Thursday, April 18, 2019
Huh 2 ?
When the current investigation of college admission "scandals" hit the news, I was puzzled. I couldn't see anything especially abnormal in the actions, and presumed the prosecution was an indirect way to target some of the defendants for some other purpose.
Now that more details are emerging, I'm still puzzled. The rich defendants have hired vulture lawyers who are firing the usual barrage of procedural complaints. I still can't see any real violation of law or morality.
If we were talking about public elementary and secondary schools, the story would be different. Public schools HAVE to take every student in the district, regardless of ability to pay or qualifications.
Colleges, whether private or public, aren't under the same universal obligation. They can set standards to reject or admit students, as long as the standards aren't nominally racial. They can kick out a student who doesn't pay tuition, or a student who misbehaves. So they're essentially businesses, even when state-owned. No different from a hotel or restaurant.
A business can charge more for special services. Getting into college with low test scores is a special service, and some people are willing and able to pay for it. What's the problem?
Labels: Asked and unanswered, Bemusement
¶ 3:41 PM
