The term you used "of ability", I'm sure not by mistake and I think that's key. I'm guessing that "of ability" to you means someone with high SAT/ACT/IQ test scores. I'm saying that the average classmate of one of my kids is going to get a much higher SAT score than that same kid if they'd grown up in West Baltimore to poor parents going to crappy schools. By your terms wealthy kids are far more "of ability" than poor ones. In fact I went so far as to assert that if you took a group of kids out of that situation at a young age and put them in a wealthy situation, they'd score much higher than the control group. I'm curious if you'd disagree with that assertion? If so would you be willing to subject your kids to the West Baltimore experience? BTW, If you think a poor kid with mediocre SAT scores from West Baltimore can get into the school of their choice I'd invite you to come down for a visit to one of those schools with me to talk to a couple. Seriously, I'll set it up. See the problem is painfully few of them meet your "of ability" standard because painfully few of them get the education or support required to get out of the ignorance we're all born with. It's not fair say it's no problem for those kids in West Baltimore, all the ones "of ability" have schools fighting over them. None of them are given the tools to develop "of ability", that's my whole point.
Yes, of course. Colleges know this, and they adjust admissions standards accordingly. I'll do you one better. I myself was subjected to the "Mount Airy experience" in Philly, where I was born. Thanks, but no need. I've volunteer-tutored in inner city schools. I know the landscape.