scholarly journals Economic Inequality and College Admissions Policies

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Orentlicher
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Orentlicher

Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy: Vol. 26 : Iss. 1 , Article 3As economic inequality in the United States has reached unprecedented heights, reformers have focused considerable attention on changes in the law that would provide for greater equality in wealth among Americans. No doubt, much benefit would result from more equitable tax policies, fairer workplace regulation, and more generous spending policies.But there may be even more to gain by revising college admissions policies. Admissions policies at the Ivy League and other elite American colleges do much to exacerbate the problem of economic inequality. Accordingly, reforming those policies may represent the most effective strategy for restoring a reasonable degree of economic equality in the United States. Fortunately, there is an important alternative to traditional admissions policies for elite universities to consider—“top class rank” policies. Indeed, some public universities have already adopted top class rank policies in lieu of affirmative action to promote student body diversity. While the impact on student diversity is a key feature of top rank policies, this Article focuses on another critical benefit of the policies— their ability to turn elite universities from institutions that exacerbate economic inequality into institutions that foster economic equality.


Author(s):  
Eric K Furstenberg

Abstract This article develops a theoretical model of college admissions to investigate the effects of banning affirmative action admissions policies on the efficiency of the admissions process. Previous work in this area has shown that prohibiting affirmative action causes inefficiency when college quality is an increasing function of diversity. This article identifies an additional reason why colleges and universities use racial preferences in admissions, setting aside explicit demands for diversity. In the theoretical model, the racial identity of the applicants is relevant information for making inferences about an applicant's true academic ability. Preventing admissions officers from using this information results in inefficient selection of applicants, even if diversity does not explicitly enter the objective of the university. Thus, affirmative action is justified solely on informational grounds.


2007 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
REBECCA ZWICK

In this essay, Rebecca Zwick confronts the controversy surrounding the use of standardized tests in college admissions. She examines the degree to which the SAT and its lesser known cousin, the ACT, limit access to college, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities, and considers two alternative admissions policies that do not involve tests: class rank admissions systems and admissions lotteries. She finds that these initiatives carry their own controversies and have little impact on campus diversity. Zwick notes that some small liberal arts colleges have deemphasized tests and have achieved some success in increasing campus diversity while maintaining high academic standards, but highlights the difficulty of replicating these policies at large institutions. Her analysis sheds light on the ongoing tension between maintaining college selectivity and promoting equal opportunity.


1984 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-80
Author(s):  
James Crouse ◽  
Marvin Brams

1985 ◽  
Vol 1985 (1) ◽  
pp. i-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hunter M. Breland ◽  
Edwin O. Blew ◽  
Ingeborg Stiebritz

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document