, Columnist
Harvard’s Legacies Are Nothing to Be Proud Of
The university’s admissions practices are not, in fact, designed to accept the best people.
The scene, at least, is idyllic.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg
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America has long fancied itself a meritocracy, and American universities have a reputation as the world’s best. Both of these premises are now under serious doubt.
A recent study of Harvard’s admissions practices leaves me with the queasy feeling that America’s top schools are bastions of self-replicating privilege, far worse than what most people think. The study draws upon the data generated by the lawsuit against Harvard alleging that it discriminates against Asian-American applicants.