<p>I agree with Not Quite Old. Let's drop the "leadership" criterion entirely. It's either a popularity proxy or racial and weath social engineering. As if they could truely measure leadership potential! Maybe points for being good looking would be a substitute.</p>
<p>As for admitting students who spend the time on music, sports, and community service to the detriment of better students, I don't believe for a second that including the former improves the education of the latter in an important way. Such diversity is readily available to them in high school, in the neighborhood, in the media. An physics major's education does not benefit from having a doofus jock down the hall. </p>
<p>True diversity of background and perspective does add to the education of all. That might justify the elites admitting some poor people, foreigners, etc., but isn't really accomplished by admitting a Spanish-surnamed prep-school kid.</p>