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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is probably tilting at windmills but I expected more from Pinker. His whole thesis seems to be that optimizing for "objective measures" like test scores in admissions would optimize across many dimensions (such as achievements in the arts, music, humanities and sciences). Hence, Harvard should strive to become more "meritocratic", whatever that means.

But the study he cites is the famous longitudinal study of precocious 13 year olds, who were already identified as gifted! Given the social makeup of the US, it is highly likely (the study cites that 75% of the kids were white, 20% were Asian) that the participants were middle class kids, with ample opportunities to develop their talents. This is a very skewed sample, but even then, there is no mention of high achievements in music, theater, dance etc by age 38. Yes, these kids probably enriched their college environments but clearly they aren't outliers.

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What’s confusing is he seems open to the dimensions of geographical diversity income and even race! So he seems to just be upset that we don’t disregard major and talent- which are key to institutional priorities. I guess he’d want to eliminate essays.

I see no benefit to eliminating a student who has a 1490 but is an expert cellist over a kid who is not uniquely interesting other than a 4.0 and 1600.[/quote]

I'm sure there is a group and maybe he is one of them that says being an expert cellist or Olympic level athlete not only takes talent but a HUGE investment both in money and time. Aka one parent is a stay at home parent.

Maybe the thought is kids that have incredible ideas and grit. Other measures of aptitude.

Even then, to dream and have ideas is a luxury of someone not in survival mode.[/quote]
Meh I did a bunch of extracurriculars as a dirt poor kid whose family was homeless for most of high school. If you have the aptitude, you’ll get there.

For most students who need opportunities, it is not the Ivy League they’re considering, so we need to stop framing this discussion as if we’re saving poor kids when really we’re talking about the best of the best.[/quote]

I’m from a working class family whose parents did not go to college. I did lots of free activities at my high school- sports, theater, chorus. I also had a part time job on weekends and worked more hours in the summers. There’s lots of ways to show that you are more than just an academic achiever that don’t cost any money- and may even pay you.

The only activities at school I couldn’t do were those involving musical instruments or higher musical knowledge because my parents couldn’t afford instruments or lessons. But other than those, I could get involved in so many after school activities at my school that were free. I was accepted at an Ivy but chose a different school, so lack of “middle class” activities didn’t affect my applications. 
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