[quote=FlyerInHi]Good point OC. But the goal of elite institutions is to make the world a better place. Yes we want to provide the smartest, in terms or grades and IQ, a way to reach the top. But smart is not everything.
Elite schools accept the children of foreign leaders alumni and influential people because we want to spread our American values around the world.
The smartest doctor may not have the empathy and inclination to have the greatest impact on world health. The smartest architect may not design the most beautiful buildings or develop new building techniques to provide shelter for the homeless…. and so on.[/quote]
Agree, this is not about getting the smartest kids into the most elite schools. This is simply about getting the right kids into the right environment. And for the underrepresented minorities, it is about increasing their chances of success by making sure they remain competitive in the most competitive fields in the school that fits them the best.
Personal experience, me and my best friend in high school were both hard working average guys with strong leanings toward STEM subjects. We both got decent grades but very average SAT scores. We were both from disadvantaged financial background. I got rejected from my UC of my choice, ended up squeezing in as a winter admit after an appeal. He got a full ride to an elite private school. I continued on with a STEM related job, he ended up with a liberal arts degree and became a teacher/minister. I’m of course Asian and him Hispanic. I’m not putting value judgements on my career vs his, but merely to say via a bump up to an elite caliber school, I firmly believe he was pigeonholed into a liberal arts degree, which statistically simply provides less opportunities. How many other stories like this are out there? That’s all.
