What About Legacy Admissions?

(from The Chronicle of Higher Education) Is it time for educational institutions to take a closer look at legacy admissions practices? Amid reports that the Trump administration plans to investigate "intentional race-based discrimination" in college admissions, some voices say the real unfair advantage goes to applicants whose parents, siblings or other relatives went to certain schools. "The system is rigged against disadvantaged students, and legacy preferences are the most blatant example," said Richard D. Kahlenberg of the Century Foundation.

While legal experts say legacy preferences could be hard to challenge in court, some admissions professionals say schools should at least be mindful of their legacy policies in light of their missions and diversity goals, and that legacy and nonlegacy students who enroll ar just about equally qualified.

Read the full article at The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscriber-only content).

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