<p>@shawbrige If elites are flooded with applicants seeking a more distinguished credential because college degrees have become common (Labaree), and the system can be gamed by those who are the most privileged, then what Bain and BCG (the Munzi article above)are doing make perfect sense. Screening by a combination of SAT, GPA, demanding quantitative courses and interview will most certainly separate the truly able from the pretenders.</p>
<p>I find by simply knowing the school and the major in a casual conversation can give me a lot of that information. In the mind of some, this line of thinking must seem subversive, for it would undo part of their carefully- crafted plan of succession, done consciously or otherwise. </p>
<p>It also goes a long way in explaining the hostile reception I sometime receive.</p>