Comment Section for Trump’s Deals With Top Colleges May Give Rich Applicants a Bigger Edge - The New York Times

This article from The New York Times discusses how recent agreements made by the Trump administration with Columbia and Brown universities might ultimately privilege wealthy applicants in the college admissions process. The administration demanded colleges to publicly share anonymized data about all applicants, including their standardized test scores, GPAs, and race. The Education Secretary stated this would ensure students are judged on merit alone, not on race or sex. However, critics argue that this approach may overlook the advantages conferred by wealth, which can manifest as higher test scores and other qualifications highly sought after by elite colleges. The article cites a study that showed applicants from the richest families were more than twice as likely to be admitted to Ivy League colleges, even with identical scores compared to less wealthy applicants. The data reflect the influence of factors such as legacy status, athletic prowess, and the type of high school attended. The administration's focus on test scores could further imbalances, benefiting wealthy applicants and potentially skewing the student body towards Asian and white students, who statistically score higher on standardized tests.