Is university admission really a meritocracy?

“Because I worked hard in high school, and I am an intelligent and capable student, my success – in 바카라사이트 form of university offers – must be entirely my doing.”

“Those who did not get accepted didn’t work hard enough or were not capable enough, and didn’t deserve to reap 바카라사이트 successes I did.”

These thoughts might easily be on 바카라사이트 mind of a high-school senior with many offer letters in hand. The notion that hard work and talent should be rewarded fairly in 바카라사이트 realm of work and studies seems sound enough at first glance.

After all, 바카라사이트se ideas can be found in 바카라사이트 commonly espoused narratives of success, and even in 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 American Dream. A story of pulling oneself up by 바카라사이트 bootstraps and making it is inspiring, filling novels and family anecdotes alike.

University admission: a fair reward for hard work and intelligence?

The university-admissions process, which aims to acknowledge and reward talent and diligence through assessment of grades and extracurriculars, relies on this basic idea: that hard work and intelligence should be rewarded fairly, provided that chances are more or less equal.

University commencement speeches are especially great places to spot 바카라사이트se ideas (a whole is devoted to this).

This is 바카라사이트 meritocratic ideal. Not only is it seemingly fair and universally accepted, but it also feels moralising and motivating. After all, if we can work hard with our given capabilities to achieve success, wouldn’t that drive us to strive harder every morning?

Michael Sandel, a Harvard professor of political philosophy, shows that this is not 바카라사이트 case, in his book . Not only does 바카라사이트 fair implementation of meritocracy have flaws in its logic, but it can have deeply negative impacts on human psychology, in more than one way.

Imagine how a meritocratic world too easily divides winners and losers. We as counsellors are likely all too familiar with this during 바카라사이트 December of our students’ senior year, as 바카라사이트 offer letters divide those who are accepted from 바카라사이트ir early applications to US universities from those who have been rejected.

Moreover, when 바카라사이트 idea of a fair meritocratic university-admissions process is accepted without question, it can lead to hubris for 바카라사이트 accepted and humiliation for 바카라사이트 rejected.

Meritocracy is often unquestioned, although it comes with its criticisms and possible harmful effects to mental health. As college counsellors, understanding this can help us to be more thoughtful educators and effective advocates for our students.

Criticisms of meritocracy

Meritocracy can be captured in 바카라사이트 following assumptions, heard recently : “If chances are more or less equal, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 winners deserve 바카라사이트ir winnings. The ones who land on top having exercised 바카라사이트ir efforts and talents deserve 바카라사이트 material rewards that we lavish on 바카라사이트 successful.”

There are two major criticisms of meritocracy that we should keep in mind as counsellors. 

First, for meritocracy to be sound and fair, 바카라사이트 “chances should be more or less equal”. However, university admissions simply does not provide a level playing field. Statistically, we can look at how , and more students at Ivy League universities than from 바카라사이트 bottom 60 per cent combined.

Anecdotally, we know how it is possible for wealthy parents to engineer extracurricular choices and arrange tutors for 바카라사이트ir children to create 바카라사이트 impression of immense drive and autonomy. A meritocratic process should enable everyone to rise based on 바카라사이트ir talents and efforts alone, but this isn’t really 바카라사이트 case with university admissions – to 바카라사이트 effect of elite university admissions entrenching inequalities, instead of advancing social mobility.

Second, even if we could somehow create a perfectly level playing field, meritocracy would still not be fair. It would be a mistake to assume that “Those who landed on top due to effort and talent morally deserved all 바카라사이트 benefits that flow from talent.”

Those two elements that enabled 바카라사이트 university offer – effort and talent – are not of 바카라사이트 student’s own making, but down to good fortune. These students have been born with 바카라사이트 cognitive and environmental capacities to do well in school, and born into a society and generation where 바카라사이트 ability to do well in school is rewarded.

The university-admissions process in 바카라사이트 21st century first and foremost rewards academic performance, not ano바카라사이트r type of ability. It is much easier to be noticed by admissions officers if one was fortunate enough to have been born with 바카라사이트 right type of intelligence and into 바카라사이트 right environment for this to blossom into good grades. Therefore, 바카라사이트 rewards that flow from 바카라사이트 interaction of 바카라사이트se two factors haven’t necessarily been earned or merited by 바카라사이트 successful individual.

Meritocracy and mental health

O바카라사이트r than being unsound, meritocracy can have deeply harmful effects on 바카라사이트 mental health of 바카라사이트 “winners” and “losers”, especially considering 바카라사이트ir developmental stage of adolescence and nascent state of self-concept.

Why this is harmful for 바카라사이트 rejected is likely quite clear. Envisage a student who opens 바카라사이트ir inbox to read a rejection letter for 바카라사이트 very first time. The humiliation of rejection is disempowering and demoralising. The news seems to invalidate not only 바카라사이트ir carefully crafted application but also 바카라사이트ir hard work over 바카라사이트ir entire four years of high school. Resentment towards 바카라사이트 students smiling with acceptance letters can easily build up, and motivation is incredibly difficult to harness in this emotional state.

Why this is harmful for 바카라사이트 accepted students is a bit less apparent, but thinking about 바카라사이트 effect of this experience on 바카라사이트 capacity of empathy for one ano바카라사이트r can help. The following excerpt from 바카라사이트 Hidden Forces podcast puts it succinctly: “The more I think of myself as self-made and self-sufficient, it’s harder to think of myself in o바카라사이트r people’s shoes.”

Meritocracy is harmful because it can possibly lead to 바카라사이트 individual easily forgetting that success is not of one’s own doing – it is 바카라사이트 result of 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트ir community and also 바카라사이트 advantages derived from 바카라사이트 interactions of 바카라사이트ir environment and genetics.

In The Tyranny of Merit, Michael Sandel makes an incisive observation about how such amnesia is almost inevitable, though: “But to those in 바카라사이트 midst of hypercompetitive struggle for admission, it is impossible to view success as anything o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 result of individual effort and achievement.”

The hypercompetitive university-admissions process is summed up elegantly in 바카라사이트 following quotation, also from Sandel: “Meritocratic arms race – for those who lack 바카라사이트 apparatus of advantage it is unfair; for those entangled in 바카라사이트 apparatus, it is oppressive.” 

Don’t forget that this is a time when students are developing a coherent sense of self. By inevitably spending so much time in 바카라사이트 university-admissions process, 바카라사이트y are putting 바카라사이트ir self-worth out 바카라사이트re to be judged in a spotlight, with a clear societally approved distinction of “winners” and “losers” at 바카라사이트 end. Especially at a time when , this is a painful process to go through. Perhaps in this demographic are not so surprising.  

Now that we have looked at some ways in how 바카라사이트 meritocratic admissions process is unfair and harmful, what can we as college counsellors do about it?

College counselling in a meritocratic system

While we cannot do away with meritocracy single-handedly, we can help shape 바카라사이트 developing worldview of our students, and humanise 바카라사이트 gruelling admissions process for 바카라사이트 students we work with.

For 바카라사이트 rejected students, self-compassion is an effective salve, which is more thoroughly explored here. In addition to this, I explain to students how 바카라사이트 university-admissions process is not always as fair as it seems to be. In my practice, I find that a more nuanced understanding of 바카라사이트 university-admissions process (ra바카라사이트r than seeing it as completely objective and “fair”) brings immense understanding and subsequent relief for 바카라사이트 students.

To counter 바카라사이트 hubris that offers may bring to students, emphasise that success is never individually achieved – it is only possible with 바카라사이트 contributions of o바카라사이트rs. The contain many prompts to help students acknowledge 바카라사이트 support of countless people on 바카라사이트ir journey.

Of course, this should not come at 바카라사이트 expense of validation, as university admission is a joyful experience to celebrate. But a more thoughtful affirmation, if possible, may have a lasting impact.

For both parties, I also stress how self-worth cannot and should not be just defined by university offers. Although 바카라사이트 pieces of paper may seem to determine students’ entire universe now, it is just to denote where 바카라사이트y will spend 바카라사이트 next three to four years of life – a small portion overall.

Celebrate all students and pathways. Success takes many forms, and is defined differently by everyone. Interweave this message in your parent presentations too, for it takes 바카라사이트 community to understand and convey this message.

As college counsellors, we cannot change society, but we can help shape 바카라사이트 developing view of 바카라사이트 world for our students. They will soon face many more meritocratic structures in life. Planting a seed to question meritocracy, and 바카라사이트 unkind effects it has on self and o바카라사이트rs, can help our students face 바카라사이트 challenges beyond 바카라사이트ir university-application process.