<p>Harvard is not particularly unique among colleges with respect to SES mobility, since high achieving low income students have about the same chance of graduating college (overall) as low achieving high income students. Of course, at the same achievement level (based on standardized testing), the higher the income one comes from, the greater one’s chance of graduating college.</p>
<p>What utter and complete hypocrisy! Instead of showing up at his reunion, participating, and making change, he’s going to say nasty things about Harvard behind its back. How helpful. As an alum, he has the potential to have some influence, if he communicates with other alums and persuades them of the changes that need to be made. Alumni, after all, contribute money. If enough alumni demand change, and back up their demands with their pocketbooks, change will happen.</p>
<p>Instead, he makes his stand by refusing to show up at the reunion. Brilliant. What is the point of the reunion, after all? Yes, for the attendees, as noted above, the ostensible purpose is to get together with old friends. But does Harvard (or any other institution, for that matter) sponsor such an event out of the goodness of its heart? Hardly. For the institution, the purpose of the reunion is to maintain alumni interest in the institution and, thereby, generate income in the form of alumni donations.</p>
<p>If all alumni followed Mr. Mandery’s lead and protested institution policy by refusing to attend their reunions, alumni interest in the institutions would falter, as would, in short order, alumni donations. After all, who wants to go to a reunion where no one else shows up? Conversely, the greater the number of alumni who show up at a reunion, the more enjoyable it is, and the greater the number who will likely show up in the future. Interest in the institution remains strong, as does alumni giving.</p>
<p>If Harvard is to implement any of the changes Mr. Mandery proposes, it will need funds. One can’t raise tuition to sky-high levels (and offer increased financial aid), provide an education for free, or forgive student loans without the funds to pay for such programs. If Harvard’s own alumni bear no responsibility for raising those funds, who does?</p>
<p>“egalitarian access, a nurturing environment” : I don’t want to go into personal details, but this describes Harvard perfectly for our family.</p>
<p>Harvard gave the author so much discomfort as an undergrad that he stayed for law school ( per google search of Evan Mandery). The article struck me as being immature. Harvard is a great university but it’s also highly imperfect, like pretty much every other thing in the universe. Is it part of the Harvard/Ivy League mythologizing that is often alluded to on CC that Mandery thinks these schools might be or ought to be perfect? So legacy, ECs, SATs, ability to pay shouldn’t matter to admissions? Perfect. They will get 100K applications, pick 2000 and all kinds of allegations of unfairness will ensue because all kinds of unfair decisions will have to be made. Many of his other allegations are blatant distortions and the grade inflation horse has been beaten to death. If the author succeeded in making Harvard more like the John Jay School of Criminal Justice then Harvard would be just another 3rd or 4th tier place, like John Jay, and we could all quit reading and writing about it. </p>
<p>I didn’t take away everything the author intended to convey, I’m sure. However, I must admit it raised some thoughtful and thought-provoking points.</p>
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He certainly grandstanded on a topic that made no sense. I wonder if anyone cared that he boycotted his reunion. I just read a much more interesting account of an Ivy League reunion that focused on the real meaning of what a reunion should be about.</p>
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<p>Amen. I attended a school similar to Harvard and came from a family with no college graduates, and a father who left high school after 10th grade. One of my hs friends came a year later…his dad was a telephone lineman. The idea that rich guys are “buying” your spot in the class is one big hoot! It’s actually poor kids who are really bright. </p>