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I read an article a while back that compared admissions process to a bouncer in a nightclub. Was the best description of why things are done as they are. As a
by rb808 8y ago
I read an article a while back that compared admissions process to a bouncer in a nightclub. Was the best description of why things are done as they are.
As a hazy summary - the prestigious institutions try to have a mix of different types of people - rich people bring resources, well connected families bring influence & contacts, people with high test scores bring hard work and intelligence, achievers in arts/sports/activities bring hard work and desire to win, alumni children bring culture, loyalty and resources. Its no coincidence that there are different routes in for these different types of people.
Its the unique mix that makes places like Harvard great. There are other schools that choose people with highest test scores - that is a different approach. Harvard has no obligation to do this. Given the track record of alumni to achieve, the Harvard approach seems to work much better if you consider routes to powerful & high achieving jobs to be the main outcome.
- thucydidesofusa 8y ago>Harvard has no obligation to do this. It's not clear what obligations a non-profit, private institution like Harvard might have, but that doesn't mean they have unlimited freedom to act how they want. Businesses (and to be clear, Harvard is chartered as a business) are expected to conduct their business in a non-discriminatory way. This is why restaurants aren't allowed to say "No Irish" or "No Blacks" anymore. Now, Harvard's actions aren't rising to the level of a Jim Crow diner, but they're certainly racially motivated to some degree and the issue is whether or not the degree of racial discrimination is permissible.
- fapjacks 8y agoYes, yes. But what brings in the research dollars?
- jfnixon 8y agoYes, yes, just look at the world today, built by Harvard graduates. It is the best of all possible worlds, isn't it?
- sridca 8y agoThe world is built by Harvard graduates? Who?
- akhilcacharya 8y agoI agree with this assessment. We need to focus on improving class mobility for all hard working folks, not just those that win the HYPSM+Ivy lottery.