The Benefactors of Asian American Discrimination in Admissions

We love to give voice to our critics in the peanut gallery.

As regular readers of our college admissions blog likely know, we sometimes like to give voice to our critics. Unsurprisingly, these critics aren’t clients of ours nor have they ever been clients of ours. They’re mostly folks who deride us for the fees we command. One of their refrains goes something like this: “But, Ivy Coach, how can you justify charging $1.5 million to help students earn admission to their dream schools?” Oh, our communist peanut gallery. We don’t have to justify our fees to you — or to anyone for that matter. Not in these United States of America. We charge the fees our track record commands. If people don’t want to pay for our services, there are lots and lots of less expensive, less effective private college consultants. In fact, these very private college consultants are often the loudest critics of our fees. Shocking, we know.

A Call to End Asian American Discrimination in Admissions

But, today, we’d like to focus on another criticism from the peanut gallery, one apropos as Students for Fair Admissions challenged Harvard University in federal court. The refrain goes something like this: “Isn’t it hypocritical to criticize colleges for discriminating against Asian American applicants when your company benefits from Asian American discrimination?” Oh, peanut gallery, you tickle us so! Gather round, peanuts, and make yourselves comfortable because we’ve got an answer for you.

Do we — and all college consultants — benefit from Asian American discrimination in admissions? The answer is an unequivocal yes. …Did we just hear a mic drop? Some of our clientele through the years has historically been comprised of Asian American applicants seeking to earn admission to highly selective colleges. Our Asian American clients tend to be well-informed about the discrimination that their children face in the admissions process, mostly from reading our blog or an article in a newspaper in which Ivy Coach is referenced. In an effort to overcome this discrimination, they come to us. And, overwhelmingly, they find much success.

So does our firm — and any college consulting firm with any Asian American clients — generate revenue on account of Asian American discrimination? You bet. Does a toy store generate revenue on account of children who need toys? You bet. Does a plumber generate revenue on account of homes with leaky pipes? You bet. Does an attorney defending murderers generate revenue on account of murder? You bet. And, do remember, we help our Asian American students overcome this discrimination and earn admission to their dream schools. We help them beat an unfair system at an unfair game — for which we make absolutely no apology. If ending discrimination against Asian American applicants will hurt our bottom line, then so be it! We wholeheartedly believe there will always be a market for students, irrespective of their race, to differentiate themselves in admissions, to zig when others zag.

We will continue helping Asian Americans overcome discrimination in college admissions. We use our soapbox in the world of college admissions to decry the discrimination that Asian American applicants face in admissions. We call out admissions officers who, seemingly unaware of implicit bias, claim they don’t discriminate against this group. And we will continue to shine a lantern on this discrimination. We will continue to champion the cause of ending Asian American discrimination in admissions. Whether you like it or not.