Do some college not like certain high schools?

[cobrat]

<p>

1990s? That type of thing was described in the 1950s by Vance Packard in The Status Seekers, where HYP were noted as admitting about half of their class from elite prep schools (which were then more SES elite than academically elite) and the other half from public schools. The public school graduates were the ones who had the higher academic achievement at HYP, while the prep school graduates were content with gentlemen’s C grades.

</p>

<p>What I described was applicable only to Princeton back then. In contrast, Harvard and Yale were perceived to have much more meritocratic admission process where public school students were given a much more fairer shake. The contrasting stats between numbers admitted from my graduating HS class to HY versus P was really telling (20-30 each versus 5). </p>

<p>It also factors into why Princeton and its alums do tend to come in for some friendly ribbing* from HS alums in my graduating class and moreso…older classes. </p>

<ul>
<li>Jokingly asking them if they require fancy cutlery and a silk napkin to eat a slice of NY style pizza.<br></li>
</ul>

<p>

HYP were described as having to deal with the conflict between admitting enough prep school applicants in order to keep the donations coming from their parents, and admitting more public school applicants to maintain the academic eliteness. Obviously, it has shifted more to the latter, and the prep schools have raised their academic standards to compete, though the conflict still remains with respect to legacy and developmental preferences in admissions.

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<p>This has been eased with the fact legacy/developmental admits could also come from public high schools, especially public magnets. </p>