<p>Tomorrow's Washington Post:</p>
<p>Thanks for the link. I always look with a healthy dose of suspicion at priviledged individuals with a degree at one of these elite, patrician institutions.</p>
<p>As most learn at Harvard, the vast majority of the rich and famous are highly qualified. After all, they went to the top schools from pre school on, travelled the world and had every exposure. There are some not too bright exceptions, but they are indeed exceptions. Witness Donald Trump's daughter who recently graduated at the top of her Wharton class. Preped at Choate.</p>
<p>If they're truly highly qualified, they shouldn't and probably didn't need an extra weight on the scale.</p>
<p>It's the less highly qualified (the ones that adcoms always defend with the weasel words "equally qualified") that are a problem.</p>
<p>Whether they got in because of Daddy's money or because they're the only farmer applicant from outer Montana who plays the nose flute, such students help to lower the standards of the school, make the teaching of a rigorous core curriculum difficult, and encourage grade inflation to paper over the differences between the best and the worst students at the Elites.</p>