Last week, 50 members of America’s upper crust were charged with a variety of federal crimes tied to gaining access to top schools such as Yale and Stanford. We were reminded that the college selection process is one of many systems in our country tilted in favor of the wealthy and, in some cases, a process subject to gross abuse.
This development saddens me, though I am not surprised. Starting with the 1983 publication of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” rankings, higher education has become increasingly obsessed with status and wealth, and we’ve brought the public along for the ride.