[zeteo]

> Is my kid really going to be a better student because she volunteered at a hospital or played high school softball?

Unfortunately, kids from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds have fewer opportunities to volunteer and to pursue expensive sports. These colleges are, in effect, selecting for what Thorstein Veblen would have called "conspicuous leisure" and "conspicuous consumption", i.e. for an upper middle-class background (or above). A long time ago I applied to one of the top business schools in the US and was told quite directly, during the interview process, that the MBA program was mostly about networking and not so much about academics. It looks like this attitude has now expanded to many four-year colleges as well. In business terms, it's all about "culture fit" these days.

[diob]

Yep. It's a cycle where they select based on this, and those folks go on to do well due to network / opportunity. Not saying they don't have talent, but there isn't a lack of talent in the lower class either.

[csa]

> kids from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds have fewer opportunities to volunteer and to pursue expensive sports

This is very much factored in during admissions at elite schools.