The assumption behind the fierce competition for admission to elite colleges and universities is clear: The more elite the school one attends, the brighter one's future. That assumption, however, may well be flawed. The research examined recently by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights provides strong reason to believe that attending the most…

A United Negro College Fund study found that affirmative action policy does not deny Whites access to higher education, but does increase minority access to more selective colleges. It also revealed that, of 1,808 4-year colleges, only 342 are likely to use affirmative action; of these, 120 account for the greatest gain in African American and…