Legacy preferences

Survey: Nearly 80 Percent of College Students Want Legacy Admissions Banned

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
University, Education, Education, Discrimination in the United States, Articles, University and college admissions, Affirmative action in the United States, Education policy, Legacy preferences, Human activities, College admissions in the United States, Higher education in the United States

Of the more than 2,000 college students polled, 79 percent support (54 percent strongly; 25 percent somewhat) the end of legacy admissions.

Key Points: 
  • Of the more than 2,000 college students polled, 79 percent support (54 percent strongly; 25 percent somewhat) the end of legacy admissions.
  • According to research, legacy students constitute a significant share of students among the most competitive (mostly private) colleges and universities across the country.
  • The CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, himself a former admissions chief at a private college, suggests that ending legacy admissions would harm colleges ability to enroll low-income students .
  • *Based on the results of an e-survey conducted in June 2021 of 2,035 four-year college and community college students from across the United States.

More Than Half of Students at America's Top Colleges Would Not Have Been Admitted If Only SAT Scores Were Considered, New Georgetown Report Says

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, June 23, 2019
SAT, ACT, Socioeconomic status, University and college admissions, Academic disciplines, Education, Affirmative action in the United States, Legacy preferences, Articles

examines how implementing a test-only admissions policy at the most selective US colleges would alter the demographics and credentials of a recent college class.

Key Points: 
  • examines how implementing a test-only admissions policy at the most selective US colleges would alter the demographics and credentials of a recent college class.
  • More than half of students no longer qualified to attend as a result of test-only admissions would come from top-quartile socioeconomic status (SES) families.
  • In their place, only students with SAT scores higher than 1250 would be admitted, slightly raising the share of top-quartile SES students from 60% to 63%.
  • However, as currently practiced, this process allows colleges too much leeway to give additional advantages to those who are already advantaged.

DoSomething.org Launches Merit Over Money Campaign, Thousands of Young People Demand That Ivy League Universities End Legacy & Donor Preferences in Admissions

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
University and college admissions, Ivy League, Education, Affirmative action in the United States, Education policy, Legacy preferences

It's one reason that at elite universities, more students come from the top 1% of the income scale than the entire bottom 60% combined.

Key Points: 
  • It's one reason that at elite universities, more students come from the top 1% of the income scale than the entire bottom 60% combined.
  • Through DoSomething's "Merit Over Money" campaign, thousands of students are signing a petition to demand Ivy League schools do away with legacy and donor preferences.
  • DoSomething is partnering with advocacy organization EdMobilizer, which organizes the 1vyG conference and has been a staunch advocate for an end to unfair admissions practices.
  • "By changing their policies, Ivy League schools would set the precedent for other colleges admissions to make their admissions policies more fair."