Whether justified or not, students and families often view admission to a prestigious college as a ticket to a better life. So it is not surprising that many aspects of the application process — such as testing, alumni ties, access to Advanced Placement courses and affirmative action for minority students — long have provoked debate about fairness. Two recent developments have provoked similar discussions. UC Berkeley said it will break UC system tradition and seek recommendation letters from some of this year's applicants and make it an option for all next year. Also, a coalition of 83 elite colleges and universities established a joint online application portal that will allow students to store term papers and video projects as early as ninth grade for possible later review by colleges.

October 28, 2015 ・ From Los Angeles Times