In 1997, Texas state leaders designed a law to create diversity throughout college campuses, called the top ten percent law. While trying to drop all racial concerns on college admissions, the law makers overlooked one thing: The number of under qualified freshman receiving acceptance. "The people who complain about very strong students who took very tough schedules and wound up in the second 10% being squeezed out," says UT professor Douglas Laycock, "they've got a legitimate gripe." This law should be revised admitting pupils based on merit, not a vague percentage.

Many of the colleges have accepted this law thinking it will bring in more students. Although this part of the plan has worked, many of the wrong students receive admittance. Those students who took more challenging courses with tough schedules get squeezed out of the top ten percent, while less-motivated scholars with lighter classes get accepted. In turn, the...