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> Harvard waives fees altogether for families making less than $65,000. More than 60% of US households have income less than that+, yet only 20% of Harvard's un
by the_hangman 11y ago
> Harvard waives fees altogether for families making less than $65,000. More than 60% of US households have income less than that+, yet only 20% of Harvard's undergraduate class pays no fees. From this we reasonably say that Harvard is mostly a school for rich kids, despite its generosity to those non-rich kids it lets in.
This argument is backwards. Harvard has a need-blind admission policy, which means that admissions decisions are judged solely on merits.
The reason that kids from the > 60% of households with incomes below that threshold don't go to Harvard isn't because of Harvard's admission policies, it's because the college preparatory system heavily favors families with higher wealth.
- bradleyjg 11y agoHaving a need blind admission policy doesn't mean that admission decisions are judged solely on the merits. For example, what is meritorious about having a parent that went to Harvard?