I hope SCOTUS includes this when abolishing racial discrimination: "Folks, there are tons of spaces. Most colleges out there are dying for students. The problem is that everyone want sot go to the same few places." |
I agree---those kids already have a certain level of privilege for the first 18 years of their life. But for a private universities, why should you (or I) get to decide that it shouldn't be a factor? The fact is college admissions are not a concrete formula. |
I am opposed. There are two possibilities:
1) Legacy status makes very little difference, and is just a nudge in the few cases when applicants are virtually identical. In that case, dropping the preference would make people like me happy, end the debate, and have little effect on the number of legacy admits. Why not? 2) Legacy status has a big effect. In that case, it's clearly unfair and should be dropped. I say this as an alumnus of an elite (USNWR top 3) liberal arts college who has children in high school. I certainly wouldn't get into my alma mater today, and my kids won't get in without legacy preference, but they are qualified enough to maybe get in with preference. But I don't think they should, as it would be taking away a spot from a more qualified student, and they have the ability to get into other very good schools and thrive there. |
Most colleges don't hold the fact a parent is not college educated against a student....that would be first gen student and colleges give preference to them (I agree with this---it benefits everyone to help everyone who wants it to get a college education). Every college we looked at touts what percent of first gen students they have and tout all the programs to assist these students (and that's a good thing---I was first gen and it's a different world when your parents don't really understand the process because it's foreign to them). |
But in the last 20-25 years these schools have become majority POC and now you want to remove legacy preference just when it starts benefitting alumni POC? |
Not true. It is the equivalent of 100-200 additional points on the SAT. |
Or more now with TO, depends on the school. Some schools give just a small bump but students need to be in ballpark of most competitive applicants. Other schools give a massive bump. I know two legacies who got into Duke this year. Both mediocre students who applied test optional. |
This is quite funny. Now wealthy blacks want double AA: as legacy and as black. |
This just isn’t true. What about the legacy kid who grows up on a farm in RI and gas yo do farm chores after school and qualifies for a full ride? Or the first gen kid whose parents bought them a car when they turned 16, takes vacations every summer (including flying) and parents have saved to send them to college? These are two real-life examples I know. There are many others. |
These bastions of academic research are led almost uniformly by liberal/progressive presidents and department chairs. Yet they continue these "crazy" legacy preferences. Maybe they realize legacy preference has begun to benefit POC (that made up a majority of new alumni for the last decade or two). |
They are hoping for one of the ~300 slots at Harvard that went to a legacy. Harvard admits 2318 students, and supposedly they admit 14% legacy (not sure if it's admit or of the actual class that attends). so they want one of the 300*20 slots that went to legacy at T20 schools. It's actually less than the 6000 because Harvard likely has the highest legacy admissions. So lets say 6000 spots, and estimate that 50% of those legacies would have gotten in anyhow. SO these people are complaining that their snowflake (who is already privileged, just not as privileged as those 6000), did not get one of those 3000 spots. In the grand scheme of things, their kids wasn't getting that spot anyhow, it's a lottery crap shoot. I agree that alumni who donate a lot, work for free for the university over the years should receive a perk when their qualified kid applies. We cannot as a society remove all levels of privilege (nor should we want to). Ironically the people who complain about legacy are largely still extremely privileged themselves, and daily take advantage of their privileges. They only want them removed when it's not accessible to them. |
You don't "get" that schools are trying to help lift those who have been given less. |
Spouse and and I attended the same TOP 10 SLAC to which we have committed much time, talent and treasure over the 30+ years since graduation. I am gong to be completely honest, the legacy status of our children would be recognized by the university even if there wasn't a box to check on the Common App. There is no denying when you are on a first name basis with the Dean of Admissions, Alumini Director and other top administrators. I say this as someone who received 100% financial aid from this institution and have been more than happy to give back to them. |
Yes, I include all of these groups when removing legacy. You don't "volunteer" or "donate" to an organization because you are expecting to get something in return for the organization. If I were to choose one category to keep, it would be probably be faculty children. But, if I were a prof, I'd be ok if that were removed as long as my benefits included reimbursement for my kid to go to whatever other school they were accepted to (they get paid so little!) |
Nice pat for yourself on the back there. ![]() |