Meanwhile, the suburban high schools, where probably 50% of the students are better qualified, are limited by the same quota. It's gotten to the point where a 4.0 GPA and a 1250 SAT score isn't good enough to get in, because the kids in the good high schools take honors courses in which a 5.0 GPA is possible.
And, even with all of the benefits minorities get from the 10% rule, I imagine that the schools STILL use affirmative action to help the legally blessed students even more.
You are absolutely correct-- I know a girl with a 4.0 or better and 1230 SAT who isn't in the top 10%, so she wasn't accepted at UT. Unbelievable.
But, Texas A&M accepts any Texas resident with 1300 SAT, regardless of grades. That's a good policy.
On the other hand it does give kids from worse schools a chance. Kids can't choose the schools they go to. My boyfriend went to an extremely wealthy private school, was a mediocre students with C's and a mediocre class rank (think Phillips Academy), and got accepted where I couldn't get in with straight A's from my public high school.
Automatic acceptance of 10% is a bit much. The top 2% should be sufficient.
I think it is rediculous that Honor students in TEXAS get an extra 10 points for honors classes and always make the straight A honor roll where my kiddo gets all A's but one 88 and she is on the A/B honor roll. In other words some kid who goofs off and gets an 80 in Honors gets a 90. Not a fair way to assess achievment IMHO.