Getting In by Malcolm Gladwell

Question 1

What does the article reveal about how colleges define a “good student”?

Accepted Answer

Someone who fits their institutional goals

Question 2

How does the article suggest “personality” became a coded filter in admissions?

Accepted Answer

It allowed schools to define who fit their image

Question 3

What tension does the article highlight in college admissions?

Accepted Answer

Between fairness and tradition

Question 4

According to Shulman and Bowen's research, why do athletes earn more money despite lower test scores?

Accepted Answer

They have drive, energy, competitiveness, and work well in groups

Question 5

Why does Gladwell say elite colleges are like luxury brands?

Accepted Answer

Because they focus on image and exclusivity

Question 6

What kind of system did Harvard develop in the early 20th century?

Accepted Answer

A personality-based selection process

Question 7

According to the article, what is the main difference between "treatment effects" and "selection effects" institutions?

Accepted Answer

Treatment effects change you; the latter choose you for what you alreadyare

Question 8

According to the study, what happens when you compare students who got into both selective and lesss selective schools

Accepted Answer

The income bonus from selective schools disappears

Question 9

What was the name of Harvard's policy for selecting student who could handle being in the bottom quarter of their class?

Accepted Answer

The "happy-bottom-quarter" policy

Question 10

What was Harvard President A. Lawrence Lowell's comparison for why too many Jewish students would hurt the school?

Accepted Answer

A summer hotel that admits Jews and drives away Gentiles

Question 11

What does Malcolm Gladwell suggest about college admissions in America?

Accepted Answer

It reflects cultural and social values

Question 12

What is the main topic of the article “Getting In”?

Accepted Answer

How elite universities choose their students

Question 13

What is Gladwell’s overall tone toward elite admissions?

Accepted Answer

Critical and reflective

Question 14

What rating system did Princeton use to evaluate potential candidates in the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

A 1-4 scale with 1 being "very desirable" and 4 being "undesirable"

Question 15

What was the maximum percentage of Jewish students at Harvard's freshman class in the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

B) More than 20%

Question 16

According to the article, how is “merit” constructed in elite college admissions?

Accepted Answer

As a reflection of social, cultural, and institutional preferences

Question 17

What’s the major difference between Canadian and American admissions systems, according to Gladwell?

Accepted Answer

Canadian admissions are more straightforward

Questions 17