<p>Honestly, Harvard admissions is screwed up. (So are admissions process at many other elite colleges besides Harvard, so I am not just picking on Harvard admissions)</p>
<p>I think that admitting sub-par students into top schools while denying those true intellectuals is seriously doing our nation a disservice. What good is it for the society, for our corporations, or for our people’s good if those dumb-as-a-rock sports athletes or URM’s get into Harvard while those with perfect scores are getting rejected? Those athletes can go to Ohio State or Florida State and play whatever sport they want to play. Don’t take those spots away at top colleges from truly outstanding individuals with high intelligence and high academic potential.</p>
<p>Talking about elite colleges from other countries such as UK, France, Germany, Japan, or wherever, they don’t give huge undue admissions advantages towards ‘minority race’ groups or due to one’s god-given athleticism. </p>
<p>There is social or racial discrimination that exists in other countries, too. Think: Jewish people in Germany in the past, etc. Yet, top schools in countries outside U.S. don’t automatically accept these ‘URM’ race groups, cutting huge slack regarding their qualifications. </p>
<p>Truthfully, anything is better than the Harvard (or many other elite U.S. colleges’) admissions system based on bull$hit criteria such as race, legacy, or sports, ‘volunteering’ at soup kitchen, ‘personality or character’ only evidenced by 500-word application essay, etc. A country that makes these things its top criteria is just gonna get raped in the long run by the countries that value actual intelligence like England (Oxford or Cambridge), Japan, South Korea, India, Germany, or France. </p>
<p>American economy, American corporations, and trust in American system is declining in record-alarming rate. We should be allocating resources efficiently: let those true intellectuals study and grow at an amazing academic institution such as Harvard. Let those football sports recruits enjoy their sports at Oklahoma State or Florida State. </p>
<p>Harvard is the leader of American higher education. If Harvard admissions modifies its criteria for admissions and adopt more meritocratic and rationale process, I am sure many other elite U.S. colleges will follow the trend.</p>