How did Harvard go from being an open-admission trade school (teachers and preachers) for New England prep school grads to an institution that began in the 1920s to recruit in the South in order to limit the percentage of Jewish applicants? When and why did “character” become a criterion for admission to selective colleges? Should academic merit measured by a single exam be the basis for admission to college, as it is, for example, in New York City’s specialized high schools, where seven black students were recently offered spots at Stuyvesant High School out of 895 places? Should athletes, tuba players, and legacies receive preference over more accomplished scholars? Do prestigious colleges really need to recruit students (and support the staff to do so)? Do “acceptance rates,” “yields” and U.S. News and World Report rankings really matter?

These and other questions have assumed new relevance in light of the suit against Harvard brought by students of Asian descent (supported by anti-Affirmative Action crusader, Edward Blum) claiming discrimination, and by the widely-exposed scandal involving “celebrities” seeking advantage for their children. We will investigate how the admissions process functions through discussion, reading of pertinent articles, and interactions with visitors including Phil Hanlon (President of Dartmouth College), Karl Furstenberg (former vice-Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth), Harry Sheehy (current Dartmouth Athletic Director), and Cara Ray (independent admissions counselor).