I've applied to and been accepted to two colleges now. Both wanted to know about my GPA, my involvement with the community and why I wanted to pursue a higher education. They also asked about my race, ethnicity and gender. My stripped applications probably look something like this:

- High school graduate. 3.8 GPA. Cum Laude. Summer theatre camp counselor. To cultivate my best possible self and future happiness.

- White. Hispanic/Native American. Female.

Is it fair to assume I was accepted based on the first set of qualifiers, or based on the second set?

What is Affirmative Action?

In other words, was I accepted for my academic promise, or was my school short on Hispanic, Native American females? Never mind that my race is technically white. If the latter, it would be the result of the schools' affirmative action policies, should they have any. It would also mean my late nights doing extensive homework assignments and months of AP classes were... pointless. How annoying is that?

The National Conference of State Legislatures defines affirmative action: "Affirmative action policies are those in which an institution or organization actively engages in efforts to improve opportunities for historically excluded groups in American society."

For colleges, affirmative action refers to accepting or rejecting prospective students based primarily on their race, ethnicity, or gender. The idea is to make sure that colleges have student bodies that are highly diverse. In theory, this is a really great idea. But in practice, it may pose more problems than solutions.

Affirmative Action: Good or Bad?

NPR recently did a piece on affirmative action. They interviewed several male and female students from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Their opinions were mixed, some were for affirmative action in college acceptances and rejections and some were against.

One of the students, Raiye Seyoum, makes an excellent point: "I don't feel it's really fair. If they [schools] feel like, 'Oh, there aren't many Latino kids, let's accept them.' What about that person who's working way harder? Just because you want to add a Latino person to your population...it's really just not fair." (Credit: NPR. "What is Fair?")

The concept of affirmative action has been around since the 1950s when schools were still segregated (National Conference of State Legislatures) and has been used to refer not only to racial inequalities, but also to gender inequalities. This is where some of the good can be seen in affirmative action. Non-white, non-male individuals in America used to have so little opportunity and affirmative action policies granted them educational opportunities they may not have had otherwise.

As we enter 2016, the gaps between the male and female genders and between the races are narrowing. Slowly but, in my opinion, surely. I can't help but wonder if policies that mandate diversity do more harm than help.

As a student who has worked incredibly long and hard for my education, I would rather be recognized and accepted into a college for my academic achievement and potential. While I'm proud to be who I am, I have much more going for me than just my gender or my race.

The negative stigma attached to affirmative action, that students are being accepted merely for their race or gender and not their work or drive, is the bad side of the policy. Where it gives opportunity, it also gives hard feelings and competitiveness. This can be seen in the famous affirmative action court case of 2008: Fisher v. University of Texas.

What do people really think about this policy?

I posted a small survey on affirmative action with regard to higher education to see what people thought about it. The survey was shared on Facebook and Twitter, each with diverse audiences. These are the results.

32 percent of those surveyed were not familiar with affirmative action. 68 percent said they were familiar or at least somewhat familiar with affirmative action.

When asked if race, ethnicity, or gender should be considered when accepting or rejecting college applicants, 86 percent said "no" and 11 percent said "yes." The remaining selected "unsure."

When asked what factors they thought should determine an acceptance or rejection from a college, 89 percent selected GPA, community service/general merit and application essays while 11 percent selected "other," and wrote personal responses. The responses were criminal record or lack thereof, SAT or ACT scores, club and organization activity and face-to-face interviews with follow-up aid if the student struggled in the interview.

What do I think?

This is probably obvious, but I don't think affirmative action policies should be in place for colleges and their application processes. I know colleges have to document their demographics, but I would like to see demographic questions asked after a student has been accepted.

I don't think I deserve anything for existing or being a human being. My AP classes, my late study nights, the missed parties, the back-to-back-to-back papers, the graduation cords and stoles -- all of those things got me to where I am today with my education. I'm proud of them and of my hard work.

All people deserved to be recognized and rewarded for their achievement, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender. Those three things should be celebrated, but should not add or take away advantages, as they have in the past. In the future, I hope affirmative action policies in higher education fade out as our times continue to change and our equality becomes more stable.