The City University of New York

In households of high school juniors and seniors, mailboxes are overflowing with information from colleges and universities. Parents struggle with questions of finance. Discussions around the dinner table are tense. A major decision is about to be made, and its financial impact on the family and on the life of the student will be great.

How does one judge the worth of a college? Traditionally, quality is equated with selectivity. The words "acceptance," "admissions standards," and "rigor of the curriculum" conjure up the image of large numbers of students vying to qualify for acceptance in a freshman class. Acceptance into a distinguished college or university provides the student with an opportunity for a better life. Acceptance into a distinguished college or university validates the parental experience of 18 years. Acceptance into a distinguished college or university is the "Cinderella slipper" in our meritocracy.