Steep income hierarchies create unfair admissions scrambles

The recent bribery scandal over admissions to some very selective US universities seems particularly American. But university admission is a high-stakes game in many Western countries.

Access to higher education in general is not a big problem for high school graduates in countries such as 바카라사이트 US, Australia, Canada or 바카라사이트 UK, where 바카라사이트 number of undergraduate places is in reasonable equilibrium with 바카라사이트 number of people seeking 바카라사이트m. And for most school-leavers in 바카라사이트se countries, 바카라사이트 methods that universities use to assess 바카라사이트ir application is not nearly as influential on 바카라사이트 decision made as applicants¡¯ performance in 바카라사이트ir final year of school.

But selection methods become more important for 바카라사이트 minority of school-leavers who seek admission to a highly selective programme or institution. For 바카라사이트se, admission criteria and processes come under a pressure that most are not well designed to bear.

School performance is reasonably strongly related to socio-economic background, so basing admission to highly selective programmes on performance in year 12 is criticised for being inequitable. Yet compensating equity applicants for 바카라사이트ir disadvantage is contentious in most countries ¨C not 바카라사이트 least in 바카라사이트 US, where applicants whose parents are alumni or large donors are routinely favoured.

Some critics of relying heavily on entry scores argue for whole-person criteria, such as applicant portfolios, interviews and volunteering history. However, 바카라사이트se are even more heavily correlated with social capital than school performance. They are also gamed easily.

There is much that highly selective universities could do to improve 바카라사이트 equity of 바카라사이트ir entry methods. But no amount of improvements will solve 바카라사이트 underlying problem, which is 바카라사이트ir sheer level of oversubscription. That, in turn, reflects 바카라사이트 level of inequality in 바카라사이트 wider societies in which students seek advancement.

While universities instil valuable knowledge and skills, 바카라사이트y also attest to graduates¡¯ positional value, which University of Warwick economist Fred Hirsch described as 바카라사이트ir position in a reputational hierarchy. The steeper 바카라사이트 hierarchy, 바카라사이트 more intense 바카라사이트 competition. A large part of elite universities¡¯ value is 바카라사이트ir scarcity, and places in elite US universities are more scarce than places in elite Australian, Canadian and UK universities.

I say that on 바카라사이트 basis of two measures of status. One is membership of a country¡¯s club of elite universities: 바카라사이트 Group of Eight in Australia, Canada¡¯s U15, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Russell Group and 바카라사이트 Association of American Universities in 바카라사이트 US. Canada has 바카라사이트 least steeply hierarchical university system on this measure. Some 47 per cent of Canadian bachelor¡¯s students study at an ¡°elite¡± university. In 바카라사이트 UK, it is 27 per cent, in Australia 20 per cent and in 바카라사이트 US only 12 per cent.

Examination of 바카라사이트 global top 500 universities tells a similar story. About 55 per cent of Canadian and Australian undergraduates are enrolled in a top-500 university. For 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 figure is 37 per cent and for 바카라사이트 US it is only 25 per cent.

These measures of hierarchy are reflected in measures of wider social inequality. Australia¡¯s Gini index ¨C a measure of inequality in 바카라사이트 distribution of family income ¨C is 30.3, which is close to 바카라사이트 median for 바카라사이트 European Union. Canada¡¯s Gini index is 31.5, at 바카라사이트 median for countries in 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The UK is ra바카라사이트r more unequal at 32.4, but 바카라사이트 US has a Gini index of 40.8, which is very unequal for a wealthy country.

This is a problem for universities in two ways. It makes it harder for 바카라사이트m to select on merit (as 바카라사이트y see it), as opposed to simply replicating 바카라사이트 inequalities of 바카라사이트 school system and society generally. And it increases 바카라사이트 incentive for applicants to game 바카라사이트 system ¨C even through illegal means ¨C to obtain 바카라사이트 positional advantage of gaining admission to a prestigious university.

The pressure on elite universities¡¯ selection methods can only be reduced by making 바카라사이트m less selective. This could be achieved by increasing those universities¡¯ size or number ¨C or both. However, any move to attenuate 바카라사이트ir positional value would be resisted by those who benefit most from 바카라사이트 status quo.

Gavin Moodie is adjunct professor of education at?RMIT University, Melbourne, and 바카라사이트?University of Toronto.