Presenter: Jessica Cantu
Mentors: Lamia Karim and Rupa Pillai, Anthropology
Poster: 7
Major: General Social Science
How does ethnic diversity on campus influence students when deciding on schools? Ethnic diversity is the difference among groups of people based on their race, language, religion, and culture; it is an important factor to study since it influences how individuals chose college communities. This study is a single term project, aimed to investigate what types of students consider ethnic diversity as an important factor when applying to college. In order to answer this question, I interviewed two students studying at College X (urban, more ethnically diverse) and College Y (European, less ethnically diverse). I also conducted a survey on campus with 30 students, 15 who were Caucasian and 15 Non- Caucasian to find out how relevant diversity was in their college decision. My research shows the importance of demographics and the affect it has on diversity among college applicants. It was determined that Non-Caucasians strive to attended campuses with a greater amount of ethnic diversity, whereas Caucasians are less likely to consider the level of ethnic diversity a campus has to offer. These results indicate the need to bring awareness about ethnic diversity, and the benefits that can come from attending a diverse campus.