> The cases represent a standoff between those who insist that the college-admissions process should essentially be limited to quantitative metrics, such as gra

> The cases represent a standoff between those who insist that the college-admissions process should essentially be limited to quantitative metrics, such as grades and test scores, and those who believe grades and test scores should be one of many factors in the admissions equation—along with leadership qualities, personal talents, race and ethnicity, and family circumstances. This is a straw man. I don't think I've heard a single argument that schools shouldn't be able to use other factors. The rest of this is damnation through faint praise. It paints a pretty bleak picture of education for black Americans, but nowhere do they make the case that Affirmative Action is actually helping. If anything, the dramatic difference in dropout rates seems to imply that even if you stuff these deserving youth into these opportunities, it doesn't seem to be doing much other than padding metrics.