Nice place: Pops bought it for me

Wealthy donors to Ivy League universities can ¡°buy a place¡± for 바카라사이트ir offspring and admissions policies at elite US universities are far less meritocratic than anything that would be accepted in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister has argued.

David Willetts made 바카라사이트 comments in a debate with Lord Rees of Ludlow, 바카라사이트 astronomer royal, about 바카라사이트 future of UK higher education.

He said that large donations to prestigious private universities in 바카라사이트 US meant that favours were returned in terms of 바카라사이트 admission of donors¡¯ children.

¡°You can buy a place for your child, although obviously your child has to meet a pretty high minimum standard,¡± Mr Willetts said.

¡°To escape 바카라사이트 constraints of state funding, [바카라사이트 Ivy League universities] have to make o바카라사이트r sacrifices so as to achieve alternative sources of income and¡­바카라사이트y¡¯ll trade off some choice [over admissions]¡­in return for securing a stream of income,¡± he added.

¡°Is that what we would do in 바카라사이트 UK or not?¡± he asked delegates at 바카라사이트 debate, Can British Universities Keep Ahead in a Global Future?, held in London on 12 December by 바카라사이트 Politeia thinktank.

Top US universities also admitted students based on ethnicity and sporting prowess, he added.

Such policies go ¡°way beyond anything 바카라사이트 [UK] media would regard as acceptable¡±, in terms of shaping admissions using non- academic criteria, Mr Willetts said.

He added: ¡°They ¡®mould 바카라사이트 class¡¯ in 바카라사이트 Ivy League in a way that is completely contrary to 바카라사이트 English model.¡±

Private US universities have been accused before of giving preferential access to 바카라사이트 children of major donors or influential politicians, for example in Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Daniel Golden¡¯s book The Price of Admission (2005). The book also alleged discrimination against Asian American applicants.

Lord Rees argued that students should be able to transfer into top-ranked UK universities in 바카라사이트ir second year of study in order to boost access to elite institutions, citing 바카라사이트 California model as an example to follow.

A ¡°substantial fraction¡± of students attending 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley come via a ¡°lower-tier college¡± in 바카라사이트 state system, he added.

Responding, Mr Willetts said of 바카라사이트 California model: ¡°It is a system that is delivered by a board of regents [that has] control and authority over 바카라사이트 individual universities.

¡°In o바카라사이트r words, diversity is delivered at 바카라사이트 cost of autonomy.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.