The Privilege of Education

 

 

 

Is it really this bad across all elite universities?

According to Brodie [of Duke University], he cut down the number of development admits during his tenure but estimates that about 50 percent of Duke's current student body is made up of legacy and development admits.

But affluence isn't the only advantage that will help win a place at an elite university.

Influence is also a powerful asset. Author Daniel Golden, who went to Harvard and is the author of "The Price of Admission," details the story of Christopher Ovitz, son of former Hollywood agent and president of Walt Disney, Michael Ovitz.

According to Golden, Christopher Ovitz applied to Brown University, but "was not even in the range of the normal stretch that Brown would make for children of the wealthy and powerful."

But he was granted a place at Brown. Although Christopher Ovitz lasted only a year, according to Golden, Brown has reaped the ongoing rewards from Ovitz and his extensive Hollywood contacts.

I understand why universities do this, and no doubt low-income students and others benefit from the big gifts that certain people give -- and let's be frank: people are often motivated largely by self interest when writing big checks -- but FIFTY PERCENT?! 

 

Of course, many of these kids, having been given EVERY educational (and travel, etc.) opportunity from the day they were born, would have gotten in anyway, but I'd guess that half wouldn't, which means that 25% of the class wouldn't have gotten in if it weren't for their parents' wealth or prestige.  If so, that's an OUTRAGE! 

 

I'd be delighted if my kids went to Brown or Harvard (the alma maters of my wife and me, respectively), but I'm not going to give either school anything but a token (read: under $1,000) annual donation because I can't think of any LESS needy charities and if my kids can't get in on their own, then there are plenty of other fine universities.

 

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The Privilege of Education

Harvard. Yale. Princeton. How Much Does a Name-Brand Education Amount To?

By MARTIN BASHIR

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/print?id=2622286

Nov. 2, 2006 — - Jian Li was the perfect student. Incredibly, he got a perfect score on his SATs. He should also be a perfect example of how second-generation immigrants can transform their lives when they work hard in the land of meritocracy and opportunity.  But he doesn't see it that way.  "I was completely naive," said Li, now age 19.  He applied to Harvard, Princeton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford, among other places and didn't get into any of those colleges. Yet, he soon became aware that other high school students with lower SAT scores had sailed past him.

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