Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a new law ending the use of legacy admissions at the state's public colleges and universities, requiring schools to stop giving an admissions advantage to applicants with connections to alums and donors. The law, set to take effect on July 1, follows similar moves in other states and by some private colleges to address concerns about fairness and privilege in the admissions process.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a bill banning the consideration of legacy in admissions to public universities, removing the advantage previously enjoyed by applicants with family ties to institutions such as the University of Virginia and William & Mary. This move makes Virginia the second state, after Colorado, to end admission advantages through family connections, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine hopes it will become a national movement.
The University of Virginia is the latest school to change its legacy admissions policies, following a civil rights group's federal complaint challenging the process. Multiple colleges and universities across the country have updated admissions policies, with some choosing to end preferences given to legacy students. Schools such as Wesleyan University, Virginia Tech, University of Minnesota, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, Amherst College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University have either ended or changed their legacy admissions policies. Legacy admissions have faced criticism for perpetuating inequality, with some schools being investigated for their continued use of legacy programs.
The Education Department has launched a civil rights investigation into Harvard University's admissions preferences for the relatives of alumni and donors, following a complaint filed by three groups. The complaint argues that Harvard's practice of legacy admissions discriminates against Black, Hispanic, and Asian applicants in favor of wealthy, less qualified students. The Biden administration's move comes after the Supreme Court's decision limiting affirmative action. Harvard stated that it is already reviewing its admissions practices to ensure compliance with the law and remains dedicated to encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to apply.
Wesleyan University has announced that it will no longer give preferential treatment to legacy applicants, joining other prestigious schools in ending legacy admissions after the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action. The university's president stated that legacy status has played a negligible role in the admissions process for years, but they believe it is important to formally end admission preference for legacy applicants in light of the recent Supreme Court decision. Wesleyan will focus on a holistic view of applicants and pursue diversity through various initiatives, including geographical diversity, scholarships for African undergraduates, and increased support for veterans and community college recruiting.
Wesleyan University, an elite US liberal arts college, has announced that it will no longer give preference to student applicants with family or donor ties, ending the practice of legacy admissions. The move comes in response to criticism that legacy admissions perpetuate privilege and hinder diversity. Wesleyan joins other universities, including Johns Hopkins and MIT, in eliminating legacy admissions. A majority of Americans are against legacy admissions, and US President Joe Biden has called for considering adversity in the college admissions process. The decision follows the Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action, prompting a civil rights complaint against Harvard's legacy admissions.
Wesleyan University, a liberal arts college in Connecticut, has decided to end legacy admissions, which give preferential treatment to the children of alumni, following the Supreme Court's decision to ban race-conscious admissions. Legacy admissions have faced criticism for favoring white, wealthy applicants over underrepresented minority students. The move by Wesleyan reflects a growing opposition to legacy admissions, with other selective universities like M.I.T. and Amherst also ending the practice. The decision comes as President Biden and other politicians have spoken out against legacy admissions, and public opinion polls show a lack of support for the practice. The future of legacy admissions on campuses remains uncertain, with challenges and calls for review at other colleges.
Following a recent ruling on affirmative action in college admissions, the focus has shifted to legacy admissions, which give preferential treatment to applicants with family ties to the institution. Critics argue that legacy admissions perpetuate inequality and hinder diversity efforts, while proponents argue that they foster a sense of tradition and loyalty. As the debate intensifies, the next battle in the fight for equal opportunities in higher education is expected to center around legacy admissions.
Harvard University's legacy admissions policy is facing renewed scrutiny following a recent ruling on affirmative action. The lawsuit against Harvard, which alleges discrimination against Asian-American applicants, has prompted critics to question the fairness of the university's practice of giving preferential treatment to the children of alumni. The ruling, which upheld the consideration of race in admissions, has reignited the debate over affirmative action and its impact on college admissions.
A civil rights group has filed a federal complaint challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, arguing that the practice discriminates against students of color. Legacy admissions give preference to applicants who have family members that attended the school, and critics describe it as affirmative action for white, wealthy students. The complaint alleges that Harvard's use of legacy admissions violates the Civil Rights Act and undermines merit-based admissions. This challenge comes in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's ruling against race-based affirmative action, which severely limits the consideration of race in college admissions. President Joe Biden has expressed interest in analyzing legacy admissions and other practices that perpetuate privilege.
Advocacy groups have filed a federal civil rights complaint against Harvard University, accusing the Ivy League institution of granting preferential treatment to mostly white students through its legacy admissions policy. The complaint alleges that Harvard's practice of giving special preference to applicants with family ties to the university systematically disadvantages students of color. The filing comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent ruling that colleges can no longer consider race as a key factor in admissions. The complaint calls on the Department of Education to investigate Harvard's legacy preferences, declare them illegal, and order the university to end the practice if it wants to continue receiving federal funds.
Harvard's legacy admissions policy, which gives preferential treatment to the children of alumni, is facing scrutiny after a recent ruling that race-based criteria in admissions is unconstitutional. Critics argue that legacy admissions perpetuate inequality and should be eliminated, while supporters argue that they help maintain a sense of tradition and community. The debate over legacy admissions is part of a larger discussion on affirmative action and diversity in higher education.
Lawyers for Civil Rights have filed a complaint with the Education Department, urging them to stop Harvard University from giving preferential treatment to children of alumni in the admissions process, arguing that it violates federal civil rights law by disproportionately benefiting white applicants and disadvantaging applicants of color. This comes after the Supreme Court recently ruled against race-based affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The complaint highlights the significant advantage given to legacy applicants, with 34% of US applicants who were children of Harvard alumni being admitted from 2009 to 2015, compared to a 6% admission rate for non-legacy applicants. While some colleges have abandoned legacy preferences, many prestigious institutions, including those in the Ivy League, have not.
Activists have filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, challenging the practice of legacy admissions, which they argue discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair advantage to the mostly white children of alumni. The lawsuit comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent decision ending affirmative action in college admissions. The civil rights group alleges that Harvard's admissions system violates the Civil Rights Act and calls for an end to the practice. A separate campaign is also urging alumni to withhold donations until schools end legacy admissions.
Civil rights group Lawyers for Civil Rights has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, challenging the practice of legacy admissions, which they argue discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair advantage to the mostly white children of alumni. The lawsuit alleges that Harvard's admissions system violates the Civil Rights Act and calls for an end to the practice. This comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to end affirmative action in college admissions. Critics argue that legacy admissions are no longer defensible without affirmative action as a counterbalance, and a separate campaign is urging alumni to withhold donations until schools end legacy admissions. President Joe Biden and several Democrats in Congress have also called for an end to the policy. The lawsuit draws attention to other colleges that have abandoned legacy admissions, and it asks the U.S. Education Department to declare the practice illegal and force Harvard to abandon it as long as the university receives federal funding.
