As a former admissions officer - yes, diversity is something colleges and universities want to build because it makes the campus a better place. And I'd speculate that the problem is not that she's not a minority, but that she didn't use her privilege to do more activities. You expect to see certain activities (or lack thereof) from rural kids (4H, for example) and kids from low-income and inner-city areas, and you also reasonably expect that a kid who has to work to help pay rent for the family to be involved with fewer extracurricular activities.
A student who presents a 4.5 GPA (sadly, not that hard to attain these days) and comes from a reasonably affluent family likely has the time and the money to be involved with a minimum number of activities. They don't have to scramble to get home because parents can't afford daycare or go straight to an after-school job or help out with a family business. They have the luxury to be involved with clubs, to pick up hobbies, and to do charitable work. That this student apparently didn't suggests that she might not be actively involved in a campus community - why would she be if she hasn't ever felt she should be? The high school she goes to offers a pre-engineering program and a Chinese language program, a fencing club, a literary magazine - all excellent opportunities that a student could easily access. When compared to a similar applicant, this is something that could be noted and the applicant who has done more with their time would be chosen first.
College admissions, these days, are a game. And if you don't play in the pre-season, you can't really expect to be asked to join the team.
On the other hand, perhaps she can now put 'satirist' on her resume. She'll be okay: she got into college. She's learned a good lesson, and she seems to be accepting of what's happened. I don't think she's got a bad attitude. She's encountered rejection for what was probably the first time in her life, and she's dealing with it. Life goes on.
A student who presents a 4.5 GPA (sadly, not that hard to attain these days) and comes from a reasonably affluent family likely has the time and the money to be involved with a minimum number of activities. They don't have to scramble to get home because parents can't afford daycare or go straight to an after-school job or help out with a family business. They have the luxury to be involved with clubs, to pick up hobbies, and to do charitable work. That this student apparently didn't suggests that she might not be actively involved in a campus community - why would she be if she hasn't ever felt she should be? The high school she goes to offers a pre-engineering program and a Chinese language program, a fencing club, a literary magazine - all excellent opportunities that a student could easily access. When compared to a similar applicant, this is something that could be noted and the applicant who has done more with their time would be chosen first.
College admissions, these days, are a game. And if you don't play in the pre-season, you can't really expect to be asked to join the team.
On the other hand, perhaps she can now put 'satirist' on her resume. She'll be okay: she got into college. She's learned a good lesson, and she seems to be accepting of what's happened. I don't think she's got a bad attitude. She's encountered rejection for what was probably the first time in her life, and she's dealing with it. Life goes on.