<p>Bluebayou, honestly I was being facetious about the sports - although that may be an unintended consequence. Wouldn't it just be easier if they favored the top 4% from underrepresented high schools at the "more" elite UCs?</p>
<p>One of the problems I have with all AA and AA-but-not-really programs particularly in public institutions, is that they seem to use resources to benefit the institution, not the kids. I grew up in a very poor area, and knew kids, mostly white, but in later years some black as well, that would have benefitted greatly from a small leg up - the equivalent today of increased Pell Grant monies, perhaps enough flexible cash to buy an old car, rent a trailer near the Uni so that they could finish their studies after community college. Better K-12 education so that they could have had the academic credentials to get to college. It's even more important nowadays, because the good blue collar jobs these students used to take are gone.</p>
<p>I'm a little ashamed to post this on a thread about UCs, because the whole system - CCs, Cal States, etc overall seems lightyears ahead of most states, even teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.</p>
<p>My state has a huge (not in CA terms, but comparatively speaking) CC/JC/technical school bureaucracy, that is fairly corrupt, and run like little independent fiefdoms. Some of the underlying corruption is now being exposed, and maybe it will get better - right now it sucks down lots of money with not so much benefit.</p>