Elite schools in the USA: “The history of the many climbers is a myth”

Contents page 1 — “The story of the many climbers is a myth” page 2 — From the very rich to medium-rich page 3 — The criterion of “Character” in order to reduce the number of Jewish students On a page

In the United States by a bribery scandal in high school admissions to elite schools for attention. About 50 Suspects are accused: parents-among them some celebrities, as well as higher education employees and individuals to have arranged the bribes and manipulations. The corruption network is to be flowed, according to judicial information over the years a total of about $ 25 million. The sociology Professor Michael Hartmann has long conducted research at the TU Darmstadt for the elite education at home and abroad, even to the most elite colleges in the United States.

TIME ONLINE: Mr. Hartmann why the need is so great, come to universities like Yale or Stanford – no matter what the cost it?

Michael Hartmann: Because in the USA the probability to get into high-paid top positions, extremely depends on which University you’ve been. A study that has examined the Recruitment practices of investment banks and consulting firms, has shown: in the first round of applications, the criterion that all the other hit from the field was the completion of one of the Top universities, at the best Ivy League. The reason for this is quite simple: The people who select, also studied there. Which has a long Tradition in the United States. In the present government and the previous governments were, and are, between a third and 60 percent of Ivy League graduates. And in the top management of the economy, a third of Ivy League graduates. The means for the parents: It is an investment in the future that pays for itself with security.

Michael Hartmann

**the research Of sociology Professor Michael Hartmann has long been at the TU Darmstadt for the elite education at home and abroad. Recently his book “The Draw. How the elites are a threat to democracy.”

TIME ONLINE: Even if the tuition fees are so high, that you in debt for years?

Hartmann: Yes, the fees range between 50,000 and 60,000 dollars per year, but that doesn’t matter. The proportion of the population can pay these fees easily, due to the enormous increase in income and wealth at the upper end of the population scale is large enough. Would also pay $ 100,000 per year – the main thing is, it’s going to Harvard, Yale or Princeton. For the purpose of ensuring that the children come in the course of their career in positions in which the parents already sat.

TIME ONLINE: There are in the US, but also the popular climber stories of people, who work with perseverance, work and intelligence from the simplest of beginnings. What say your Numbers – is that a myth?

Hartmann: Yes, the history of the many climbers is a myth. Barack Obama was a case in point. The man loved, because he has done it to one of the Ivy League universities. But I’ve had a look at the Numbers from Yale: in 2013 were 60 percent of first-year students from the richest five per cent of the population. At Harvard in 2016, came according to another study, nearly half of first-year students from the upper four percent. Similar values can be found also for the other Ivy League Unis. Almost all the top one percent alone is more students than the bottom 60 percent.

the children of the Former, the inclusion rate was five times as high.

TIME ONLINE: When so much wealth is there, then why is bribed, as in the known cases at all and not just a wing of the building, donated or donated generously?

Hartmann: We don’t know all the names. Also an actress like Felicity Huffman can’t donate just $ 30 million, the billionaires. The universities in this League would also hate to be so direct. But there is another important criterion as money: A US Journalist has researched about 20 years ago, that the high proportion of the Rich is not primarily due to direct donations, but a special scheme for children of Alumni is much more important.

TIME ONLINE: Like in the Bushes? Later US President George W. visited his father at Yale University, although he was only a mediocre student.

Hartmann: Exactly. There, as in Harvard, children of Alumni have a separate Zulassungsweg. In 2017, Harvard has taken only five to six percent of all Applicants. In the case of the children of the Former, the rate was five times as high. And then-wide SAT testing, which now apparently also cheated, a further criterion plays in addition to the intellectual benefits for the country: the personality. Publicly, it is argued, that they could do something for minorities with worse odds.