@MWolf I appreciate your arguments, and respect the spirit of the original post to celebrate our kids’ great accomplishments. But I also think now is the time to point out some key issues in the process.
Because most colleges accept federal money, they cannot operate independently and set their own standards. We all have a say in who should be selected.
By earmarking money for every type of demographic, as you have inferred, many kids are not “competing” with the entire applicant pool. So naturally, the definition of “amazing” will be different for various demographics. In theory, this holistic evaluation of applicants sounds great, but in practice there are many instances where total goof-offs are showered with money and more deserving candidates are not.
Regarding the point about colleges not handing out money like candy, the key thing to remember is that all colleges are a business looking to maximize their revenue. They balance factors such as their desired ranking and diversity, but they’re often funneling money from one demographic to another in the process, sometimes meaning they hand out money like candy.