The Best Reading for College Applications

THE MERIT MYTH by Carnevale, Schmidt and Strohl (The New Press, 2020) joins Daniel Goldin’s THE PRICE OF ADMISSION (Three Rivers Press, 2006) as essential reading in exploring the story of the impact of family income on an American college applicant’s chance of admittance. Goldin, a Wall Street Journal columnist, tells the now familiar tale that the wealthier the college, the higher the tuition and the higher the chance of admittance for an applicant from a wealthy background.

The important good work of Carnevale et al is at Georgetown’s Center for Education and the Workforce, an institution filling an essential niche in connecting students with data on the relationship between a college education, the selection of college major and long–term career earnings.

The sub-title of THE MERIT MYTH: How our colleges favor the rich and divide America tells a lot. It is a devastating and carefully documented examination of how we have moved away from our democratic roots and toward capitalistic impulses to make a college education essential in today’s economy – what the authors refer to as a “private privilege rather than a public good.”

Theme # one: Americans continue to hold to the belief that success comes through our own effort. A college education is a key to that access and social mobility is tied to a college degree.

Reality: A recognizably un-American truth is that the quality of education both K-12 and in college is strongly tied to income.
A fact: wide disparities in the quality of public schools exist due to the practice of funding schools through the valuation of local real estate.
Follow-up fact: college tuition has risen faster than the rate of inflation for 40 consecutive years, pricing all but the wealthy or near-wealthy out of most colleges.
Comment from Carnevale, Schmidt and Strohl: “While we like to think we have an egalitarian society…the reality is that a person’s (life) path is mostly preordained by the (socio-economic) class in which that person is born.” (Carnevale et al, page 13).

Theme # 2: college admission practices at American universities today strengthen the class divide.

Reality: Reliance on a complex and multifarious admissions process (a.k.a “holistic” admissions) gives a huge advantage to applicants from well-resourced schools.
A fact: SATs/ACTs are administered to several million students each year and are assumed predict college achievement and career success.
Follow-up fact: SAT/ACT scores can be improved through coaching by private tutors hired by families with discretionary income.
Comment from Carnevale, Schmidt and Strohl: “60% of all seats in the most selective colleges go to students from the most affluent families.” (Carnevale et al, page 88)

Theme #3: a college education provides life-long benefit in mental health, civic engagement and income.

Reality: American businesses see education, both K-12 and beyond, as a source of trained employees. Education as a factory.
A fact: With our attention largely focused on a narrow group of prestigious colleges/universities (ex: USNEWS & WORLD REPORT rankings) we have denied resources to the very institutions educating the vast majority of post-secondary school students.
Follow-up fact: More than one-half of financial aid goes to students with a family income that does not indicate a financial need; also known as “merit” financial aid.
Comment from Carnevale, Schmidt and Strohl: “The nation by way of rhetoric and public policy, promotes an ideal of meritocracy while meting out access to a good education primarily to the already privileged.” (Carnevale et al, page 170)

Where do we from here?
The authors suggest some solutions that are easily within reach (example: simplify admissions practices and stop the practice of recruiting applicants who will almost certainly be rejected). Some other suggestions are clearly aspirational (example: increase resources to colleges that educate the vast majority of post-secondary students by making public education available K-14 and ask our most select and prestigious institutions to take a leadership role and stop legacy acceptances).

What does that mean for a high school student embarking on the college search in the middle of a pandemic?
Colleges are under attack by outraged consumers and opportunities may exist. Be a savvy consumer. Research, research, research. Visit campuses if possible. Ask tough questions.

David W. Clark, Ed.M., is an independent college admission consultant, with an office in Paoli, who has been working with high school students for more than thirty-five years. David is a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.  His website CollegeSearchNow is worth visiting.

You may also find these archived Blog articles to be particularly helpful:

College Campus Visit Tips – Part One

College Campus Visit Tips – Part Two

Helpful Hints and Lessons for Being a Savvy College Consumer

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