[sworkhard]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

'Hearing' is fine, thanks.

Saying one student is ahead of the curve and one is behind is placing an 'inherent' label on their ability to compete, even if it doesn't come down to the actual abilities of the student.

If competition doesn't reflect the abilities of the students, then the competition needs to be revised so that it does.

I'm not at all convinced that the actual abilities of the student at that point in time are not reflected in their scores on entrance exams and the like.

Based on what you wrote you're advocating the system create a 'separate' path for underachievers, who in the context of this discussion are minorities, that is equal to the education of the overachievers, in this context largely the white majority.

Doesn't have to be completely separate. It could be a simple a adding a few extra courses, or reducing the course load, with everything else being the same. In this case it's not just minorities in terms of race that I'm talking about. Children of the white working class would be in largely the same bucket.

This is mostly a class issue. The elite positions are going to asians and well off whites (the richest groups in america, who thereby can afford to buy their children a better education), but that doesn't mean the rest of the population shouldn't have the opportunity to catch up. I propose the multiple tracks because it lets the rest of the population do just that without artificially holding back the kids that had more advantages early in life.

We already do this routinely in grade level schools, with the goals being much the same.

Is there any evidence that people 'ahead of the curve' are losing out on education opportunities because of a quota system in higher education?

Depends on what you mean by education opportunities. The advantaged will get an education somewhere, regardless. The question is will it be as as good on average for both groups? Do people behind the curve do as well in elite programs as those that are ahead. Do those behind the curve do as well after graduating in such a case as those that did better in less elite programs. Anecdotally at least, the answer is no to both of these questions.