<p>Yeah, I coached my son on how to get a 2390 on the SAT on his first try with no prep. You are right, of course, about these advantages, but they only go so far. I get really tired of suggestions that the students at the most selective colleges don’t exhibit academic merit. It’s a crock.</p>
<p>Of course, there are elites at all the top schools–rich people and celebrities included. But they are a minority. Many of the hooked students are hooked because they are URMs or athletes–and a lot of those athletes are not from fancy backgrounds. The fact is that almost all of the students accepted by Harvard, Yale, et al. are very, very high academic achievers. They might spot you a couple of hundred SAT points, or a few Bs if you’re a legacy, but the only people who get in with significantly lower stats are development cases (of which there just aren’t that many), recruited athletes (especially in the “helmet” sports), and some URMs. But even those people have high stats, compared to average states. Most legacy applicants are rejected.</p>
<p>Of course, anybody is free to believe that Yale is fully stocked with rich ruling-class people. I just happen to know from personal experience, both 30 years ago and now, that it isn’t true. Indeed, it’s gotten even less elite than when I was there, with higher percentages of public school graduates, more ethnic diversity, and more people receiving financial aid. But I guess all of that is camouflage for the real purpose, which is to educate the scions of the power elite.</p>