Anyone know what “students of color” means?

No? Well, apparently, that’s the not-so-descriptive, generic category that everyone who isn’t “white” or an international falls into at Princeton.

That’s right -- Latinos, Asian-Americans and African-Americans all get labeled with this nice, neat, yet mildly offensive descriptor, and thanks to its all-encompassing nature, Princeton can pat its own back – yet again – over having the most diverse undergraduate class ever.

But is the Class of 2012 really the most diverse – or, is the University simply fudging the numbers by using a broad, vague term?

From the horse's mouth:

A total of 471 freshmen are from minority backgrounds, representing 37.9 percent of the 1,243-member class. This compares to 463 minority students, or 37.2 percent of the 1,246-member class of 2011. The class of 2012 also includes 141 international students, constituting 11.3 percent of the class, which is up from 139 students, or 11.2 percent of the class, a year earlier.

Definitely no help here, as the term “minority” is just as vague as “students of color,” but at least, it confirms the preceding supposition that African-Americans and Hispanics fall into this category.

Beyond that, however, it’s anyone’s guess what Princeton means by “students of color,” and until someone figures it out, the University will likely continue celebrating its "diversity" each and every year.