Historical persepective on selective admission at Harvard

<p>I find this interesting. It shows Harvard admissions during a transition period, and how they tried to balance out test based and academic meritocracy from other considerations. Way back when.</p>

<p>And this was before it even went coed. </p>

<p>Sequence</a> 11362 (Page 102): Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments. Harvard University Library PDS</p>

<p>Karabel footnoted it in his book and I decided to look it up.</p>

<p>I bet they are still arguing over this stuff, just like on here.</p>

<p>Thanks for digging up this link, bovertine. Although the numbers are now funny in a quaint sort of way, I recommend this link highly to the “high stats” group. </p>

<p>The explanation of the “bridge group” is likely to be particularly illuminating. Caveat: the discussion is heavily classist, and I imagine that Harvard admissions has repudiated that aspect–but I believe that the “bridge group” is still very much in existence, and I think that this sheds some light on admissions decisions that seem otherwise hard to understand. Additionally, this may be the original source on the “happy bottom quarter.” </p>

<p>In any event, this is quite a find, bovertine. Thanks!</p>