Education: Open Admissions: American Dream or Disaster?

ONLY a few years ago, most Americans heartily endorsed the nation's drive toward universal higher education. But now that 60% of U.S. high school graduates attend college, serious questions arise: What are colleges for? Who deserves admission? Or rejection? During the annual meeting of the American Council on Education in St. Louis last week, college presidents and administrators discussed a dramatic case in point: City University of New York and its new open-admissions policy. To some it seemed a triumph of democracy; to others, an omen that colleges may soon be overwhelmed with...