@panpacific I didn’t say I thought American students were better. I was pointing out that some Americans (esp but not solely white ones) want to insist on a numerical meritocracy when the topic is affirmative action. But if that same numerical meritocracy were applied to American students versus their counterparts in say India, many American students would lose. And in such a competition all the sudden Americans don’t want a numerical meritocracy. In other words, numerical meritocracy good when it helps you, bad when it doesn’t. For many reasons, I prefer preferential admissions that consider the whole person and that person’s experience. In America’s melting pot I think that works best and I know for sure that the best test taker and the best grade holder is not guaranteed to be the better student or ultimate contributor.I have tutored people with high grades who don’t have a single original thought and people with Cs who are brilliant.