<p>Carolyn, my definition of a selective school is one with an admission rate less than or equal to about 35%. I personally find 50% to be too high. You might as well flip a quarter and hope for tails. All I am saying is that we should reserve the word selective for schools that really exhibit somewhat of a statistical hardship for admission. Selective should be associated with UCB and UCLA but not so much with UCSB. A 1 in 2 chance is neither selective nor in anyway risky. Consider a casino, if the customers statistical chance of winning each game was 50% they would not be running a very good business. Now would they? This is merely my connotation of the word selection. Let us view its definition: </p>
<ol>
<li> Highly specific in activity or effect (Merriam-Webster)</li>
<li> Of or characterized by selection; discriminating (<a href="http://www.dictionary.com%5B/url%5D">www.dictionary.com</a>)</li>
</ol>
<p>Now, the definitions are rather subjective so you may interpret them to incorporate 50% as highly specific or discriminating. However, I do not think that stastistical percentage lends itself flawlessly. In my mind, highy specific and discriminating go in cases were 1 is chosen for more than 2.</p>
<p>I hardly think your ignorance qualifies you to comment on the program in which I participated in at UCSB. The same program is offered to incoming freshman of UCSB and is equivalent to taking summer classes there. The summer at UCSB put me in real college classes with real college students. I took political science and middle east history. There were no other high school students in my classes and no one knew how young I was. The professors and TAs treated me like everyone else. The program was designed to allow accomplished high school students experience college rigor. And more importantly, I received college credits.</p>