College Admissions and the Fallacy of Meritocracy

by Emily Chang and Suzanne Klahr

The recent indictment of 50 affluent parents, test administrators, and coaches from elite schools exposes the hypocrisy our nation holds about a sacred yet illusory concept: Meritocracy.

For decades, those of us who have worked closely with under-resourced high school students, most of them Black and Latino, have seen them overcome overwhelming odds to…