As a Canadian, it is possible that Mr. Candidone does not understand the intracacies of the American University system, especially the way the Universities in the Ivy League work.
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Mr.Candidone writes:
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Bush was admitted to Yale in 1964 under an affirmative-action policy for children of alumni -- what colleges call a "legacy" system. Legacy preferencesstill exist today., of course, at most selective schools, including Michigan and Yale. But they no longer carry quite the same weight they did at schools such as Yale, Princeton University and Harvard University when Bush was applying to colleges in 1964.
The president never released his high-school grades from Andover -- an elite New England prep school that his father had also attended -- or his SAT scores. But several years ago, The New Yorker got hold of Bush's Yale records and discovered that he scored a 566 on the verbal SAT and a 640 on the math SAT -- 180 points below the median score for his Yale classmates.
Source
If Bush was entitled to be at either Yale or Harvard, I'm sure he would, at minimum, have been around the median. Not 180 points below.
I was under the impression Harvard had high admission requirements, but if there is a legacy system in place, I understand his admission.
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Each year, hundreds of students gain admission on the basis of something entirely removed from?-indeed, often inimical to?-a consideration of talent. You can get into Harvard because of the mere merits of your birth, rather than those of your life or your mind. You can get in because your parent is a graduate. You can get in because you are a "legacy."
Source
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He was asked, "Colleges should get rid of legacy?"
Bush responded, "Well I think so, yes. I think it ought to be based upon merit."
Under legacy programs, applicants are given an advantage if their parents or grandparents attended the school. Bush, a third-generation graduate of Yale University, joked about his own legacy. "Well, in my case, I had to knock on a lot of doors to follow the old man's footsteps," he said to laughter.
Source
I thought a meritocracy was based on an individual's performance, not the ability to garner support via door-to-door solicitation.
I hope that adequately addresses Bernard's claim to having had intimate knowledge of the admission policies of American ivy league schools.
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Mr, Candidone excoriates the "legacy" system but it is clear that he knows little about it.
In his fine book, "The University" An Owner's Manual--By Henry Rosovsky--W. W. Norton Co.-New York- 1990, Mr. Rosovsky, is unlike the mysterious Mr.Shapiro referenced by Mr. Candidone(Please, who is he and what credentials does he have?)
Mr.Rosovsky has the highest credentials and is able to speak with the highest authority concerning "legacies"
Here is what Mr. Rosovsky reveals in his book:
P. 65- Chapter on Selectivity and Admission--
"Another group consists of legacies and tghier close relative, faculty children. Both are treated on the "all other things being equal |" basis...Some 16 to 20 % of Harvard's freshman class belongs to one of these two categories....By all things being equal, I mean that the legacies and faculty children will be given preference provided that their other qualifications are as strong as those with whom they have to compete."
Then P. 68
"Cumulative SAT scores will rarely fall below 1100 and are typically 1400 or better"
It is vital to note that Mr. Candidone is viewing the SAT scores of today's measurements. He probably does not reallize that the MEDIAN SAT score was quite a bit lower in the years when George W. Bush attended University.
Mr. Candidone is probably not aware that the median SAT score for men in 1972( the farthest back the table I accessed showed) was a 531 Verbal and a 527 Math--giving a median score of 1058- Quite a few points below Mr. Bush's 1106 total.
source:
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/about/
The ridiculous claims made with regard to the ability of anyone to get into Harvard even if they are not qualified are not borne out by evidence.
As I have noted, Harvard has only its credibility to go on. Anyone who has ever attended the Harvard Business School or has visited the classes knows that that school is not a venue in which you take a mid-term, a final and perhaps do a paper. The Harvard School of Business operates largely on the case method. It is somewhat like the Harvard Law School where the students are subject to the Socratric method. Those who remember, are aware that the Harvard Business School was rated as the finest MBA facility in the USA when President Bush attended.
As is noted in Dean Rosovsky's book, the notion that "legacies" can get into any Ivy League school if they do not fall somewhere within the range accepted by the School is simply nonsense.
I remember what someone once said about the former Heavyweight Champion of the world- Rocky Marciano--
He can't box very well, his arms are too short and he cuts easily.
Yet he never lost a fight!!!
President Bush won an election in 2000
President Bush led the GOP to a victory in 2002, GAINING seats in the House and Senate- a feat that is not supposed to be achieved in an off year by the party in power.
President Bush won his election in 2004.
I am very much afraid that all of the meaningless caterwauling is just the moaning of left wing liberals who have been shut out of power since 1994.
They should have warned Bill Clinton to keep his zipper closed!
