Legacy college admissions - the advantage bestowed on children of alumni during the selection process - has long been a contentious issue. The recent Supreme Court decision to overturn race-based admissions has only amplified scrutiny of this well-entrenched tradition.
A significant number of legacy applicants are predominantly white, leading many to view this practice as perpetuating exclusivity and privilege, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Most students from minority or low-income backgrounds are often making the familial debut into academia.
The landmark Supreme Court ruling had an immediate effect on some institutions. Both Wesleyan University and the University of Minnesota decided to abandon legacy admissions. Other esteemed institutions, such as Johns Hopkins University and Pomona College, had opted out of this system even before the ruling.
“The Supreme Court’s decision…made it even more clear to me that it was indefensible to give preference to the children of alumni,” Michael Roth, Wesleyan’s President, stated in July.
Survey data from nonprofit organization Education Reform Now presents an image of colleges moving away from the legacy system. 89% of college admissions directors stated their opposition to legacy admissions, with three-quarters of public colleges missing a legacy preference component.
Even public opinion seems to disapprove of the practice, with 75% of respondents in a 2022 poll by Pew Research Center voicing their disagreement with legacy admissions.
However, at the nation's most elite institutions, a stronghold for the practice, children of alumni continue to have a significant advantage. Elites from these schools go on to occupy influential positions, thus perpetuating a cycle of privilege.
A revealing case in point is Harvard University, where, according to EFN findings, a legacy applicant stands twice as good a chance of being admitted into the institution as a candidate from a family making less than $60,000 a year. “In that admission process, that legacy extra boost really can make a difference.” remarks Joan Casey, president of Massachusetts-based college admissions consulting firm, Educational Advocates.
Colleges often defend legacy admissions as important for maintaining donor connections and aiding financial benefits for the institution. Some institutions argue that legacy admissions help build traditions and a sense of camaraderie.
However, opponents of the practice argue that if colleges wish to continue enjoying tax benefits and tax-exempt donations, they need to work towards more equitable practices.
With the U.S Department of Education launching a civil rights investigation into Harvard University's preference for children of wealthy donors and alumni in July, the end of legacy admissions seems foreseeable. Yet, even its collapse won't instantly revolutionize the demographic makeup of America’s top colleges, as a privileged background often sets students on a trajectory to success, regardless of the institution they attend.
