Originally Posted by 22B
I'm trying to understand how and why "elite" colleges (not necessarily just Ivies) select students to admit using not just academics, but also "Extra-Curriculars" (ECs).

I came across this book "The Chosen: The Hidden History of Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton" by Jerome Karabel
http://www.amazon.com/The-Chosen-Admission-Exclusion-Princeton/dp/061877355X
I won't read this 738 page book, but the reviews give a good idea of the history.

Can anyone suggest anything more succinct to read about this baffling topic?
Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill have been sued for discriminating against Asian applicants http://www.businessweek.com/article...nd-unc-for-discriminating-against-asians . The legal brief against Harvard has a critical history of its admissions policies. I think the discussion of the lawsuit by Stephen Hsu is interesting.