Higher Education's Broken System

Summary: The higher education system is flawed, favoring wealthy families who can afford expensive sports, test prep, and legacy admissions. This creates a system where access and success are heavily influenced by socioeconomic status, not merit, making it both financially and morally unsustainable.

Insights:

• Wealthy families exploit the system through legacy admissions, expensive extracurriculars (like fencing, sailing, and squash), and connections.
• Colleges, even those aiming for unbiased admissions, are manipulated by the wealthy, who understand how to navigate the system to their advantage.
• The current system prioritizes exclusivity and rankings over actual educational value, leading to many graduates not even working in their field of study.

Proper Nouns:

• Harvard: An example of an elite university that tries to create unbiased systems, but is still gamed by the wealthy.
• Yale: Another example of an elite university susceptible to manipulation by affluent families.
• USC (University of Southern California): Mentioned in the context of the "Aunt Becky" scandal, highlighting how wealthy parents bribe officials for their children's admission.
• Williams sisters: Their tennis facility in Compton demonstrates how access to resources can impact opportunities.
• Freeway Rick Ross: A former drug dealer whose story illustrates how lack of access to sports facilities can limit opportunities and lead to undesirable paths.
• Arthur Ashe: Represents the potential of Freeway Rick Ross had he had access to tennis facilities, highlighting the lost potential due to systemic inequities.
• College Board: Sells data to elite schools, enabling them to manipulate acceptance rates and boost their rankings.

Research

• How can higher education institutions create truly unbiased admissions processes that prioritize merit over socioeconomic status?
• What alternative models of higher education can provide more equitable access and outcomes for all students?
• How can we measure the true value and ROI of a college education beyond traditional metrics like rankings and acceptance rates?