Why are some colleges more selective than others?

Question

I don't understand why a college would ONLY want to attract intelligent students or economically privileged students, isnt this America?

Answer 1

Every person or organization wants the best that they can get, but most need to compromise in order to get by. Elite schools have so much to offer that they attract far more students than they can accept, so they (like everyone else) take the best of those. The purpose of a university is to advance knowledge, and that can be done best with students who are intelligent enough to do more than just memorize what has been learned before. It is no surprise that most of the most exciting new concepts and inventions come out of selective schools. As far as economically privileged students, supply and demand suggest that a top school can charge more than can a lesser school, and that results in a system in which not everyone can afford to go to the top schools. As you may have read, a number of these schools have recently replaced loans in the packages of middle-class students with grants, making it easier for them to afford to go to these schools. What you may not have read, however, is that it is likely that there won't be too many more lower-income students there, because the economically privileged have had the advantage of going to the best prep schools and of having experiences that make them stand out, like extensive travel, music or sports lessons and camps, etc.

Answer 2

Yeah, it is America. Everyone is given the opportunity to get into the "more selective" colleges. I am not incredibly intelligent, nor am I wealthy, yet I am a good athlete and I now attend an Ivy League school. By accepting wealthy students, they can receive donations/gifts from the student to better the school. The same goes for intelligence. When one graduates from a prestigious school, many of them will receive high salaries and make a lot of money. Some of them will donate to the school as well. If you think it isn't fair because it isn't equal opportunity, then you need to think less narrow because you have the chance to succeed in school and get the grades for these universities.

Answer 3

Well, or course they want to attract intelligent students...no one wants a stupid kid at their school But they DO accept poor kids...it's just those kids often can't go because they don't get enough financial aid.

The reason why colleges are selective is because they get so many applicants. Stanford gets around 20,000 applicants (approximately...don't quote me on that). But since it is a small school, and the administration wants to keep it that way, they have to reject all but the top students. Lots of other school are like that, too. Ivy League, private schools, UC system.

That doesn't mean every kid, even the stupid and/or poor ones, can't go to college. Community colleges and state school are less expensive and less selective. So there's really no excuse for not going to college...unless you didn't graduate high school.