Virginia has banned legacy admissions at public universities, prohibiting preferential treatment for applicants with family ties to alumni or donors. The law, effective July 1, will impact selective institutions like the University of Virginia and William & Mary. Governor Glenn Youngkin emphasized merit-based admissions, and the bipartisan support for the ban reflects a push for diversity in college admissions. Similar legislation is being considered in other states, following Colorado as the second state to ban legacy admissions.
Claudine Gay's resignation as Harvard University President adds to the uncertainty in the college admissions process, particularly in the context of the Supreme Court's stance against affirmative action. The early admission applications for Harvard fell by 17% for the Class of 2028, which could be attributed to the omission of race as a consideration and incidents of antisemitism on campus. Despite these challenges, experts believe Harvard's reputation will recover, and the acceptance rate has slightly increased. Future applicants are expected to be influenced by social justice issues when choosing colleges, indicating a broader trend in higher education.
The Supreme Court is expected to end affirmative action in college admissions, which has been a priority for decades. If race-conscious admissions fall, better-resourced schools are expected to use household incomes, ZIP codes, targeted recruiting programs, and other indirect methods to prop up their commitment to diversity. The decision hinges on two cases where Students for Fair Admissions is challenging race-conscious practices at Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The ruling could affect gender-focused programs as well. College admissions officers across the country are brainstorming ways to preserve diversity on campus if they can't use race. Congress may have to address admissions barriers for underrepresented students if the Supreme Court strikes down the use of race in college admissions.
A federal appeals court overturned the fraud and conspiracy convictions of two parents found guilty of participating in the Operation Varsity Blues bribery scheme, which ensnared dozens of wealthy parents who falsified their children’s credentials to gain admission to prestigious universities. The court found that the lower court had made crucial missteps in the trial of Gamal Abdelaziz and John Wilson, but upheld Wilson's conviction on tax fraud. The victory in the appellate court was striking because Wilson and Abdelaziz were the first to take their chances in front of a jury.
