many applicants and so many high achievers that they maintain balanced student bodies naturally by skimming the cream of the crop. But at other colleges, maintaining gender equity on some campuses appears to require a thumb on the scale in favor of boys. It's at these schools, including Pomona, Boston College, Wesleyan University, Tufts, and the College of William and Mary, that the gap in admit rates is particularly acute.

What does this mean for applicants? For girls, making the cut might come down to something as simple as the expected field of study. As an admissions officer from a small Midwestern liberal arts college puts it: "God help the female English majors who apply to this school." On the other hand, women hoping to study engineering will find themselves at an advantage at schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which over the past decade has admitted women at a rate that is 17 percentage points higher than the rate for men.

Boys will be boys. Male applicants, meanwhile, are often at an advantage-so much so that college counselors have begun advising some boys to "emphasize their maleness," says Steve Goodman, a longtime independent college counselor. He encourages male students to submit pictures or trumpet their sports activities "anything to catch an admissions officer's eye."

Some colleges, like Lake Erie College in Ohio and Husson College in Maine, are making extra efforts to attract male applicants by creating football teams. Others are emphasizing hands-on learning and reaching out to all-male high schools. Common recruiting practices like writing personalized notes or having alumni call interested students are not as effective at landing students with a Y chromosome, schools have found.

A word of caution, however: Trying to second-guess which aspect of your application will most appeal is risky. What if the school needs students just like you? What's especially dangerous is trying to game the system by showing interest in a major only for the better admit rate-feigning interest in the physical sciences if you're a woman, say. At some schools, if you're accepted into the engineering school, for example, it's almost impossible to transfer into the liberal arts college. In the end, counselors and admissions officers say it's better to be honest on your application and get into a school that wants you rather than conceal your true intentions.

[veryradiant]

Hmmm.... We spent the last 40 years trying to bring females up to males in education (both K-12 and college). It looks like we overcompensated on the effort to elevate females and left the males behind. The majority of our attention has been towards improving education for females. I know it is hard to change a way of thinking after a generation. But our society needs both males and females to be successful. This means we need to reevaluate our educational system at all levels to meet the needs of males who are failing at all levels.

[agnim]

"Dear you done put him in his place and well said.
Posted by MichelleM99 at 12:09 PM : Aug 18, 2007"

I thought you claimed that you couldn''t see?
You are only able to see in order to marry misery? LOL

[agnim]

"Yeah, and you are doing a peachy job at it! War, hate, intollerance, violence, pollution... wow, behold the power of men! Funny also how the more advanced a society, the greater the role women have in it.
Posted by sy2502 at 02:31 AM : Aug 18, 2007"

You are making my point. The warmongers abound because of the bitter wombs from whence they continue to fall.

And no society can ''advance'' if the children are left behind by foolish females and moronic moms, who think that a sterile ''career'' chasing man-like roles trumps raising healthy and successful children, being good mates and moms!

I should be happy at your self-delusion that your are more educated (I think that you mean MIS-EDUCATED) and the measure of your worth in salary.
Ain''t that like the ho''s mentality not not be able to appreciate the more profound values of life?

We have a few decades on the planet. The value of existence transcends the superficial trinkets and mis-education.

No female can be worth any amount of gold and the like that has more value than being a good mate and mom. A female existence is pretty much worthless on its own, regardless of how deluded the mind may get about superficial things.

[michellem99-2009]

Dear you done put him in his place and well said. The war,hate,control,etc. Oh by the way THE BIBLE that was writ by men and for men.. Very out dated for today. I don''t base my life on it.

[sy2502]

I''''m not sure what is your beef?
Posted by Agnim at 10:52 PM : Aug 17, 2007

None, honey, just rubbing your nose in the fact that I, a woman, am more educated then you and make more money than you, and as much as it gets on your nerves (which is fine with me!) there is nothing you can do about it.

Of course the whole blame goes back to the lost and confused males; since they are the ones naturally endowed with the responsibility and the POWER to determine a healthy and efficient society.
Posted by Agnim at 10:52 PM : Aug 17, 2007

Yeah, and you are doing a peachy job at it! War, hate, intollerance, violence, pollution... wow, behold the power of men! Funny also how the more advanced a society, the greater the role women have in it. Societies that treat women like you would like them to be treated are all stone-age level (Talebans, Africa, etc). Yeah, you can really see how women have absolutely nothing positive to contribute to society. Let''s leave it to men, they sure know what they are doing! LOL!

As I said, you are going extinct in the civilized world. We won''t miss you.

[michellem99-2009]

I have never had children but it is worth the ladies who have to shave this. Also men can''t multi task. They just can''t plus they don''t understand us as we don''t them. We are wired differently if that makes any sense. I am older so hope the young ones are not trapped in a life that don''t fit them. Men must not force them to be this/that way. The dark ages are gone hopely for good.

[sverre5-2009]

Posted by MichelleM99 at 12:05 AM : Aug 18, 2007

Very well said, many people don''t understand what women have to go through at childbirth, and keeping a house. Men can easily say that it is their purpose to do so, when they have not experienced it themselves.

[michellem99-2009]

This battle has been going on for years. I recken you think children who end up in abusage foster homes and poorly school are not worth it. So men don''t want to do the jobs that he thinks is too good for him,well he will learn things the hard way. Each gender has to do. So you men think a female is not a whole person unless a baby is born to her. Well not true. It hurts their male pride to be put in their place which need to be done .I feel men make to many messes. Time to clean house. So are you prond of the ladies who so unselfishly do the thankless jobs,in combat now that did shock me as they went. We should not have prove anything to a man. I was told that childbirth would kill a man,I really don''t know. They like to be babied.

[sverre5-2009]

It is possible for a family with two working parents to adequately cope with peer pressure. The most effective way to debunk the possibility of kids experimenting with drugs is to raise them in an environment where they understand the dangers of drug abuse. This can be done with two working parents. Not all men are fortunate enough to receive an income that can support an entire family on their own. Financially, the world is becoming more and more complex, and in many situations, it is more logistically reasonable to have two working parents. Also, not all women are the same. While some may enjoy being a stay-at-home mom, others need to find out and "understand" what makes them happy. Some women don''t feel that staying at home is satisfying enough, and feel trapped when in a stay-at-home situation. An organized household can be established even if both parents are working. Also, you speak of "natural male dominance". Is it not the wonder of the human species that we are able to overcome natural urges, and adapt to fit the times?

[agnim]

"Also, getting a career does not necessarily make a woman ''''masculine'''', it can be a maturing experience that allows them to understand themselves more than if they were confined doing something they did not wish to do.
Posted by Sverre5 at 10:47 PM : Aug 17, 2007"

Ever thought that the reason that women would feel ''confined doing something they did not wish to do" relates to the fact that women do not "understand themselves", which is one of my point? LOL
Women are becoming truly lost! Pity the children.

And there is no escaping that drug use can be traced back to lack of parenting, which causes the children to grow up mentally weak and more susceptible to peer pressure and the like.

If parents spend more time with their children than their dumb peers do, then how could the peers succeed in having more influence than the ADULT PARENTS?

It makes no sense that DISORGANIZED children can have more impact on other children than MORE ORGANIZED ADULTS can.

If the relatively dumb peers are having more influence, it can only mean that the ADULTS aren''t spending as much quality time with the children!

There is no way that a younger mind is going to have more influence on another than a more mature/adult mind can!

Peer pressure is an adult/parent cop out!
The parents don''t want to acknowledge that they are not spending the time to have influence on their children over other mere children

[agnim]

"Oh well, your kind will go extinct very soon thankfully.
Posted by sy2502 at 06:33 PM : Aug 17, 2007"

LOL

I''m not sure what is your beef?
However, you must not have spent any time looking at the history of humanity and the NATURAL roles of males vs females?

Freakish societies where the females abandon their primary roles of being good mates and moms are the exception; and such few and far between societies never last.

Of course the whole blame goes back to the lost and confused males; since they are the ones naturally endowed with the responsibility and the POWER to determine a healthy and efficient society.

[vancouverboo]

Welcome to the world of Quotas - oops, I mean Cultural Diversity - ladies.

[sverre5-2009]

Drug use can be attributed to many more factors than just inadequate mothering. Absent fathers, peer pressure, certain neurological and psychological processes, and many other factors can contribute to drug use in a child. Also, getting a career does not necessarily make a woman ''masculine'', it can be a maturing experience that allows them to understand themselves more than if they were confined doing something they did not wish to do.

[agnim]

"Agnim, what you are saying doesn''''t make any sense. The kids who are troublemakers are boys who have absent fathers.
Posted by wangbang747 at 10:29 PM : Aug 17, 2007"

And the females who are getting more aggressive while drugging and prostituting themselves are ''absent'' whom? LOL

The fact is that boys are likely to become very rough/aggressive and seek the soothing influence of drugs due to a LACK OF ADEQUATE MOTHERING AFFECTION in early years. The same is true for girls.

American mothers just don''t devote enough time, attention and AFFECTION to the children; and so the children grow up becoming a problem for themselves and for the society as a whole!

The females are getting ''tough'', more male-like freaks.
The females of course will never be ''tough'' enough to equal or overcome the natural male dominance; but that doesn''t prevent them from deluding themselves with the feminist follies.

[sverre5-2009]

What some people fail to understand is that the view of the relationship between male and female is rapidly changing. And, that perhaps it might be a good thing. First, I believe equal education is a right that everyone deserves. Second, in this day in age, it is very difficult to support a family financially with only one working parent. Not everyone is satisfied being a stay-at-home mom, and they should be allowed to follow the career they want to. Women are eager to learn, and they should receive every opportunity to do so. And at this point, if women were no longer allowed to get an education and work, our economy would shut down. America''s work force relies on both genders equally, and is a key component that helps us compete globally.

[wangbang]

Agnim, what you are saying doesn''t make any sense. The kids who are troublemakers are boys who have absent fathers.

[michellem99-2009]

I don''t buy the controling male as he wants it his way or all hell breaks loose. I don''t ,as I see a funny side. But must point out that maybe you ladies need to educate Mr. WHO EVER get it yerself I am not yer maid.. ha-ha., I need to get my white cane go for a walk. Thanks for yer words lass.

[keithle1]

Most of the things that we enjoy today were invented by men: computer, phone, car, airplane, light bulb, etc.

Nuff said.

[sy2502]

MichelleM99,
don''t get worked up with some of the comments. With what you had to overcome in your life, you are much stronger than some of these whining children that call themselves "dominant male". They should be learning from you what true strength is. You are an example for both men and women.

[michellem99-2009]

I think most girls want to learn. In my day the teachers said no you can''t as that is for boys. So they tryed to shut it down. So Girls can and should. I boned with my fafher and not my cold mother who was 17 when I came into this world. She hated me as I was born too early and disabled. So she walked. So my life qas foster homes and poor education. I was the only blind child at school and foster home. So it was law that I sat in school even tho the teachers would not teach me ....the girl vs boy,the sighted vs the blind. So it never ends as long as the boy wants his cake and eat it too. A man helpped me with computer. Men yer manners..