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<p>Private schools are free to admit whomever they want, so long as they don’t violate any laws doing so. I’m not going to tell anyone whom to invite to dinner…</p>
<p>If we were only bound by what is legal, the world would be far uglier than it already is. Perhaps that is the problem with our elite institutions and those who inhabit them - they think and teach that ethics and morals are irrelevant, they are only bound by laws, and sometimes not even those.</p>
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<p>That’s a serious attack. Certainly no institution is above being unethical or morally ambivalent and all need oversight and recalibration over time – but that’s quite the broad brush stroke there. One my disagree with legacy or development or athletic recruit or celebrity special admits but on the other side of the table, but your insinuation is that “elite” institutions are free-wheeling selling their slots to the highest bidder w/o any consideration of implications is overgeneralized IMHO.</p>
<p>But I understand your point – the princelings, the children of foreign oligarchs or pseudo dictators – at our top unis does raise eyebrows.</p>
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<p>Aren’t broad brushstrokes, dubious self-serving anecdotes, and specious generalities what this forum is about? :-/ </p>
<p>LOL – I often forget that! Carry on, then!</p>
<p>Actually, elite institutions can apply to more than colleges and universities - and I get your point as well, it is a rather broad charge. But despite the fact that Wall Street is full of unscrupulous characters who think if you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying, at least they don’t try and portray themselves as our moral betters, speaking truth to power as it were - Wall Street knows it’s full of snakes. Just think why is it that our elite colleges all keep a lid on the admission process? What would happen if they showed the world what really goes on? There is a reason for the secrecy.</p>
<p>@T26E4:</p>
<p>Depends on the elite institution. I know that when it comes to athletes, some of them have higher minimum academic standards than others. Probably true when it comes to the wealthy/famous as well.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s good PR for top colleges to admit celebrity kids if they can’t do the work. If they flunk out or drop out, it’s not a good thing for the schools. And not if their bad behavior gets into the press or social media either.</p>
<p>^^You know the old joke - “You think it’s hard getting into Harvard? Try flunking out!”</p>
<p><a href=“Substantiating Fears of Grade Inflation, Dean Says Median Grade at Harvard College Is A-, Most Common Grade Is A | News | The Harvard Crimson”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/3/grade-inflation-mode-a/</a></p>
<p>And this is rather amusing - a dean at BU once enrolled a fictitious student into a certain professors class. The “student” never showed up, never turned in a paper, never took a test. The “student” got an A.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/06/opinion/trachtenberg-grade-inflation/”>Opinion: Can Harvard stop awarding so many As? - CNN;
<p>I like the grade inflation on harvard, for the most part it rewards students who worked hard to get there to be successful in life. Of course even the legacies and celebrities’ kids benefit from it. (I have no problem with athletes and celebrities, they worked hard to get those talents) which isn’t great . </p>
<p>@GMTplus7 your comment made me laugh :)) .</p>
<p>Absolutely, the more publicity that the school receives the better. Colleges know that. </p>