Under-represented minorities tend to persist in the sciences regardless of peer quality, but in more competitive programs they suffer – often substantially – in terms of college grades and the likelihood of graduating.
These differences may be explained by the fact that first-time candidates usually apply for more competitive programs, so their probability of admission is lower even though their average score is higher.
It could just as easily lead to a more competitive programming landscape that results in lower prices and greater diversity.
It also helps that none of them identify themselves primarily as "bakers," or the "thing they are doing on the show," the same way contestants on more competitive programs do.
"They are not going to be accepted as readily as American-trained doctors are for some of the more competitive residency programs," said Dr. Temple, who runs a training program for Latin American and Caribbean doctors to become leaders in the medical field in their own countries.
While many of the Roma students have degrees from technical or regional colleges, they would probably not be accepted into the more competitive graduate programs without extra preparation, said Prem Kumar Rajaram, academic director of the Roma Graduate Preparation Program.
It said 64 others were now eligible for one of the five more competitive, citywide gifted programs, open to those at the 97th percentile or higher.
The other 2,037 will be told they are now eligible for one of the city's five more competitive "citywide" gifted programs, open to those at the 97th percentile or higher.
That would make those programs more competitive with Microsoft's Office suite of programs, one of the software giant's cash cows.
Other reforms that have been put forward include a proposal last week from Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat, who is the congresswoman from the district that includes San Jose, which seeks to curtail what she describes as "outsourcing abuse" of the program by adding in higher salary requirements to make the program more competitive.
