the inexact science of the elite

Princeton Review released the results of its annual law school survey today, which asks students questions about their school's academic environment, their career prospects, and the extent to which their professors rock. My school found itself in the top three of three lists, which made me laugh. What made me laugh more was overhearing my classmates revel in our rankings, as if these arbitrary lists will make an actual change at our school. Our school is good as it is. We'd probably round up some more applications and alumni donations if we went up a few spots in the U.S. News Report, but otherwise, I find the gerbil-wheel pursuit of elite-hood to be nauseating.

Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point, Blink) wrote an article for the New Yorker discussing "the social logic of Ivy League admissions." Through a brief history of admissions at Harvard, he highlights the fact that entrance among the elite depends on a highly subjective process -- which, I believe, characterizes just about every situation in life where people compete for positions, whether it's in a sorority or a college or a firm or a non-profit. If anyone doubts that our society is not a meritocracy, just ask this lady: