The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges -- and Who Ge...
Every spring thousands of middle-class and lower-income high-school seniors learn that they have been rejected by America’s most exclusive co...
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Dec 28, 2007
Lisa
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Not bad at all. I think this will unfortunately put more fuel to the fire to those who weren't accepted to the college of their choice. Sometimes, yes, there is some question as to why some students are accepted or denied. But sometimes, you're denied because you don't fulfill the qualifications.
There was one interesting section on Asian applicants and how Asians must excel twice as well as their white counterparts in order to be accepted. We don't fall under Affirmative Action. More...
There was one interesting section on Asian applicants and how Asians must excel twice as well as their white counterparts in order to be accepted. We don't fall under Affirmative Action. More...
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Feb 09, 2009
Yofish
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Written by the Wall Street Journal Education writer. Had maybe enough for a newspaper article. It is his position that US colleges are not meritocracies because of legacy admission, sports (especially rich, white sports) scholarships, and going after children of wealth in order to increase endowments. But he doesn't really make the case--he mostly states it and assumes that you must agree. Nor does he make a good case about why I should care, either as a Yale alum or as a US citizen. Some o
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Oct 05, 2011
Rebecca
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I am starting to get on an admissions kick of real life this time, not just in fiction. Like how impossible is it to get into an Ivy? According to this book, very. Legacies, who aren't required to adhere to the same standards as normal applicants (I can think of someone I know who got into Harvard who really didn't deserve it), celeb kids, which coming from Los Angeles, was interesting. Half the time, the kid didn't even want to go there and rarely ends up graduating, which is annoying for every
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Jul 07, 2011
Hannah
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I stopped reading this one at about chapter 4 or 5... After a while, it becomes abundantly clear that, yes, powerful, rich, or famous parents are able to get more attention from Ivy college admissions officers and are often able to get their children into schools that they otherwise might not get into based solely on merit. It doesn't often seem like these kids are too much of a stretch to admit, since a lot of them have grown up going to elite prep schools, but the point Golden makes is that th
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May 12, 2010
Leon
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"The Price of Admission" deals with the discrimination present everywhere in the American educational system. It was very interesting to read about the "legacy effect" and I was shocked that this was even a factor openly known and accepted. I also enjoyed the description of Caltech, portrayed as a potential blueprint for a "meritocracy" admitting applicants based only on their skills, not money.
This book is full of facts, and you will encounter new names More...
This book is full of facts, and you will encounter new names More...
Dec 17, 2011
Ron
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If you've wondered why Generation Y is the dumbest and most corrupt in history, this book will provide most of the answers (at least those not related to TV, videogames, and media brainwashing, though those may be part of the problem). At least a quarter of those admitted to the elite universities in this country are completely unqualified to attend those universities, entering because they are either legacies of parents who are wealthy donors, the children of celebrities, faculty brats, or elit
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Jan 27, 2011
Shoshana
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I finally got all the way through this book after several attempts in graduate school. While Golden raises some important issues and illustrates many ways in which the rich, white students have every advantage in the college admissions process, I found he oversimplified and omitted important issues about why the process runs the way it does from the perspective of college admissions offices. I also found that he spent too much time blaming colleges and not enough time blaming the rich, white par
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Nov 27, 2011
Michelle
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Rich kids, celebrities, and legacies getting preferential treatment and perpetuating a culture of privilege at Ivy Leagues isn't ground-breaking, but it was interesting to read how it works in practice. Title IX prompting a rise in "patrician sports" scholarships for girls already wealthy was also informative.
The "Asian fail" and Asian quotas won't be a new concept if you live in California, but I liked that Golden differentiated the subgroups of the Asian-America More...
The "Asian fail" and Asian quotas won't be a new concept if you live in California, but I liked that Golden differentiated the subgroups of the Asian-America More...
Sep 20, 2008
Chris
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Describes in detail the inequalities in admissions at elite universities. He is thoroughly convincing. Turns out that admissions committees at all elite universities (Except Cal Tech) have "development cases" where applicants are admitted based on the money their parents have given (or will give) to the university. I was actually surprised how cheap it is to buy your kid into a university (sometimes as little as $50K--not exactly the kind of money I have, but I would have expected i
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Oct 05, 2008
Lauren
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Wow. After ten years in college admission I thought I knew something about the process, but Dan Golden definitely proved that wrong, at least where the Ivies are concerned. Chapter after chapter details how legacy status, fame, money and bias against Asian Americans influence the shaping of the classes at some of America's most elite institutions. While none of this (on it's face) is a surprise to me, the *extent to which* preference is practiced has been rather shocking to come to terms with
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Nov 05, 2007
Jeanne
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I never applied to an elite college, but I had friends and classmates who did. Two of my high school classmates went to Cornell, and one went to Yale. And now I know how tough it was to get there. I also know that something besides their academic records may have gotten them into the Ivy League.
Golden's book examines who is being admitted to the Ivy League, etc. and why. The following reasons are examined:
Parents who are big donors
Families who are big potential dono More...
Golden's book examines who is being admitted to the Ivy League, etc. and why. The following reasons are examined:
Parents who are big donors
Families who are big potential dono More...
Oct 23, 2011
Tiffany
rated it:
I saw him on The Colbert Report and what he said totally kicked ass.
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So, Golden has good (and really infuriating) ideas, I just think he beat a dead horse sometimes. It almost reminded me of something I'd do when writing a paper in school -- I found all of this good evidence, and all of these great quotes, and I wanted to use THEM ALL. Edit, edit, edit. I realize that all of his evidence and statistics were used to drive home the point, b More...
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So, Golden has good (and really infuriating) ideas, I just think he beat a dead horse sometimes. It almost reminded me of something I'd do when writing a paper in school -- I found all of this good evidence, and all of these great quotes, and I wanted to use THEM ALL. Edit, edit, edit. I realize that all of his evidence and statistics were used to drive home the point, b More...
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Jun 24, 2007
Jeff
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In a series of articles for the Wall Street Journal, Golden brought attention to controversial aspects of college admissions that act to hinder economic diversity at elite campuses. The most striking allegation is that many universities mantain active communication between the admissions and development offices. For example, the development office at Duke applied pressure to accept applicants from wealthy families even if there had been no sign of interest in donations. Golden illustrates the
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Jan 26, 2009
Jake
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An incredible work detailing how several colleges and universities have utilized their admissions offices to raise money and prestige, while sacrificing their academic integrity. Each chapter focuses on a different tactic or issue in higher education admissions, be it legacies, development cases, patrician athletics and how they manipulate Title IX, or discrimination against Asian American students. Every tactic is explored largely at one school, but other institutions are freely listed, and m
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May 31, 2010
Mia
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Not exactly news that the playing field isn't level when it comes to getting into the Ivy League, but Golden provides good detail about just how much the world of admissions isn't a meritocracy. The chapter on the unintended effects of Title IX making varsity sports even whiter and wealthier was especially interesting.
Oct 17, 2009
Jean Marie
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I loved this book. It's so refreshing to read about the other side of affirmative action: the side that plays to the privileged. It's the other side of unfair admissions policies and Golden outlines legacies, Title IX, faculty brats and so forth. A total page-turner I blew through this in 3 days. Well done, Mr. Golden.
Feb 22, 2009
Tia
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Sort of interesting, but how newsworthy is it that ultra-rich, ultra-famous people can buy their kids' way into an elite college? And while I feel bad for Asians who are rejected from top-notch schools when less qualified people get in, I really feel like there are other things to be outraged about. The world is stacked against all sorts of people, and this seems like the least worrisome instance of it, especially since education at a prestigious college is not a guarantor of success like it o
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Feb 11, 2009
Mike
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While Golden often got bogged down in mind-numbing statistics and didn't include enough narrative to keep the pace going, his reminders of the expanse between haves and have-nots in this country are pretty maddening and enough to make it a worthwhile read.
Jul 26, 2011
Kay
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Although the author brought an important topic to my attention, the writing wasn't engaging enough for me to read the book throughly. I found the chapter on Caltech, Cooper Union, and Berea most interesting and useful.
May 12, 2011
This book is about affirmative action for rich white people who can buy their children's way into Harvard or Yale even if their offspring have poor grades and low test scores. George W. Bush is an example of this.
Jan 06, 2011
Shannon
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I chose to read this book simply due to my own frustration with academic bureaucracy. Golden details wealthy parents who essentially bribe institutions to accept their child(ren), celebrity privilege (Brown!), grand athletic scholarships for what are traditionally European American sports, and ethnic disparity in standards. I don't think we should live in an egalitarian world. I just believe intellectual achievement should be valued more heavily in the admissions process and possibly in universi
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Sep 24, 2008
Scott
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A close look at the reality behind the most elite colleges and universities in the U.S., and how well-established practices virtually ensure that preference is given to certain groups regardless of academic achievement. Perhaps what I liked most, however, was the fact that the book de-constructs the admissions processes with evidence-based documentation to support what many suspect anyway.
Feb 18, 2008
Shannon
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This is a very interesting book on this subject -- but it could have been (as it was at first) just a long New York Times Magazine article. I made it through the whole book, but it's not really necessary to read every page. Having said that, I am glad to have gotten information on this topic.
Nov 18, 2011
Dora
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The type of discrimination exists everywhere, not only in universities, not only in the States!
How can one fight against the discrimination posed by the rich and the powerful?
How can one fight against the discrimination posed by the rich and the powerful?
Sep 05, 2009
Erika
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Lots of insight and perspective in this book. The author writes for the Wall Street Journal, and the book is the result of some articles he wrote about college admission. Definitely worth it.
Dec 16, 2009
Liriel
rated it:
A fascinating look at some questionable admissions practices, such as lowered standards for legacies, development cases and children of politicians and celebrities.
