In my last column I noted that Duke is an institution that primarily caters to America's top 5 percent. You might have asked-what, if anything, should the University do about this?
Of course, one option is nothing.
After all, it makes sense that the University accepts students who hail from society's upper echelons. This economic stratosphere has access to opportunity and resources that may have an impact on an applicant's qualifications and college readiness positively. These resources include SAT preparation courses, private tutoring, the best public and private schools in the nation and rigorous AP classes and IB programs.
Proponents of the do-nothing option will also quickly point out that Duke is not exceptional. Our peer institutions-Harvard, Yale, Penn, Stanford, Princeton-are just as (if not more) privileged.
Institutional data available from www.economicdiversity.org corroborates Duke's socioeconomic similarity to peer institutions. In 2004-2005, 6 percent of Duke students who applied for financial aid had family incomes of $30,000 or less, the exact same percentage as Penn and Yale. Ten percent of financial aid applicants fell into the $30,000-$60,000 income bracket, the same percentage as at Penn and Princeton and one percentage better than at Harvard and Yale.
If Harvard + monstrous endowment can get away with this, heck-we can too.
This do-nothing school of thought will also tout that Duke is not keeping anyone out. The University meets 100 percent of demonstrated need. Since admission practices are also "need-blind," obviously our University's socioeconomic condition is due to the first factor: Kids in the top 5 are just... better qualified and more deserving.
Simple. Our hands are tied. Case closed. Next problem please.
Not so fast.
Although all of these assertions are grounded in some truth, they ignore a confounding variable: If highly qualified students from lower socioeconomic brackets do not apply to Duke, Duke cannot admit them.
The expense of four years at the University combined with ignorance about financial aid resources may deter smart and qualified kids from taking the first step and applying. I grew up with bright kids who applied to Truman State rather than Penn or Duke. Truman was within their reach financially and had a sweet deal for National Merit Finalists. Harvard and Duke were out of the question because no one understood that the profound commitment to financial aid of Duke and its alumni could make this stellar education within reach.
For families with an income of $45,000-$60,000 per year, tuition costs would soak up almost all of the family's yearly income. To students from even lower economic backgrounds, reaching for an expensive school like Duke seems almost laughable.
How does the University reach out to students like this? I sat down and chatted with Leonard Satterwhite, senior Associate director of undergraduate admissions (and the guy in charge while Dean Christoph Guttentag is on sabbatical) to find out. The admissions office staff visits high schools (700 last year), participates in a joint program called Exploring College Options (with Harvard, Penn, Georgetown and Stanford) and makes Discover Duke presentations in cities across the country. They decide where to go according to the geographic location and high school of interested students, that is, those who requested information, and past applicants.
With this in mind, the socioeconomically disadvantaged student is unlikely to hear from Duke given that his/her high school does not send kids to Duke every year, and he/she did not fill out a request for Duke information. The student must rely on teachers and college counselors for guidance.
This applicant recruitment process does nothing to create change. It rather ensures that similar (and similarly wealthy) kids apply to Duke every year.
Although schools like Duke and Harvard can do little to reverse the systematic problems endemic to our nation's educational system, they can alter potential applicant outreach so it targets a more economically diverse applicant pool. Students think Duke is out of their reach. They can educate these students and their guidance counselors that it is not. Duke's 100-percent assurance of meeting financial need and "need-blind" admissions reflects the institution's deep commitment to increasing educational access-a commitment the University has right. More kids need to know about it.
And so campus culture aside, why is increased socioeconomic diversity important?
This answer depends on whether you believe our best higher education institutions have a civic responsibility.
I do. The schools currently serving America's elite are educating tomorrow's leaders. When our best educational institutions primarily educate society's wealthiest, these institutions do not disrupt the intergenerational transfer of rags and riches. Instead they ensure that a concentrated group of elites run our nation. We need diverse leaders-both rich and poor-from all over, whether Manhattan, small-town Mississippi or rural Wisconsin. To achieve its greater civic purpose, Duke should target economic diversity. It should be an agent of change, not the educational bedrock of the status quo.
I prefer this breadth of leadership. What do you prefer?
Rachel McLauglin is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every other Wednesday.
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