No One Deserves to Go to Harvard
No one deserves a seat at Harvard, but only some people are supposed to feel bad about the one they get.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that race-based affirmative action violated the equal-protection clause, spurring a news cycle about the admissions advantages conferred on certain people of color. The preferential admissions treatment that racial minorities received is just one bonus among many, however. A from the economic research group Opportunity Insights quantifies the advantages of wealth in higher education: The ultrarich are much likelier to gain admission to elite colleges than anyone else, even when controlling for academic success. Put another way, if you take a room full of 18-year-olds with the same SAT or ACT score, those from
