In this explosive and prescient book, based on three years of investigative reportÂing, Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Golden shatters the myth of an American meriÂtocracy. Naming names, along with grades and test scores, Golden lays bare a corrupt system in which middle-class and working-class whites and Asian AmeriÂcans are routinely passed over in favor of wealthy white students with lesser credentials - children of alumni, big donors, and celebrities. He reveals how a family donation got Jared Kushner into Harvard, and how colleges comply with Title IX by giving scholarships to rich women in "patrician sports" like horseback riding and crew.
With a riveting new chapter on Operation Varsity Blues, based on original reporting, The Price of Admission is a must-listen - not only for parents and students with a personal stake in college admissions but also for those disturbed by the growing divide between ordinary and privileged Americans.
Praise for The Price of Admission
"A disturbing expose of the influence that wealth and power still exert on admission to the nation's most prestigious universities." (The Washington Post)
"Deserves to become a classic." (The Economist)