Universities Show Uneven Efforts in Enrolling Poor

The NYT continues its trend of reporting on foreign and domestic educational politics. Today's article is on a new form of affirmative action that favors poor students. It assesses which universities do the best (and worst) job of attracting and enrolling poor students. The article appears to have an axe to grind with the University of Michigan, at whom it directs most of its criticism.

It seems to me the root of public universities enrolling few poor students is the uneven quality of lower levels of education and particularly high school. Many disadvantaged students don't even apply to the more prestigious institutions suggesting they are receiving poor career counseling or that they don't see entrance into these institutions as a possibility. Of course, universities can expand their visibility through outreach efforts.