<p>Except in a handful of cases, getting into HYPS is indeed a meritocracy. You seem to think that HYPS is reserved for the children of one percenters. Or that it is somehow unfair because the children of one percenters tend to do better academically than the children of non one percenters.</p>
<p>Shall we now make everyone go to the same college, no matter what their abilities and intelligence, just so everyone can be “equal”?</p>
<p>It should be no surprise that the offspring of a Harvard educated doctor and a Yale educated lawyer might indeed be in the top 1% of intelligence, even if that kid was born, as you say, already on third base.</p>
<p>Since the responses to your post have become very political, let me throw my two cents in. I am not a one percenter. However, this constant attack on the one percenters is becoming nonsensical and almost comical. If a person becomes a highly skilled surgeon after going to school for a zillion years, he or she DESERVES a high salary. And even if he or she pays the same tax rate as Warren Buffett’s secretary, that is STILL a ton of money he or she pays in taxes. </p>
<p>You might also note that these evil one percenters have donated a ton of money to charities, such as college scholarship funds. There is a wall at Johns Hopkins, which lists the names of a number of people who gave $ 8 million each. For example, Romney is under attack for paying just 14% in taxes, but the press conveniently fails to mention that he donated almost that much to charity.</p>