This article, "How affirmative action works in practice," from The Economist, is a nice read that unpacks the university admissions process, with Harvard in the spotlight. It reveals the somewhat elusive 'holistic admissions' which takes into account not just academic scores but a cocktail of factors such as extracurricular activities, family connections, and racial diversity. The article is insightful, laced with real data and expert opinions - even featuring some wisdom from a Nobel Prize-winning economist. The language is quite accessible so students could be expected to read it independently. For A-Level Economics teachers looking for something to use in discussions on education, inequality, or discrimination, this article could be a real gem. It is also useful for teaching 'theory vs reality' as an an evaluation technique.
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