Rating-Baiting

When Yale president Kingman Brewster Jr. slipped a mild criticism of Harvard's admission policies into an article in the Yale Alumni Magazine, the New York Times promptly blew the "controversy" out of all proportion by splattering it onto the front page. But even though no one expects a blood feud to erupt between the two institutions over the issue, it should still be noted that Brewster hasn't got much of an argument.

Brewster claimed that Harvard guarantees itself an unfair advantage in competing for admissions candidates by supplying prospective applicants with A, B, or C ratings. The Yale president apparently felt that a high school senior who receives an A from Harvard, indicating almost certain acceptance, won't bother to consider a school like Yale which does not give ratings.

But an A rating from Harvard in no way obligates the student who receives it. He is free to apply to any other college. If he prefers Yale or Princeton to Harvard, why would he forget about them just because he knows Harvard will take him?

Brewster must have a low opinion of prospective Yale and Harvard applicants if he feels they would sell out the college of their choice for a little psychic security.