<p>Why does Princeton see a need to attract low-income kids to the university?</p>
<p>Because they are trying to shake off their image of being elitist and only for the wealthy and connected. No school wants to be seen as biased in this regard. Also, unlike many schools, Princeton has so much money it can afford to accept tons of low income students. And then of course there is the fact that these kids are very intelligent and will probably become future leaders in their field. Why wouldn’t they want to attract lower-income students?</p>
<p>Why WOULDN’T a university want to be elitist? Exclusiveness = prestige = cohesive alumni network = more money = more resources. Most universities’ reputations come from the accomplishments of their faculties or the volumes of books they have in their libraries anyways, and not their students.</p>
<p>Because in theory, in a meritocratic society, the more meritocratic an institution is the better it will do. Obviously, America isn’t perfectly meritocratic, but meritocracy still doesn’t hurt at an institution.</p>
<p>While there are benefits to being an elitist institution in terms of money, it’s simplistic to say what Dionysus did. Cohesive alumni networks don’t often come from how much money you need to attend - more often they come from what happens at the school. Princeton does very well in this regard. It doesn’t need to let in rich people to get a good alumni network.</p>
<p>Also, attracting poorer students helps diversify the university, which is generally a positive thing. More diversity means more different experiences, which is good. As an example of an extreme, Caltech contains a 2/3 male class of almost entirely white and Asian students. It is VERY weird being there, and kind of stifling in its homogeneity. Obviously that’s one extreme, but still. Diversity is good.</p>
<p>While the underlying motivations of any particular decision at an institution as complex as Princeton are no doubt multifaceted, confused, and sometimes ugly, there is a simple answer (in theory) to your question:</p>
<p>Princeton’s mission is the education of the future elite of the United States. Though many of these leaders will come from already privileged backgrounds, Nassau Hall believes that many highly qualified low-income students, once given the benefits of attending Princeton, will become elites. Furthermore, by facilitating their movement from poverty to high-status, the University will be contributing to social mobility and equity. Thus, by admitting a significant number of low-income applicants, Princeton will be ensuring both that the future leadership class of this nation is filled with members of the highest caliber and that America remains a place where upward mobility is possible through merit and productive work.</p>
<p>That’s the idealized answer. Is it completely accurate? Of course not. I’m sure some within Nassau Hall want to be able to improve Princeton’s image and appeal, others see diversity as a fetish, and so on. However, in principle, that’s the most compelling answer as to why we should want the school to admit low-income students.</p>