A Challenge to Elite Colleges: Set Aside More Seats for Low-Income Achievers
Spring is typically known as college admission season for high school seniors, but selective colleges are now seen as entering what could be called rejection season. Colleges that turn away the most students are now rewarded in the marketplace, creating a highly competitive environment. While this competition may benefit the colleges, there are significant negative consequences for both the nation and underprivileged students. These students, who possess great potential but come from disadvantaged backgrounds, are often left behind when colleges prioritize exclusivity over their role in providing opportunities and cultivating future leaders.
Personally, I have had the privilege of spending time with thousands of incredibly talented and hard-working students from low-income families. These students are potential first-generation college students who possess brilliant minds. However, they often believe that there is no point in applying to selective colleges given their circumstances.
This belief is detrimental to our society, and it is crucial for college presidents to step forward and challenge it. It is time to replace the dominant message of exclusion with a message of hope and opportunity. Currently, a recent report from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation reveals that only 3 percent of students attending the most selective colleges in the nation come from the lowest-income families, while a staggering 72 percent come from the highest-income families. There has been minimal progress in this regard over the past decade. This situation does not promote social mobility but rather perpetuates limited opportunities for the poor, the working class, and a significant portion of the middle class.
Selective colleges are not just educational institutions; they also serve as gateways to leadership positions in various fields such as business, public service, law, and medicine. The networks and privileges that come with these roles have a significant impact on the nature of opportunity in America. It is time for these colleges to take bold action and enroll a far greater number of students from impoverished communities, communities of color, and rural areas. I am confident that leaders in higher education are prepared to take on this challenge.
Based on my experience leading KIPP, a network of public schools that primarily serve underserved students, I believe that leaders in higher education are more interested than ever in making a positive change. It is evident that when colleges prioritize providing opportunities to students, they thrive and succeed. We can see this through the numerous KIPP alumni who attend prestigious universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, UNC Chapel Hill, Wesleyan University, Franklin and Marshall, and UC Berkeley. If this level of success is possible for students within one school network, then imagine what is possible for the entire nation.
So how can we initiate this change? Imagine if the leaders of 40 of the most selective colleges in the country committed to creating 100 new spots at each of their schools, while also making a significant effort to expose talented low-income students to their institutions. This would be equivalent to adding two full freshman classes at Harvard or Yale. While 4,000 new seats may not seem like a significant number on a national scale, the impact it would have on low-income communities, other colleges, and the future leadership of our nation would be tremendous.
This matter is of great importance because attending and graduating from college, especially a four-year institution, can have a life-changing effect on a young person’s trajectory. Workers with a bachelor’s degree earn significantly more annually than those with only a high school diploma. While college debt is a valid concern, the bigger picture reveals that going to college and earning a degree is the best investment most young people in this country can make.
The influence of selective colleges goes beyond education; they serve as gatekeepers to positions of power in our society. They produce the majority of the nation’s top public figures, business leaders, and jurists. The networks surrounding these colleges are influential and extend across multiple generations.
In today’s society, the choices made by students regarding which colleges to apply to are often influenced by their wealth, rather than their abilities, potential, and academic achievements.
A significant study conducted in 2013 by Caroline Hoxby of Stanford and Christopher Avery of Harvard revealed that the majority of low-income students who excel academically do not even consider applying to selective colleges. Surprisingly, these institutions usually offer lower costs through generous financial aid packages compared to the non-selective four-year schools that these students tend to apply to. It is important to note that low-income high achievers have no legitimate reason to doubt their ability to succeed at selective colleges, as those who do apply are typically admitted and graduate at high rates.
Furthermore, the 2010 Century Foundation report found that low-income high school seniors with impressive test scores are less likely to enroll in a four-year college than high-income seniors with average test scores.
Taking bold and well-publicized actions, a substantial number of selective colleges could not only create numerous opportunities for talented individual students but also send a powerful message that would resonate in inner cities, working-class areas, and rural communities across the nation. This message of hope and possibility could inspire students in these communities to believe that they too can succeed.
It is essential to understand that such a plan would not be implemented in isolation; rather, it would need to be accompanied by robust support systems for students with high needs. One possible approach would involve exposing more students to college experiences during their middle and high school summers. For instance, imagine if 4,000 of the most academically advanced low-income middle school students in our country were granted the opportunity to spend their 8th, 9th, and 10th-grade summers on a prestigious college campus, preparing for their future college studies. KIPP, an educational organization, is committed to contributing to the development of such an initiative. Additionally, efforts must continue to improve the quality of education received by students in pre-K-12, ensuring they are adequately prepared for college.
Now is the time for a courageous and ambitious initiative to expand opportunities for all. College presidents are more motivated than ever to take on a leadership role in addressing the growing income disparities and social divisions in our society. Their willingness stems not from a desire to enhance their institutions’ rankings, but rather from a genuine belief that it is the right thing to do. By embracing this endeavor, they will be sending a message of hope that will reverberate throughout the nation.
In the coming generation, access to opportunity will become the new measure of exclusiveness. The question remains: who will step up and provide the necessary leadership?
