“When students of modest means do get into good schools, they are still not on a level playing field. Many think that grades alone are the key to success and spend less time on elite extracurricular activities than their more affluent peers.” …
Perhaps it doesn’t level the playing field completely, but it does level it a lot. So it is still a good idea for anyone to get into a good college.
The link takes you to a short article about a book, so we don’t get much detail. There’s leveling the playing field and then there’s trying to micromanage outcomes. What are these “elite extracurriculars” in college? (Tell me so I can sign my freshman up for them, lol.) Are talking about something like lacrosse or are we talking about internships? Many “elite” schools provide extra mentoring and access to sponsored internships for low income students (esp Questbridge and Posse admits). But if a student chooses to study harder for the chem final instead of doing “elite extracurriculars” it’s hard to say how that will affect outcomes. The student might be making exactly the right choice that will lead to a spot in graduate school or a research opportunity.