UCI Standards for Admission

Re the letter “The Enrollment Makeup at UCI” (Jan. 4):

“Do we really want UCI to become a predominantly Asian university?” asks writer Winifred Snyder of El Toro.

This statement is so incredibly prejudiced and utterly parochial that it is almost anachronistic. Sadly, however, it is an opinion sincerely and bitterly held by Ms. Snyder.

Her example of the “young, female premed student” who failed to gain admissions to UC Irvine’s medical school was a heart-wrenching one, to say the least, but it is blatantly evident that Ms. Snyder is unaware of the concept of meritocracy.

Asian students are not included in the affirmative action program and are subject to the same standards as white students. The rejected medical student most likely did not fulfill the graduate admissions criteria as did the admitted students--Asians, whites, Mexicans and blacks.

I hate to remind Ms. Snyder of this, but California’s minorities are soon to become the majority of the population. Thus, it is not incongruous or illogical that California’s public institutions educate more and more minorities.

HELEN CHOI

Santa Ana

Helen Choi is a freshman at UC Berkeley.