"Performing at a high level in a good quality but not highly prestigious college may give a student a better chance of getting into graduate or professional school than being lost in the middle of the pack in a highly selective institution. The quality of graduate or professional school will matter more in the long run to a student’s success in life than the ranking of the undergraduate college." 81. Skip the Admissions Game, by Kevin Carey - Room for Debate http://nyti.ms/fztWiP "The only way we know how to rate college quality in this country is by wealth, fame, and exclusivity. But most students -- about four out of five --attend colleges that have modest resources, are easy to get into, and are relatively obscure. Lacking any other way to distinguish among these choices, these students usually attend whichever college is cheapest and closest to home." 82. Merit and Race, by Luis Fuentes-Rohwer - Room for Debate http://nyti.ms/hoL7WR "This point raises the question of who is a racial minority worthy of special consideration. For example, fewer and fewer historically disadvantaged AfricanAmerican students are being admitted to elite colleges. Increasingly, elite colleges are admitting biracial students and first- or second-generation black students from the Caribbean and from Africa. Historically disadvantaged African-American students are being left behind in the elite college lottery. This is a tragedy. This also underscores the remaining importance of our historically black colleges and universities. The question is similarly complicated with respect to Latino applicants. For example, should Cuban Americans with on average higher socioeconomic status be treated the same as Mexican Americans or Puerto Ricans? How about recent migrants from Central and South America?" 83. Lifelong Benefit: Access to Money and Power, by Anthony P. Carnevale- Room for Debate - http://nyti.ms/eHazJl "Our dilemma is that, although selective institutions produce excellence, they are also reproducing inequality. The elite colleges are increasingly white and affluent. The least selective four-year colleges and community colleges are increasingly home to disproportionate concentrations of low-income students as well as African-American and Hispanic youth. And less than 5 percent of students at elite colleges come from the bottom quartile of family income." 84. Yes, College Choice Makes a Difference, by Richard D. Kahlenberg - Room for Debate - http://nyti.ms/iag5Ki
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