Federal ban on legacy preferences?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Another First Amendment lawyer here. It’s not. Cite a case. You think if Congress passed a law that colleges could not admit avowed socialists without forfeiting their federal funds, that that law would be constitutional?

In fact, I think this Court would bend over backwards to allow for all manner of McCarthyist prohibitions on socialists.

And if you are really any kind of lawyer you surely see the absurdity of your analogy, which is in fact not analogous at all. No one is talking about banning legacy kids from college; merely having to show some merit to gain admittance like the rest of the world.

Why do we have to show anything? We're not like the rest of the word. You Americans are so drunk on this illusory meritocracy Kool-Aid and still believe that all people are born with equal opportunities. Look around who gets promoted at work, too.

Good point. People are making arguments based on what they want the mission of these colleges to be. But it’s up to the colleges to define their mission. They don’t need to be egalitarian meritocracies if they don’t want to be.

There is absolutely no egalitarian meritocracy in this world. Ceteris paribus, tall men make more money, attractive women get better reviews at work and get promoted more easily, children with poor parents will never catch up financially with similar children from well off families, rich people live longer. Why would anyone think that college admissions would be different? IMO, it creates such strong feelings because parents believe that admission to a selective college would somehow, miraculously, create endless opportunities for their kids. They look at it as their kid's only chance to get ahead in life and legacies are blocking their attempt to climb this social ladder. Let's be honest, it's not about microeconomics 101.

[Anonymous]

The top schools have had proportionate minority(black, hispanic, and asian) representation in their classes since the 80's and 90's some no doubt as a result of affirmative action. Most of the time schools value legacy status of parents more than grandparents or other distant relatives so its been enough time that the minority kids applying today can have a similar proportionate chance for legacy status as whites. It's not a meritocracy but it's not really that racist anymore either. Of course there are probably more hispanics and asians in the student population today compared to before so they may have a slight disadvantage in terms of chances of legacy status but not blacks.

[Anonymous]

Lol if this passes time to stop donations to our Ivy League alma maters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol if this passes time to stop donations to our Ivy League alma maters

most of the endowment growth is via investment anyways, not from donations.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter whether it passes or fails. Just like it doesn't matter if AA is declared illegal by SCOTUS or not. Colleges will always find ways around it, if they want to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter whether it passes or fails. Just like it doesn't matter if AA is declared illegal by SCOTUS or not. Colleges will always find ways around it, if they want to do it.

Just need to embrace huge risk of lawsuits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol if this passes time to stop donations to our Ivy League alma maters

most of the endowment growth is via investment anyways, not from donations.

Even if that’s true at least I can now ignore the multiple emails asking to donate with impunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no way this would pass, right? Applies to any institution that participates in federal student aid programs, and includes the option of a waiver for HBCUs. Is that even constitutional?

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democratic-lawmakers-propose-ban-legacy-admissions-colleges-n1288396

Why would the Democrats do this juuuust at the point when increasing numbers of POC will start to benefit from legacy preferences? It's like they're determined to lose my (POC) vote.

They should definitely do it. As it stands now, the only legacies who get preference are major donor families. So get rid of all monetary/developmental/celeb preferences in admissions.

That’s not true at all. Most schools give a legacy preference to any student whose parent attended the school, regardless of whether the parent ever donated. Development/major donor families are in a different, more favored box.

Hahaha. So wrong. Your kid isn't getting in just because you won't went there. You've gotta fork over some cash every year. The more the better!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The top schools have had proportionate minority(black, hispanic, and asian) representation in their classes since the 80's and 90's some no doubt as a result of affirmative action. Most of the time schools value legacy status of parents more than grandparents or other distant relatives so its been enough time that the minority kids applying today can have a similar proportionate chance for legacy status as whites. It's not a meritocracy but it's not really that racist anymore either. Of course there are probably more hispanics and asians in the student population today compared to before so they may have a slight disadvantage in terms of chances of legacy status but not blacks.

This is false. I was at Penn in 80s and it was overwhelmingly white. And Penn was one of the more diverse Ivies back then. The Ivies are all doing better now with racial and ethnic diversity. But legacies harm, don't help, that effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I applied to Howard for a job and got an automatic rejection within seconds because I checked “white” for my race. How is that ok?

This is complete bs and you know it. Get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I spent 20 years paying $100,000 in student loans from the 1990s. I feel like getting a legacy preference for my kid is the least the school could do for all the blood and sweat it cost me. Most of my 20 years of payments were just interest. I finally gave up and used home equity to pay it off figuring I wanted to be free before age 50. So legacy status isn't always about being rich and fabulous.

Are you serious?