Legacy admissions into universities promote all the wrong values and divert the mission of equality, prioritizing certain socioeconomic classes over others. For that reason, legacy admissions should no longer be a pathway to be admitted into any college, no matter the circumstances. Higher education claims to provide opportunities based on merit, yet allow family lineage to influence admissions decisions, clearly contradicting their promise and further reinforcing inequality that institutions claim to work against.
A legacy acceptance refers to an instance where a college gives preferential treatment, in terms of admissions, to an applicant due to their family ties to the university itself.
While it may not seem like a big deal, legacy admissions create limited diversity through schools. According to unc.edu, “While modern-day legacy policies are not intentionally designed to exclude based on racial, ethnic or religious identity, legacy admissions slow populational demographic change in student bodies by causing ‘the composition of enrollment at a college to change less quickly than the composition of otherwise qualified applicants.’” As universities refuse to adjust to a globalized society, they continue to admit students who reflect past generations and previous goals rather than present realities.
Enhanced by the previous source, the “extra boost” or legacy title applicants can place on their resumes correlates directly with racial issues throughout the United States.
Since policies have historically restricted access to higher education for people of color, it has allowed for university attendance to become concentrated among white families. The same could be said today as legacy admissions allow those advantages to cycle forward, rewarding ancestry that reflects past discrimination. Though the policy may appear neutral, its effects are anything but equal.
A homogenous campus community is not the only thing that legacy admissions encourage. These systems make it far more difficult for first-generation college students to gain acceptance into competitive institutions. These students already face numerous hurdles, including limited academic resources, lack of guidance through the application process and financial strain. Competing against applicants who receive special consideration simply because of family history makes the process even more discouraging and unfair.
As mentioned by unc.edu, “First-generation students are automatically left behind by legacy practices, many of whom are racial or ethnic minorities. According to a legal complaint issued against Harvard, nearly 70 percent of all legacy admits are white — a group that is almost 6 times more likely to gain admission.”
Harvard, a university known for its rigor and low acceptance rate, is mostly comprised of white, wealthy, legacy students. According to brookings.edu, there is a civil rights investigation against Harvard in an attempt to rid “legacy” status from being considered in the admissions process; it is believed to not be meritocratic, benefiting wealthy white students in ways that other socioeconomic classes and minorities are not able to achieve. When influential schools uphold inequality, they send a message to all institutions that fairness is optional.
Legacy admissions do not measure talent, intelligence or individual ability; they measure bloodlines. For universities supposedly committed to equity and excellence, the system they follow is outdated and unjust. Ending this practice would open doors for students who have worked tirelessly to earn their place, ensuring that higher education reflects achievement, not ancestry or socioeconomic status.