Prompt
You coordinate a free tutoring program at a community center, where volunteer university students help high school seniors prepare for university entrance exams. There are 30 spots. Sign-up opens online at 9 a.m. on a weekday, and this year every spot was filled within four minutes. At intake, most families mentioned that their child also has a private tutor. Only two of the 30 students came from the two high schools in the city's lowest-income neighborhoods. The volunteers enjoy working with this year's group, and several current parents have donated laptops to the program. The community center has asked you to propose how spots should be given out next year. What would you propose, and why?
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Critical thinking
- Communication
- Ethical reasoning
How to approach this question
This MMI station on equity and access tests whether you can see how a first-come system that looks equal ends up favoring families who already have the most help. Name everyone with a stake: the students in low-income neighborhoods the program barely reaches, this year's families, the volunteers, and the parents who donated laptops. Ask aloud why lower-income families aren't signing up in time, and whether the cause is awareness, internet access or a weekday morning time slot. Weigh options such as reserved spots, outreach through those two high schools, a lottery or need-based priority, and propose a clear plan. When the station brings someone just outside your new rule, show empathy for her situation and explain how you'd handle edge cases without abandoning the policy's purpose.
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