The answer is no.

As I argue in today’s Martin Center article, the College Board has decided to side with the “progressives” and further undermine the defense of assessing people on their individual capabilities and achievements rather than supposed group disadvantages. The “adversity score” idea won’t help colleges intent on finding reasons for discriminating in favor of certain racial groups (which they already do through “holistic” evaluation of applicants), but is merely an effort at “allyship” with the left.


Let’s hope this notion doesn’t catch on. What if the U.S. Olympic team decided to make things more fair for athletes who want to make, say, the swimming team, by calculating each swimmer’s “adversity score” based on lack of availability of pools in his area, poverty and crime, non-availability of coaches, and so on. Instead of choosing the fastest team based on objective results, we’d get a “diverse and inclusive” team. It would win no medals, but leftists could feel good for a few minutes before going on to their next egalitarian project.